Wednesday 26th April 2023

** IMPORTANT **

Training for the safe use and handling of PU Adhesives, coatings and sealants.

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New REACH regulations imposed by the European Union and it’s member states introduces new minimum training requirements for users of polyurethane adhesives, coatings and sealants. Although the UK are no longer members of the European Union, the UK Government have confirmed that we will be following the same timescale and regulation changes.

As of Thursday 24th August 2023, training is required for all professional and industrial users of products containing diisocyanate (>0.1%). The aim of this new regulation is to enhance the protection of workers and to ensure the application of best practices in terms of health and safety.

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Polyurethane (PU) products such as glues, floor coatings, sealants, paints and varnishes are based on diisocyanate chemistry and therefore professional users of these products will be required to complete training in order to use these products. DIY users are not affected by the new regulations.

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What do I need to do?
If you use PU adhesives, coatings or sealants in the installation of raised access flooring then you need to complete the relevant training by Thursday 24th August 2023.

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How do I access the training?
The training is web-based and can be completed on-line by visiting the following website:

https://www.safeusediisocyanates.eu/self-e-learning

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How much does the training cost?
The charge for each online course is 5€ per trainee. To support our customers, Star Uretech are offering all of our customer’s 10 free training places until Friday 1st September 2023. Please contact us for a code that will give you free access to the training.

 

Which training course do I need to complete?
If you use pedestal adhesives (single or two component) or tanking membranes you need to complete training course 049 - Professional application / Flooring and waterproofing applications.

https://isopa-aisbl.idloom.events/049

What topics does the training course cover?
The training is a web-based, self-learning programme that takes approximately 40 minutes to complete and will cover the following topics:

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● Introduction                                         ● What are diisocyanates?
● How sensitisation can arise         ● Personal health
● Emergency measures                     ● Behavioural security
● National codes                                    ● Flooring and waterproofing applications

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This self-study programme concludes with a quiz. After you have viewed all the modules in full and passed the quiz, you will receive a certificate to download as a PDF and print out.

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When must I complete the training?
Training must be completed by Thursday 24th August 2023.

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Have the hazards of using StarFix adhesives changed?
No, the hazards of using StarFix pedestal adhesives and tanking membranes have not changed. Due to the unique formulation and typically well ventilated areas of application, no breathing apparatus is required as part of your personal protective equipment.

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Does this change my ability to supply or use PU adhesives?
No, you will still be able to supply and use the products in a safe manner and most things will remain unchanged.
 
If you require more information you can speak to us directly by calling 01772 700667 or you can email us at info@star-uretech.com

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More information can also be found using the following links:
www.star-uretech.com/news     -     www.isopa.org     -     www.safeusediisocyanates.eu
 

 

 

Wednesday 9th September 2022

PavingExpert

 

Everyone at Star Uretech is very saddened to hear about the passing of Tony McCormack @pavingexpert

 

A terrible loss. It was always such a pleasure to see him at trade shows and read his excellent, humorous reviews. His website has been the most incredible resource for unbiased, information on all aspects of hard landscaping for many years. A true expert and legend in the industry and was always happy to share his incredible knowledge. He will be missed by so many and our thoughts are with his family.

 

#pavingexpert

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Friday 15th October 2021

The Star Uretech team continues to grow

We are very happy to announce that we have secured the services of a new team member. Whilst originally employed as our ‘Toy Durability Analyst’ Tetley has already taken on new responsibilities. You can read more about Tetley on the ‘About Us’ page of our website.

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Friday 24th September 2021

Resin bound raw material supply update

Firstly, everyone at Star Uretech send our sympathies to all those effected by the fire at Leeson’s Polyurethanes. In particular to the family and friends of David Boswell. We send our deepest condolences.

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Supply: The global shortages of raw materials used in adhesives, sealants and coatings have started to ease as expected and supply in the UK is starting to return to normal levels. We remain confident that we will continue to meet all of our existing customers’ demands. Recent domestic events have clearly had dramatic consequences on an already struggling UK bound resin industry. We continue to be inundated with requests for materials from across the industry however we are not currently accepting more new customers. As, promised, we will be contacting some of the companies that made enquiries in June/July as more stock becomes available.

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We could be mistaken however we believe that one of our indirect competitors can accept new business. Whilst we are not usually in the habit of promoting our competitors, we understand that many people’s livelihoods depend on an increasing urgent supply of resin.

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https://www.sureset.co.uk/

Price: Material prices seem to be levelled out with an average cost increase of between 5% and 10%. Whilst we do not expect the prices to return to 2020 levels we also do not predict any further large increases. As a commodity market the prices are hard to predict and information from RM suppliers is non-committal however, we would advise anyone quoting for future installations to assume a 10% to 20% increase to current material costs.

Systems: Star Uretech will not manufacture or supply non-UV stable or single component systems. This is a commercial decision we made several years ago as we do not believe that these systems are fit for purpose. It is our opinion that degradation of colour, deflection properties and an inadequate level of moisture tolerance are unacceptable failings in what is a high-end surfacing system.

Resin bonded: Supply of our StarScape range of resin bonded systems are not affected by the raw material shortages limiting the supply of resin bound systems. This is a different technology to both resin bound systems and other (inferior) bonded systems available in the UK.
 

 

 

 

 

Monday 10th May 2021

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Resin bound raw material supply update

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Global shortages of raw materials used in adhesives, sealants and coatings continue to impact supply in the UK. 

We have been working very hard to secure raw materials and we remain confident that we will continue to supply our current customers and they will remain unaffected by any price increases.

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We continue to be inundated with requests for materials from across the industry and whilst we may have some additional capacity, we are currently not accepting new customers.

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We continue to remain confident that we will have significant levels of stock by the end of July or early August and we will review allocations to new customers at this point. We are working to secure more raw materials and will review the situation on a monthly basis. When we have excess capacity we will contact those that have already been in touch with us.

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Resin bonded – Supply of our StarScape range of resin bonded systems are not affected by the raw material shortages limiting supply of resin bound systems. This is a different technology to both resin bound systems and other bonded systems available in the UK.

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Monday 22nd March 2021

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Resin bound raw material supply update

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Whilst information about raw material supply issues for resin bound systems continues to circulate we are aware of some confusion. There are currently many global shortages of raw materials used in adhesives, sealants and coatings. This is leading to mixed messages about the current and future supply status of resin bound systems. The main problem in resin bound supply is specific to a raw material called Hexamethylene Diisocyanate and the issues regarding certain chain extenders (diols) and raw materials used in silicone based sealants, are not connected to resin bound supply.

We have been working very hard to secure raw materials and we are confident that our current customers will remain unaffected by any supply shortages or price increases. Our capacity to supply and hold our prices are not expected to change in 2021.

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Obviously we have been inundated with requests for material from across the industry and whilst we may have additional capacity, we are currently not accepting new customers until our existing customer’s requirements are fulfilled.

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Moving forward, we expect to have significant levels of stock by the end of July to early August and we will review allocations to new customers at this point. We are working to secure more raw materials and will review the situation on a monthly basis. When we have excess capacity we will contact those that have already been in touch with us.

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Resin bonded – Supply of our StarScape range of resin bonded systems are not affected by the raw material shortages limiting supply of resin bound systems. This is a different technology to both resin bound systems and other bonded systems available in the UK.

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We will of course do all we can to keep everyone informed of any changes.