Legislation and duties in hazardous work
Why the rules exist, and what they require of you
Introduction
Work with epoxy, isocyanates and asbestos is subject to special rules because the substances can seriously damage health. The rules stem from occupational health and safety legislation and apply regardless of whether you find them inconvenient. The purpose is simple: the person performing the work should not become ill from it.
Why there are rules
Many of the injuries that the rules are meant to prevent show up only long after you've been exposed — allergies that become permanent, or illnesses that only break out after many years. Precisely because the danger is not always felt immediately, prevention is written into the law instead of being left to the individual's judgment on the day.
Education requirements
For certain types of hazardous work there is a requirement for specific training before you can even get started. This applies to commercial work with epoxy and isocyanates and — under the rules that came into force 21 December 2025 — all asbestos work regardless of extent. The training ensures you know the hazards and can work safely — and having it is a condition for carrying out the work not just a recommendation.
Information about the hazards
The law is based on knowing the substances you work with. Therefore there must be a safety data sheet for chemical products and the packaging must be hazard labelled. The employee has the right to be trained and instructed before dangerous work begins — and is obliged to use that information and the protective equipment provided.
Workplace assessment and planning
Hazardous work must be planned to limit risk. The work environment assessment (AVP) is the tool where workplace risks are mapped and preventive measures agreed. For asbestos there may also be requirements for surveying before work and notification to authorities before certain tasks begin.
Responsibility is shared
The employer has a duty to ensure that work can be performed safely — training instruction protective equipment and responsible planning. The employee has a duty to follow instructions use protective equipment and speak up if something is irresponsible. Safety thus rests on both parties not one alone.
Where you find the rules
The specific requirements are set out in the Danish Working Environment Authority's executive orders. For epoxy and isocyanates it is Annex 2 to the Executive Order on work with substances and materials (BEK no. 581 of 25/06/2026, in force 27 June 2026, which replaced BEK 381/2023) and § 16 and Annex 10 of the Executive Order on occupational health and safety training (BEK no. 1978/2021). Asbestos has its own special rules. The sector working environment councils also publish practical guides. If in doubt about what applies to a specific task, look it up there or ask your health and safety organisation — instead of guessing.
Exposure limits are rules too
The concentration of a substance in the air must not exceed the exposure limit in BEK nr. 613/2026. If there are several substances in the air at once, you add them together: for each substance, you divide the concentration by the exposure limit. The sum must not exceed 1.
The rules in one place
| Rule | Number | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Substances and materials, Annex 2 | BEK nr. 581/2026 (Danish executive order) | Epoxy and isocyanates: when the rules apply, spraying, hygiene and training |
| Occupational health and safety training | BEK nr. 1978/2021 § 16 and annex 10, amended by BEK nr. 358/2023 | Who must be trained, and when the training must be renewed |
| Limit values | BEK nr. 613/2026 (Danish executive order) | How much of a substance the air may contain |
| Code numbers | BEK nr. 301 and 302/1993 | What the code number means and what protective equipment it requires |
Next step: Saneo's guides
Guides on asbestos, PCB, lead and sampling, explained simply and with sources.