Leverkusen, Germany, September 29, 2020 — On August 4th, 2020, the restriction on the use of diisocyanates under REACH was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This restriction entered into force on August 24th, 2020. The main requirements can be summarized as follows:
- In scope of the restriction are isocyanate products and mixtures containing at least 0.1 % diisocyanates.
- Mandatory training for employees handling diisocyanates is the central element of this restriction for all industrial and professional workers. Depending on the exposure level at workplaces, workers have to be trained according to: General training (basic level), Intermediate training (depending on the application), Advanced training (some special applications or tasks)
- Transition time for fulfilling the training requirement will be 3 years after entry into force. This means all employees handling products in scope have to be trained by August 24th, 2023.