Safe handling of diisocyanates
As a manufacturer of plastics, the safety and protection of its employees is particularly important to ebalta. The company attaches great importance to designing its technical facilities and working environment in such a way that there is no danger to people or the environment when handling chemical substances.
For this reason, ebalta has been participating since March in a pioneering study on diisocyanate exposure in the workplace, which is being conducted by the Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine (IPA) of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV). The study focuses on collecting data on workers potentially exposed to diisocyanates. Diisocyanates are chemical compounds that are frequently used in industrial production, especially in the manufacture of polyurethanes.
Thorough medical examination
As part of this study, ebalta employees who work with diisocyanates were examined at the end of March. Blood samples will be taken to test and analyse, for example, the presence of diisocyanates and their degradation products in the body. On this basis, the possible exposure to diisocyanates can be better assessed. In addition, experts from the employers’ liability insurance association carried out air measurements at the workplaces of the study participants.
Compulsory training already carried out
From 24 August 2023, it is a legal requirement that users receive appropriate training before industrial or commercial use of diisocyanates. With this knowledge, they can also better protect themselves from the potential hazards of diisocyanate exposure. The ebalta employees were already instructed at the beginning of May. Among other things, they received information on the safe handling of diisocyanates, on the use of personal protective equipment and on best practices to minimise the risk of exposure. At the same time, ebalta used this training to check whether the protective measures used so far were also sufficient from the experts’ point of view. In fact, the external trainer certified that ebalta’s compliance was very good and that the company’s level of training was very high.
The results of the IPA study are expected to be incorporated into new guidelines and regulations that will further increase the protection of employees in the workplace. The managers at ebalta are looking forward to these findings, as the safety and well-being of workers is a top priority.
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