Our biological monitoring kits are designed for use by employers and occupational health providers, not individuals.
Order online
You can order these products online:
- Isocyanates analysis
- Isocyanate urine kit
- MbOCA only
- HDI (such as spray paint)
- HDI and IPDI
- HDI and TDI
- PDI (such as spray paint)
- MbOCA with MDI
- MbOCA with TDI
- MDI (such as resins)
- MDI and TDI
- TDI (such as glues foams)
Other products
For other testing and monitoring services that are not available to order online, check the testing and monitoring price lists.
Why test for isocyanate exposure
Isocyanates are one of the leading causes of occupational asthma in the UK. As respiratory sensitisers, exposures to isocyanates should be kept as low as reasonably practicable and this often requires the use of respiratory protective equipment (RPE). Biological monitoring is a simple and cost-effective way of checking that control measures are working and being used correctly. Our case studies on the National Archives website show the utility of using biological monitoring for assessing isocyanate exposures in paint spraying, adhesives and floor screeding applications.
Isocyanates are widely used in industry but have particular application in spray painting, foam and polyurethane manufacture and in adhesives. HSE recommends that vehicle spray painters undertake biological monitoring annually to check that exposure is being adequately controlled.
Biological monitoring can be carried out by anyone who understands the principles, but you may find it convenient to arrange annual isocyanate testing as part of your health surveillance (health surveillance is required for workers using isocyanates) although be mindful that samples need to be provided within an hour or so following a potential exposure.
Guidance
There’s guidance for occupational hygienists, occupational health professionals and managers of a monitoring programme Biological monitoring in the workplace: A guide to its practical application to chemical exposure.
There’s also a guidance sheet to help you comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations Using urine tests to measure isocyanate exposure.
How to sample
HSE Science and Research Centre offers UKAS-accredited biological monitoring analysis for HDI and IPDI (found in spray paints), TDI (foams and glues) and MDI (resins and hardeners). A urine sample is required and should be taken at the end (within an hour) of a period of potential exposure. Sampling should reflect normal working practice. Urine samples should be collected in bottles containing a citric acid preservative. We provide bottles and packaging as part of the analysis cost.
What to test for
In order to improve the quality of our data collection, we would like to encourage clients to only request the analysis of the isocyanates actually used by the workers being tested - most only use one or two isocyanates. A new request form has been developed for isocyanates to help you identify which isocyanates are in use. We are also willing to look at your safety data sheets if you are unsure which isocyanates you should be monitoring.
What the results mean
Your report will contain one of 3 notes:
- no evidence of exposure to requested isocyanates, re-test in one year
- evidence of exposure to requested isocyanates, check control measures and training, and re-test in one year
- evidence of exposure to requested isocyanates, check control measures and training and re-test
Where results exceed the current guidance value (1 µmol/mol creatinine) we recommend that re-testing is done shortly after checking the control measures and ways of working, and implementing any changes identified.
Get in touch
For more information or to make an enquiry about HSE’s testing and monitoring services get in touch on GOV.UK.
Contact us