Minister tackles sprayed polyurethane foam with new subsidy conditions

Minister Mona Keijzer wants to eliminate unsafe variants of sprayed PU foam with new conditions in subsidies. In this way, she wants to reduce the health risks of the insulation material.

All types of pur must soon comply with maximum limits if they are still to be eligible for subsidies as part of making homes more sustainable. To this end, Keijzer announced additional rules in the Building Environment Decree (BBL). In the fourth quarter of this year, these rules will be submitted online for public consultation.

Health risks

A report by RoyalHaskoningDHV on work practices sprayed PUR insulation in 2022 made it clear that insulating with sprayed PUR foam poses health risks to workers and residents. Processors of the material are by no means always properly protected, and spraying is frequently done in wet basements, for example, so there is a chance that the chemical process does not go quite right. In any case, the suitability of a house for sprayed polyurethane foam is often not checked at all. Also, the residents often simply stay in the house during the work, even though this is prohibited by the Building Code.

Proper way of application

Incidentally, according to the industry, there are few dangers if the material is applied properly. Even the ministry now states again that when applied correctly, PU foam does not lead to health damage. The main focus of the new rules is therefore on the correct application of the material, in addition to promoting PU foam that does not contain any hazardous substances at all.

Criticism from both sides

This in turn leads to criticism from the Purslachtoffers Foundation, which wants a total ban. All applied products can simply continue to be used, so it does not lead to improvement, according to the foundation. On the contrary, the industry argues that the rules being added already apply to certified companies. According to them, regulations on working conditions do not belong in the BBL and cannot be enforced by municipalities. They would like to see certification made mandatory.