The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) has urged construction firms to train workers handling hazardous diisocyanate-based products.
As part of its Workplace Health Campaign, HSENI is reminding employers that since 24 August 2023, all professional and industrial users of products containing diisocyanates at concentrations of 0.1 per cent or more by weight must complete specialist training.
Diisocyanates are used in products such as paints, foams, sealants, adhesives and varnishes, many of which are common on construction sites.
HSENI warned that exposure, mainly through inhalation or skin contact, can lead to occupational asthma and allergic contact dermatitis.
Employers are being urged to identify affected products via safety data sheets and ensure that relevant staff have completed online or in-person training, as required under new EU-derived regulations still applicable in Northern Ireland.
Ronan Magee, head of HSENI’s market compliance chemicals team, said: “Diisocyanates are used in a wide range of manufacturing and construction products… and exposure to them can impact your health.”
He added that a proactive approach to managing the risks would reduce the burden on the health service and wider economy.
Employers and self-employed workers who fail to comply with the training requirement may be subject to enforcement action.
