Isocyanates Medical Monitoring

If you have workers exposed to isocyanates then special attention is required to meet your WHS obligations for health monitoring. SafeWork NSW provides a general fact sheet to help businesses (PCBU) manage the risks of isocyanates in the workplace.

IOH’s experienced registered medical providers will conduct your monitoring program in line with Safe Work Australia’s Health monitoring: Guide to Isocyanates

Workers should undergo medical assessment before starting work in an “at risk” role to assess their medical baseline.

The registered medical practitioner will then recommend an initial monitoring program that may include reviews at six weeks, 12 weeks, six months and twelve months post commencement during continued exposure. Where
monitoring after 12 months shows no adverse health effects the registered medical practitioner may recommend annual monitoring.

On exit a final medical examination should be carried out by the registered medical practitioner.

Examples of work activities involving isocyanates that require special attention when
assessing exposure include:

• all stages of manufacture and use where free isocyanates are released as vapours,
  aerosols and mists:
  • spray painting, using two-pack paints with an isocyanate hardener, like in
    vehicle paints
  • use of rigid foams for thermal insulation in refrigerators, storage tanks,
    packaging and furniture
  • use of flexible foams for bedding and upholstery
  • use of hard wearing coatings for furniture and floors
  • manufacture of sporting goods such as skis, surfboards and footwear, and
  • spray on polyurethane products used as protective coatings for truck beds,
    trailers, boats, foundations and decks
• processes where heat decomposition of polyurethane products occurs, such as
  welding, heat removal of electrical insulating varnishes and hot wire cutting of
  foam, and
• foundry operations, in particular core making, where resins used to bind the sand may contain isocyanates (for example the ‘Iso-Cure process’).