Can I use organic vapour filters with isocyanate based compounds?
A. The levels at which isocyanate can be detected by smell or taste are considerably higher than the Workplace Exposure Limit (WEL) as set by the HSE. There would be no indication of smell/taste that ‘breakthrough’ had occurred until an exposure higher than the WEL. As isocyanates are a potent occupational asthmagen the safe solution and HSE advice is to use an air fed system which supplies breathable quality air to the wearer rather than filtering out airborne contaminants. The 3M™ Visionair, 3M™ Flowstream or 3M™ S-200 Air Fed Systems could be considered for this type of application.
