Welcome to this latest edition of the ECFIA newsletter - continuing to provide information for interested parties on a wide range of topics including:

• Reminder of new BOELV
• Brexit
• MISA
• Translation of CARE Guidance documents
• Coming soon: visualising dust, a new communication tool

If you would like to get in touch with ECFIA on any of these topics please contact: info@ecfia.eu

The European Commission introduced a Binding Occupational Exposure Limit Value for ASW/RCF of 0,3 f/ml in the Carcinogens Directive update of December 2017. The EU-wide BOELV of 0.3 f/ml was to be implemented by all Member States in their national regulation to harmonise worker protection across the EU by December 2019. There is a two-year transitionary period to do so. If not done by this date, the new BOELV value of 0,3 f/ml will be directly applicable in each member state.

Whilst still uncertain, a hard Brexit is looking more possible at the end of October. ECFIA members have ensured they are prepared for this by following ECHA and HSE advice and transferring applicable EU-REACH registrations to an EU-27 member states. The nature of ECFIA member products means that the vast majority of project ranges are considered articles for the purposes of REACH and as such do not require REACH registration. Further information on preparing for Brexit can be found on the ECHA website.

ECFIA members, as lead registrants of key high-temperature insulation wools, fulfil the duty to maintain and update registration dossiers on a regular basis. In order to facilitate this, ECFIA participates in the Metal and Inorganics Sectorial Approach (MISA) programme. This is a co-operative programme organised by ECHA and Eurometaux with the aim of addressing technical and scientific challenges of providing information on inorganics and improving the quality of the registration dossiers of the substances. This is a two year programme that focuses on different aspects of the dossier and registration processes with emphasis on highlighting and understanding the challenges faced by the metal and inorganics sectors. 

ECFIA is committed to spreading knowledge on good working practices. It has established a series of CARE Guidance documents presented on 3 levels, which can be found on our website. We recognise the importance of communication and the need to have guidelines in languages workers and users in the EU can understand. ECFIA has started to translate guidance into German and French. Level 1 and most level 2 documents are now also available in German and French. ECFIA continues the translations.

ECFIA introduces new and innovative ways to communicate best practice to workers and users when handling HTIW products. 

ECFIA has produced videos illustrating the most appropriate manner to minimise dust exposure when handling HITW products , they demonstrate , simultaneously ,an indication of the dust concentrations in air with the handling techniques employed.