​​The regulatory process began in 2016, following a proposal submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The resulting restriction was published in August 2020, with new labelling requirements taking effect from 24 February 2022 and mandatory training requirements applying from 24 August 2023.

 

ISOPA Website

​

What Does the Regulation Require?

Since 24th August 2023, professional and industrial users must successfully complete appropriate training before using products containing diisocyanates at or above the 0.1% by-weight threshold. The requirement applies to relevant products across the construction and industrial sectors; it is not specific to any particular manufacturer or product brand.

​

The purpose of the training is to ensure that installers understand how to handle these products safely, including the potential hazards associated with uncured diisocyanates, appropriate PPE, good workplace practices, exposure control, hygiene and safe application procedures.

​

Successful completion must be documented by the employer or self-employed user, and the training must be renewed at least every five years.

​

​​StarFix – Designed with Installer Safety in Mind

At Star Uretech, we believe that professional performance should not come at the expense of installer safety or indoor environmental quality. The StarFix range has therefore been developed to provide the performance required for modern raised access flooring installations while eliminating or minimising unnecessary sources of exposure wherever technically possible.

​

Our advanced StarFix products offer an exceptionally strong environmental and occupational profile, including:

​

• No assigned Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) for the formulated product, where confirmed by the relevant product SDS.

​

• Indoor Air Comfort GOLD certification for applicable products, demonstrating extremely low emissions.

​

• LEED compliant formulations for applicable products.

​

• BREEAM compliant formulations for applicable products.

​

• Zero VOC formulations across the applicable StarFix-ZERO range.

​

• No unnecessary flammable solvent systems in any StarFix products.

​

• Single-component technology eliminating the need for on-site mixing of separate resin and hardener components.

 

These characteristics can substantially improve the working environment compared with older solvent-containing or higher-emission technologies. They do not, however, remove the requirement for diisocyanate training where a product contains ≥0.1% monomeric diisocyanates. Appropriate PPE, the product Safety Data Sheet and normal COSHH procedures must always be followed.

​

​Access the ISOPA Diisocyanate Training Information & Training Platform

​

Important: Always refer to the latest StarFix product label and Safety Data Sheet to establish whether diisocyanate training is required for the specific product being used.

​

Do I Require Training?

If you work on construction or building sites then the answer is likely to be, yes. Polyurethane products containing reactive isocyanate chemistry can be found in homes, garages, workshops and garden sheds, with products such as expanding foams, wood glues, adhesives and sealants readily available through mainstream DIY retailers.

 

The mandatory training requirement is specifically concerned with professional and industrial use of products containing ≥0.1% monomeric diisocyanates. Its application to StarFix installers should therefore not be interpreted as an indication that StarFix products present an unusually high level of risk; it forms part of a wider regulatory framework covering a broad range of polyurethane products used professionally throughout construction and industry.

 

The requirement for diisocyanate training is not unique to raised access flooring products. Diisocyanates can be encountered in a wide variety of commonplace products used throughout construction, manufacturing, maintenance and general industry.

 

Examples of products that may require monomeric diisocyanate training include:

​

• Polyurethane construction adhesives – including single-component moisture-curing adhesives, flooring adhesives, panel adhesives and structural bonding products.

​

• Raised access flooring pedestal adhesives – including polyurethane adhesives used to bond steel pedestals to concrete and other substrates.

​

• Polyurethane sealants – cartridge-applied joint sealants, expansion-joint sealants, façade sealants and general construction sealants.

​

• Expanding PU foams – commonly used for filling gaps, sealing penetrations, installing windows and doors and general insulation work.

​

• PU flooring systems – polyurethane resin floors, screeds, floor coatings and certain primers.

​

• Industrial floor coatings – some polyurethane protective coatings, clear coats and specialist resin finishes.

​

• Two-pack polyurethane paints – including industrial paints, machinery coatings and protective finishes.

​

• Automotive 2K paints and clear coats – particularly polyurethane/isocyanate-cured vehicle refinishing systems.

​

• Protective metal coatings – polyurethane coatings used on structural steel, machinery, plant and industrial equipment.

​

• Wood and joinery coatings – certain two-component polyurethane lacquers, varnishes and protective finishes.

