Articles
Articles
Plastic journeymanPlastic welding · 8 minAn introduction to common methods for welding thermoplastics — hot-air welding, mirror welding, extrusion and electrofusion welding — and what determines whether a joint becomes tight and strong.Work with epoxy and isocyanatesChemical safety · 7 minA review of why work with epoxy and isocyanates requires special training what health hazards the substances pose and how to protect yourself correctly.Safety when working with asbestosAsbestos · 8 minAn overview of asbestos's health risks where the material is typically found in older buildings and the basic principles for working safely with and removing asbestos-containing materials.Plastic materials and their propertiesMaterial knowledge · 8 minAn introduction to the plastic materials you encounter in the trade — the difference between thermoplastics and thermosets, common plastic types and their properties, and how to identify the material before you work with it.Protective equipment in plastic, epoxy and asbestos workProtective equipment · 7 minA review of how to choose and use personal protective equipment correctly across the three work areas — why the right choice depends on substance and task and how protective equipment is maintained and removed without spreading contamination.Legislation and duties in hazardous workLegislation · 7 minAn informative overview of how occupational health and safety legislation frames work with plastic epoxy isocyanates and asbestos — training requirements hazard disclosure workplace assessment and cooperation between employer and employee.Code number (MAL code) and product selectionChemical safety · 8 minA review of the code number system (the MAL code) — what the number before and after the hyphen means how the code governs requirements for ventilation and protective equipment and how you use the substitution principle to choose the least hazardous product.Asbestos: dusty and dust-free workAsbestos · 8 minA review of how asbestos rules distinguish between dust-producing and low-dust work rather than just indoors and outdoors what it means for precautions and reporting and why method choice determines how hazardous work becomes.Handling and disposal of hazardous wasteWaste and environment · 8 minA review of how waste from plastic epoxy and asbestos work is sorted and disposed of — what makes waste hazardous how it is packed and labeled and why it must never be mixed with ordinary waste.History of plastic: from Bakelite to modern weldable thermoplasticHistory · 9 minA story of how plastic went from being a chemical curiosity to becoming one of construction's most important materials — from Bakelite as the world's first fully synthetic plastic in the early 1900s through the interwar period's new polymers like PVC and polyethylene to the modern weldable thermoplastics in pipes and tanks and the epoxy work that today requires training.Asbestos history: from miracle mineral to banned substanceHistory · 8 minA story of asbestos's long journey from ancient wonder material to today's forbidden substance — from Greeks and Romans who already suspected it made workers sick through industrialization's enormous consumption in eternit and insulation to the gradual bans in Denmark and the rest of the world and the specialized remediation work the trade performs today.The Authorisation Scheme for Asbestos RemovalAsbestos · 8 minFrom 1 January 2025 companies that demolish asbestos-containing material must themselves have authorisation from the Danish Business Authority (formerly the Danish Safety Technology Authority). The article covers requirements for quality management system responsible person and employee training as well as the tightened requirements for the work itself that came into force 21 December 2025.Isocyanate training structure: basic training, supervision and refresherChemical safety · 8 minThe training requirement for isocyanate work has been tightened: since 15 April 2023 the person supervising the work must also hold the certificate, since 24 August 2023 work with increased risk requires a supplementary course, and the training must be renewed at least every 5 years. The article sums up who needs which training and when it must be renewed.Who may not work with isocyanates — and how you react to symptomsHealth · 7 minThere is no requirement for routine health checks for isocyanate work but certain health conditions rule out the work in advance and suspicion of occupational asthma must be reported to the Occupational Injury Insurance. The article covers who should not work with isocyanates and how to respond to early symptoms.Pressure testing and quality control of plastic weldsTechnique · 8 minA plastic weld can look perfect and still be leaky or weak. The article reviews the control steps from visual inspection to destructive testing under DS/EN 12814 series and pressure testing of piping and why documentation is a fixed part of quality control.Ventilation and extraction during hazardous workSafety · 8 minBefore personal protective equipment there is a layer of measures aimed at preventing hazards from reaching the worker. The article reviews the STOP principle, the main ventilation types, and the practical pitfalls that make an otherwise good ventilation solution less effective.Career path: from certificate holder to work leader and site supervisorCareer · 7 minThe certificates in plastics, epoxy and asbestos are rarely the end goal in themselves — for most they are a specialization on top of a craft background. The article looks at what the certificates open up in terms of tasks how the path can continue towards team leader and work supervisor roles and what employers focus on along the way.Butt fusion welding of PE pipes step by stepPlastic welding · 9 minButt fusion welding joins PE pipes by heating the ends against a heating plate and pressing them together. The article goes through the preparation, the five phases, the times for PE 80 and PE 100, the cooling time in cold and hot weather, how to calculate the force, and what you check afterwards.Electrofusion welding: preparation is everythingPlastic welding · 7 minIn electrofusion welding, heating wires in the fitting melt the pipe and the fitting together. The method is very sensitive to the preparation. The article goes through scraping, roundness, clamping, the barcode, cooling and what the indicator pins show — and do not show.The plastic welding certificate (P17): endorsements and renewalCertificates · 6 minPlastic welders are certified in the P17 scheme and receive a welding pass with endorsements. The article goes through the seven endorsements, the courses behind them, how often they must be renewed, and which ones you do not need to renew.SDR, PN and pressure: reading a PE pipeMaterial knowledge · 6 minSDR is the ratio between a pipe's diameter and wall thickness. The article shows how to find SDR and how to calculate from SDR to the maximum pressure a PE 100 pipe may operate at in a water system.Epoxy and isocyanates 2023-2029: the dates you need to knowChemical safety · 5 minThe rules for epoxy and isocyanates have changed several times since 2023. The article brings together the dates for the training requirements, the new executive orders from 2026 and the lower limit value for diisocyanates in 2029.