The EU infiltrates offices: it will force reforms so that employees do not touch foam or polyurethane sealants

He European Parliament Now very common is the desire to eliminate direct contact of workers with polyurethane foam or sealant. demand More severe limits on workers’ exposure or potential exposure Along with lead and diisocyanates, the star product of these foams or sealants. Improvements are visible for companies.

The EU says, “Each year approximately 50,000 to 150,000 workers are exposed to lead and 4.2 million workers are exposed to diisocyanate.” Brussels wants to end the proximity of these products and has promoted a new law to do so.Protect workers’ health more effectively By reducing the exposure limits of these substances.” These are two substances that are commonly used in building renovation or the manufacture of batteries or wind turbines. In fact, their use in electric vehicles is not strange.

The EU says, “Exposure to lead can affect the fertility and fetal development of women and men. It can also damage the nervous system, kidneys and cause high blood pressure.”

And, therefore, it imposes new limits, updated for the first time since 1982, which will be set at less than a quarter of the current values: the occupational exposure limit will be set at 0.03 mg/m3 and the biological limit value will be set at 15. µg/100ml What else, The European Commission Warning: He will have to review these limits within five years Better protect workers of childbearing ageTaking into account the latest scientific data”.

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The European Union states that “diisocyanates are harmful to the health of workers; they are One of the most common causes of occupational asthma and can cause an allergic reaction“. But what exactly are they? Diisocyanates are a family of chemical elements that are used as basic chemical components for a wide range of products in different fields and applications, notably polyurethane (PU) foams, PU In sealants and coatings.And they have become a common element in building renovation.

“The new law establishes an occupational exposure limit for diisocyanates of 6 micrograms NCO/m3 (the maximum concentration to which a worker can be exposed during an eight-hour workday) and 12 micrograms NCO/m3 for short-term exposure, i.e. 15 minutes. period). The European Commission will review these limits until 2029,” explains Brussels.

In the case of lead, the work required by the EU is even greater: “Some workers have been exposed to lead for many years and Blood lead levels have accumulated well above any new limit value

, To more strongly protect the health of these workers, regular medical checks would have to be carried out to see if they can continue to perform tasks that expose them to lead,” says Brussels.