​

• Woodworking adhesives – some PU adhesives used for timber, engineered wood, furniture and joinery manufacture.

​

• Insulated panel adhesives – polyurethane systems used in the manufacture or installation of composite and sandwich panels.

​

• Roofing adhesives – certain PU adhesives used with insulation boards, membranes and roofing systems.

​

• Insulation products applied on site – particularly spray polyurethane foam and other reactive PU insulation systems.

​

• Crack-injection resins – certain polyurethane injection products used for concrete repair, waterproofing and leak sealing.

​

• Waterproofing and tanking systems – some liquid-applied polyurethane membranes and coatings.

​

• Concrete repair and jointing products – where polyurethane or polyurea/isocyanate chemistry forms part of the reactive system.

​

• Industrial bonding adhesives – PU adhesives used in factories for bonding metal, plastics, composites, timber and other components.

​

• Conveyor and belting products – certain PU adhesives and repair compounds used for conveyor belts and industrial rubber components.

​

• Vehicle glass and body adhesives – polyurethane windscreen, panel and body bonding adhesives.

​

• Marine and transport adhesives/sealants – PU products used in vehicle, rail, marine and commercial vehicle manufacture and maintenance.

​

• Casting and moulding polyurethanes – two-component polyurethane resins used to manufacture industrial components, prototypes, mouldings and elastomeric parts.

​

• Polyurethane elastomer systems – used to manufacture wheels, rollers, seals, bushes and other industrial components.

​

• Spray-applied polyurethane/polyurea systems – including certain protective coatings, waterproofing systems and industrial linings.

 

ISOPA itself divides its training into application categories that include one-component PU foams, joint sealants, flooring adhesives and coatings, crack-injection resins, vehicle repair, carpentry and industrial polyurethane bonding, illustrating how widespread these materials are.

​

What Does This Mean for StarFix Installers?

Some products within the StarFix range of raised access flooring adhesives, coatings and sealers utilise polyurethane chemistry and therefore may contain diisocyanates at concentrations that bring them within the training requirements.

​

Where this is the case, anyone professionally handling or applying the product must have completed the appropriate training.

​​

Who Is Responsible for Arranging the Training?

It is important to understand that responsibility for ensuring that users have completed the required diisocyanate training rests with the employer or, in the case of a self-employed installer, the individual themselves. Before an employee uses a product containing 0.1% or more monomeric diisocyanates, their employer must ensure that the appropriate training has been successfully completed and documented.

​

Between 2022 and 2023, Star Uretech notified all of our customers of the new requirements, utilised social media to share relevant links and provided 100 free training places to our StarFix customers.

 

Star Uretech provides the necessary product safety information and identifies where the training requirement applies; however, the employer, contractor or self-employed installer is responsible for ensuring that everyone using the affected product is appropriately trained before use.

​

Whilst we will always endeavor to assist our customers in any way possible, Star Uretech is not responsible for arranging, administering or ensuring completion of training for each individual end user. Our responsibility is to provide the appropriate product information, labelling and information about the training requirement.​

​

Training must be renewed at least every five years, and the employer or self-employed user must retain evidence of successful completion.

​

Training Is About Using Good Products Safely

Star Uretech fully supports the professional training requirements. Even where a product has been formulated to minimise emissions and unnecessary hazards, correct handling remains an essential part of professional installation.

​

The objective is straightforward: combine safer product formulation with properly trained installers and good working practices.

​

Professional and industrial users can access the industry training programme developed by ISOPA and ALIPA, together with industry partners. The programme was specifically developed to help users understand and comply with the requirements for the safe use of diisocyanates.

​

An Important Distinction

Not every polyurethane product requires diisocyanate training. The requirement is determined by the concentration of monomeric diisocyanates within the individual product. Professional and industrial users should check the product label and Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Where the product contains monomeric diisocyanates at a concentration of 0.1% by weight or greater, appropriate training is required before use.

​

Training requirement is not an indication that products are unusually hazardous—it is a chemistry-based requirement affecting a very broad range of familiar construction and industrial products. ISOPA lists polyurethane foams, elastomers, adhesives, coatings and sealants among the major applications of diisocyanates.

​

ISOPA – Diisocyanate Training Information