As KI GROUP reported this week, uniform Europe-wide limit values for diisocyanates are to be introduced for the first time soon. The European Parliament has already approved the Commission's proposal; only the approval of the European Council is still missing, which is considered a mere formality. This means the new law could come into force in just a few weeks.
The aim of this legislative package is to establish the same new limit values for diisocyanates and also for lead in all countries. Together with the mandatory training courses already adopted ("isocyanate license"), the new limit values are intended to better protect around 4 million employees in Europe from the effects of PUR processing. It is estimated that approximately 9-15% of all asthma cases in employed adults can be attributed to contact with diisocyanates. According to current estimates, around 2.4 million companies across Europe will be affected by the new PUR processing regulations.
Currently, the majority of countries have defined their own limit values - 17 µg NCO/m³ apply, for example, in Germany, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, and Poland. The following limit values were established in the new law:
During the transitional period until the end of 2028:
- 10 μg NCO/m³ for an 8-hour workday in production or processing
- 20 μg NCO/m³ for short-term exposure of up to 15 min
- 6 μg NCO/m³ for an 8-hour workday in production or processing
-
12 μg NCO/m³ for short-term exposure of up to 15 min
Sources
KI WEB: UPDATE - PUR INDUSTRY: European Parliament confirms first limit values for diisocyanates: – Kunststoff Information (kiweb.de)
You can find current information about the new EU directive here: European Council
