Safety training for PU adhesives

Confirmation of course attendance required from 24 August 2023


Our COSMO® PU adhesives have exceptional properties and therefore, they are inevitable for many bonding applications also in future.

On 4 August 2020, the new REACH regulation restricting diisocyanates was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. It is the objective of the restriction to prevent respiratory or skin sensitising possibly caused by diisocyanate. This requires safety trainings.

Our COSMO® PU adhesives include diisocyanates and therefore, they are subject to this regulation.  


Frequently asked questions and answers:

I am not sure which training module I must take to be certified for my application. Where can a get further information about this?

We would be glad to support you with your selection of the training modules that match to you and your applications.

How do I prove my successfully passed training?

After your online training, you must take a multiple choice test. After you have passed the test, you automatically get a certificate that will be valid for 5 years. This certificate can be printed, however it is also conveniently available in the online portal or via a QR code.

Which training options are further available for me?

There is the possibility for you to create training contents yourself for your company or your customers. The only precondition that exists is that the contents must comply with the provisions in the EU directive 2020/1149. Therefore, it would seem the thing to orient yourself by the guidelines of ISOPA and ALIPA. These associations also train the safety representatives to become a trainer. If you want more information on this, do not hesitate to contact us.

In which language are the online trainings available?

The training is available in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Estonian, Finnish, Greek, Hungarian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovak, Slovenian and Swedish. The remaining European languages will follow in the course of the year. The current schedule can be found here. Safe use of Diisocyanates - News (safeusediisocyanates.eu)

Is this type of online training permitted in my country? Who is monitoring the execution?

This type of online training is explicitly quoted as a possibility in the EU directive 2020/1149. Due to the high multiplication effect of online trainings, this has been designed consciously in this way. The EU directive 2020/1149 defines the minimum requirements for training contents. If stronger regulations apply beyond that, this will be in the responsibility of the states. This also applies to monitoring the compliance with this directive. This is in the responsibility of the respective federal state authority. Currently, we do not know any case, in which a federal state authority classified this type of training to be impermissible or not sufficient. If this case however happens, we are going to inform you proactively and support you with implementing of alternatives.

I am a dealer and do not process these PU products myself. What do I have to do?

 

If you do not work with adhesive yourself (e.g. in your application technology) you and your employees are not requested to provide a training certificate. As a dealer, however, you are obliged to provide the necessary information referring the restrictions and the required safety training to your customers. You are free to use our information and also our training vouchers to inform your customers and provide an offer for a training. We would be happy to give you advice beyond this.

Are diisocyanates safe? What is the objective of the restriction?

Diisocyanate applications are safe provided that the relevant measures for occupational safety and risk management are met. The training measures required within the frame of the EU directive shall prove exactly this. In this way, improper handling and with this, the risk of a sensitisation is successfully avoided.

 

Why does the prohibition explicitly refer to the “monomeric compound” of the diisocyanates”?

Monomers are the basic modules from which the PU products are produced. As small molecules they are volatile and can be inhaled. The longer chains of the reacted PU products are clearly heavier. In the reacted status, PU products are therefore not volatile. They do not cause a risk. If adhesives are formulated, a small percentage of the monomers used can remain unreacted in the prepared adhesive.

Is there a list available of substances that are subject to the restriction?

The list of restrictions includes all substances with the general structural formula O=C=N-R-N=C=O, whereby R can be an aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon unit of any length. Due to the large number of possible diisocyanates such a list would be reasonable. Please find some examples for this group of substances in https://echa.europa.eu/documents/10162/66913681-1e1d-85ac-2314- 997ed0a673c9.

 

Are we obliged to check if our customers conducted these trainings?

No, you must ensure only that all commercial and industrial customers receive the necessary information about the requirements on the safety training. A prove that the customer or user has read this information and conducted the trainings is not required by law.

 

What about the PU products for the private end user?

The usage by private end users was regulated by a separate REACH restriction some years ago. The EU directive 2020/1149 does not apply here.

 

Is Weiss Chemie + Technik going to offer PU-based adhesives also in future?

The restriction strives to avoid unsafe applications but not to reduce the availability of the respective products. Due to the unique properties of WCT PU adhesives just in terms of strength and hardness these products will further be an important part of the product portfolio.

Where do I find further details on diisocyanate?n?

The associations of the European manufacturers of isocyanate provide information on diisocyanate and its safe handling on their websites. 
www.safeusediisocyanates.eu

Please find there also further information on REACH, about the restriction methods as per EU directive 2020/1149 and the safety trainings therefore required. 

Questions for adhesives

Do you have questions?
Our Consultants:

Hans-Jürgen Sieber
Tel.: +49 (0) 2773/815-274 - Email

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