American Chemistry Council (ACC) members, including those who manufacture diisocyanates (DII), strive to create a safe and healthy workplace. In fact, research shows workers in the chemistry business are safer than workers in agriculture, retail, food stores and general merchandising business sectors.
Worker/Industry Health and Safety Guidance
Erin Dickison
Industry Resources
The following health, safety and environmental resources are primarily intended for those who work with MDI and TDI:
- Product Stewardship Library: The industry makes available important health and safety information about diisocyanates via our Product Stewardship Library.
- Asthma: Provides resources on diisocyanate-related asthma, including a recorded webinar on sensitization and diisocyanate-related occupational asthma.
- Hazard Communication: Includes resources related to OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), including topics such as worker training, labeling and Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
- Ventilation: Types of ventilation systems and helpful resources.
- Protective Equipment: Federal regulations and standards for the protection of workers, including resources and equipment sources.
- Industrial Hygiene: Includes information on air monitoring and diisocyanates biomonitoring. Discusses chemical sampling and analysis methods to assess workplace chemical concentrations, including resources from OSHA (includes Wipe Sampling Method, NIOSH, EPA, Center for Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) and the International Organization for Standardizations (ISO) on testing methods. Also includes ASTM Standards.
- Air Monitoring: Resources available to help with diisocyanates air monitoring.
- DII Biomonitoring: Includes an overview of the importance and status of diisocyanate biomonitoring, including resources for additional information.
- Safe Handling Guidance: Provides materials handling guidance and resources for safe movement of hazardous materials via land, air or sea.
- Environmental Airborne Emissions Reporting and Testing: Discusses atmospheric emissions reporting and testing methods, including information about the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), Regulatory Compliance Assistance Program (RCAP), and resources from CPI and EPA about emissions monitoring, including stack testing.
- First Aid: Provides general first aid guidance for MDI and TDI.
- Emergency Response: Provides resources and general information for DII emergency response.
- Disposal of Diisocyanates: Offers general guidance about disposal methods for waste TDI and MDI, including used drums.
Resources for the Diisocyanates Industry
Federal Government Resources
- NIOSH Information on Diisocyanates
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (MDI)
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (TDI)
- OSHA's Information on Diisocyanates
Nomenclature for Diisocyanates
- Instruction Manual: Nomenclature for Diisocyanates TDI, MDI and Derivatives:
The Instruction Manual: Nomenclature for Diisocyanates TDI, MDI and Derivatives was written to assist those persons that manufacture, import, process, or distribute various forms of toluene diisocyanate (TDI), methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), and their derivatives. The manual is intended to help clarify the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory listings for these substances, decrease the number of unnecessary premanufacture notices (PMN) that are submitted under TSCA, and encourage harmonization of terms. To obtain the PDF of the manual, please contact us at isofacts@americanchemistry.com. - TDI Synonyms, Acronyms, and CAS Registry Numbers
- MDI Synonyms, Acronyms, and CAS Registry Numbers
Physical/Chemical Properties
- MDI Physical/Chemical Properties
- TDI Physical/Chemical Properties
- MDI Vapor Pressure Chart
- PMDI Vapor Pressure Adjustment Factors Chart
- TDI Vapor Pressure Chart
Resources for Purchase
- MDI and TDI: Safety, Health and the Environment: A Source Book and Practical Guide – by D. C. Allport (Editor), D. S. Gilbert (Editor), S. M. Outterside (Editor)--This book covers important topics concerning MDI and TDI and provides comprehensive coverage on the health and environmental science associated with these chemicals.