Mandatory training construction foam cans
Starting on 24th August 2023, it is mandatory for all professional users to undergo training on how to use construction foam cans. Find out here how to register and what else you should know about the REACH Regulation.
Construction foam cans training – How to register!
Anyone who uses PU foam cans in a professional capacity is obliged to complete a training course as of 24th August 2023. Employers must ensure that all employees undergo regular training and can also verify participation in training courses by means of a certificate. This is stipulated in the European REACH legislation. You can find out everything you need to know about the regulation and how to train and get your certificate here.
Successful participation in a FEICA PU-foam training course in four easy stepsE-learning course
Disposing of building foam cans correctly (recommended)
What is the REACH regulation?
Why are PU foam cans affected?
What are the deadlines for implementing REACH training?
Successful participation in a FEICA PU-foam training course in four easy steps
On behalf of the industry, the European Association for the Adhesives and Sealants Industry (FEICA) has created online training courses that are listed at: isopa-aisbl.idloom.events
Here are the four most important steps for successful participation in the training course.
1. Select your language and your course
Click the link isopa-aisbl.idloom.events to go to an English start page. In a first step, select your referred language at the top right in the menu.
Click and select ‘Adhesives and sealants training course’ from the ‘Application fields’ overview.
Further down on the page you will see the available courses in this field. The training course for construction foam is called:
048 BU Adhesives, sealants and foams that are applied directly from small packages at ambient temperatures
2. How to register for the polyurethane training course
- Register by selecting the respective course further down on the website and clicking the button ‘Register’.
- After entering the registration data under ‘1. My information’, the following page ‘2. Tickets’ appears.
- The courses each cost 5 €. Anyone with an activation code can also take the courses free of charge.
- For instance, the FEICA (https://www.feica.eu/PUinfo) or the Employer's Liability Insurance Association for the Building Trade have published activation codes on their websites.
- There is a standard registration process that also allows you to enter a voucher code, payment details and an e-mail address.
- After you have confirmed your entries and checked out, a confirmation email will be sent to the email address that was filed with the registration data.
Tip
If you would like to register several persons from the same company for the course, we suggest setting up a free administration account where you can upload the names and contact data of your colleagues and also manage all training courses.
You can download detailed instructions for this using the following link. It is available in five languages. The training courses themselves are available in ten languages.
3. How to register for PU training
At the bottom of the confirmation email there is a small box for the idloom.passport platform.
You need to register on the idloom.passport platform to take the course. If you have not already registered on this general platform for training and online events, you need to provide an e-mail address and select a password.
4. Start diisocyanate training and receive a certificate
Once you have created your account for idloom.passport, you can start the booked course. The training course on how to use construction foam cans lasts about 40 minutes. Level 1 explains the most important safety measures and also includes general background information about polyurethanes.
In the second section, you need to answer eleven questions in a multiple-choice test. Once you have answered enough questions correctly, you will receive a certificate online to verify that you passed the course.
E-learning course: Disposing of building foam cans correctly (recommended)
In addition to the safety training, we recommend the PDR e-learning course on the correct disposal of PU foam cans.
Around 60% of these cans are disposed of incorrectly and cannot be recycled. The problem: Employees need to be trained before they can do it properly. To help the trade with this, PDR – the recycling specialist for PU foam cans – is offering a free ten-minute e-learning course.
It is based on four humorous cartoons that explain how the return and recycling process works. To reinforce the material, each part concludes with one to four short questions that users have to answer correctly. If they get it wrong, they get an explanation and can try again. Anyone who answers all the questions correctly receives a personal training certificate. Everyone who is interested can complete the e-learning course free of charge at www.pdr.de/e-learning. From the comfort of your own tablet or computer.
PDR provides an HTML5 file free of charge for companies that want to integrate the PDR e-learning course into their own learning management system. All others can get started online right away.
What is the REACH regulation?
REACH is a European Union regulation designed to help protect human health and the environment from risks posed by chemicals. The new REACH restriction on diisocyanates was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on August 4, 2020. The aim of the restriction is to prevent potential skin and respiratory sensitisation caused by diisocyanates. Safety training is required for this purpose.
Why are PU foam cans affected?
According to REACH, all professional and industrial users of products with a total concentration of monomeric diisocyanate above 0.1% must be trained in the safe handling of these products. PU foam cans generally contain a higher proportion of MDI and therefore fall under the training requirement.
For more information on the health classification of building foam, see our page PU foam and health.
What are the deadlines for implementing REACH training?
As early as February 24, 2022, products with an MDI content of more than 0.1% must be labelled with a notice indicating the need for training.
The training requirement will take effect starting on August 24, 2023. By then, employees working with products containing MDI must be trained and certified.
The training must be repeated every five years.
Who developed the PU training courses?
Three European associations are responsible for providing the polyurethane training courses. The Association of the European Adhesive & Sealant Industry (FEICA) has developed a comprehensive training programme in coordination with the European trade association for producers of diisocyanates and polyols (ISOPA), the European Aliphatic Isocyanates Producers Association (ALIPA) and several other branches in the polyurethane industry. The aim is to ensure the safe use of diisocyanates throughout Europe.
The PU training platform can be accessed at www.safeusediisocyanates.eu and is accessible throughout the EU. The training courses are offered in several European languages.
More information on the associations can be found here.
