The Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) has prepared this guide to provide important health and safety considerations associated with working with polyol resin blends.
Polyurethane foams are often made using “systems,” sometimes called “A-side” and “B-side,” or “iso side” and “resin side.” It is important to know which side of the system (“A-side” or “B-side”) is the diisocyanate and which is the polyol resin blend. The hazards of the polyol resin are different from those of the diisocyanates, and different precautions should be taken when handling the individual components. This guide gives a brief summary of hazards that may be associated with the “resin side” of systems and addresses important issues to consider in the safe handling of these chemicals.
This guide does not provide information about handling the “iso side.” Handling information is contained in other documents produced by CPI. (See “Additional Information” page 4). Similarly, this guide does not contain information on either the hazards associated with solvents used for equipment cleanup or the hazards associated with specific polyol formulations. For that information, refer to the product-specific Safety Data Sheet (SDS), or consult the supplier.