Workers exposed to isocyanates — in polyurethane foams, two-pack paints, varnishes and adhesives — require regular health monitoring by law. KINNECT runs the full program: baseline, periodic and exit assessments, supervised by in-house Occupational Health Doctors.
KINNECT's Isocyanate Medicals are a statutory health monitoring program for workers exposed to isocyanates — the reactive chemicals found in polyurethane foams, two-pack paints, varnishes, adhesives and casting resins. Baseline, periodic and exit assessments are performed by KINNECT clinicians, supervised by our in-house Occupational Health Doctors, and aligned with Safe Work Australia and state regulator guidance. Delivered in our owned clinics or onsite Australia-wide.
Isocyanates are highly reactive chemicals used to make polyurethane foams, rubbers and plastics, and they’re the active ingredient in two-pack paints, varnishes, adhesives and foundry-core resins. Exposure irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes, gut and airways — and acute exposure can trigger occupational asthma and other serious health effects.
Because of those risks, isocyanate health monitoring is a legislated requirement and must be run under the supervision of a medical practitioner experienced in health surveillance. KINNECT coordinates that monitoring end-to-end for some of Australia’s largest multi-national employers.
Isocyanate health monitoring is a sequence, not a one-off appointment. KINNECT runs the full cycle for you — booking the right assessment at the right interval for each worker.
Performed at the commencement of employment — before the worker begins isocyanate exposure — so any future change can be measured against a clean starting point.
A periodic assessment six weeks after initial exposure to detect any early sensitisation or respiratory response while it is still reversible.
Six-monthly assessments for the first 12 months, then annually if no adverse health effects are identified — tracked and scheduled for you.
A final assessment at termination of isocyanate exposure, completing the worker’s health record and your statutory monitoring obligations.
A focused, exposure-relevant assessment built around the demands of isocyanate work — not a generic GP check-up. Allow approximately 30–45 minutes per worker.
A targeted review of the worker’s isocyanate exposure tasks, control measures, PPE and any prior surveillance results.
Symptom screen for asthma, rhinitis, dermatitis and other sensitisation markers, plus relevant medical and medication history.
Clinical examination focused on the airways, skin and mucous membranes — the systems most commonly affected by isocyanate exposure.
Baseline and periodic lung function testing to detect early loss of respiratory capacity before symptoms develop.
Standard urinalysis as part of the general health screen built into each monitoring visit.
Biological monitoring of urinary isocyanate metabolites when clinically indicated — not compulsory, but a useful exposure check.
Every program is supervised by a KINNECT Occupational Health Doctor with Royal College membership and 25+ years of hazardous-substance surveillance experience.
Worker-level and program-level reports delivered through Carelever, with statutory notifications to the regulator handled where required.
Need respirator fit testing, audiometry or a broader hazardous-substance panel bundled in? We can package the additional components into the same appointment.
Choose the model that fits the workforce. For a handful of exposed workers the clinic is fastest; for a manufacturing or spray-painting crew, our mobile team comes to you.
Walk-in appointments at any KINNECT-owned clinic across Australia. Best for small exposed cohorts, individual baseline or exit assessments, and contractors rotating through a program.
Mobile teams travel to your manufacturing site, spray booth or workshop with full medical equipment — metro, regional or remote. Best for whole-workforce baselining and recurring periodic rounds.
Explore our current clinic locations. Service availability varies by clinic, so contact us to confirm the right location for this service.
Isocyanate sensitisation is one of the leading causes of occupational asthma in Australia. Our program is designed to give you a defensible, standards-aligned monitoring record — and to flag the changes that matter early, while they’re still reversible.
Our program follows Safe Work Australia’s health monitoring guidance for isocyanates, including the prescribed baseline, periodic and exit intervals.
Aligned with WorkSafe Victoria, SafeWork NSW and equivalent state regulators — including the statutory notification obligations where an adverse finding is identified.
Every program is supervised by KINNECT Occupational Health Doctors holding Royal College of General Practitioners membership and a competency level 4 for hazardous-substance health surveillance.
The questions employers ask us most often when scoping a new isocyanate program.
Manufacturing operations (polyurethane foams, synthetic rubbers, plastics, insulation, furniture and foundry cores), 2-pack spray painting, application of resins, lacquers and adhesives that contain isocyanates, and timber floor varnishing all typically trigger statutory health monitoring.
It is not compulsory for a worker’s isocyanate exposure to be measured by a urinary isocyanate metabolite test. A KINNECT medical practitioner may request one when clinically indicated, with urine samples taken following the isocyanate task.
A baseline at the commencement of employment, a periodic assessment after the first 6 weeks of exposure, six-monthly periodic assessments for the first 12 months (annually thereafter if no adverse effects are identified), and an exit assessment when isocyanate exposure ends.
KINNECT currently coordinates isocyanate health monitoring programs for many large multi-national employers. Our supervising Occupational Health Doctors hold Royal College of General Practitioners membership, have 25+ years’ experience across pre-employment, hazardous-substance surveillance and injury management, and hold a competency level 4 for hazardous-substance health surveillance.
Isocyanate medicals are delivered in KINNECT-owned clinics nationwide and through a network of affiliate clinics, or onsite at your workplace using mobile teams for larger groups.
They align with the model WHS Regulations for hazardous-substance health monitoring (including Schedule 14) and Safe Work Australia guidance for workers exposed to isocyanates.
Isocyanate monitoring usually sits inside a broader hazardous-substance surveillance program. Here’s what KINNECT is asked for most often.
Quantitative and qualitative fit testing onsite or in-clinic, AS/NZS 1715 compliant — pairs naturally with isocyanate monitoring.
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Learn moreTell us how many isocyanate-exposed workers you have, your sites, and whether you’d prefer in-clinic or onsite — we’ll come back with a tailored quote and a monitoring schedule.
Practical legislative guidance
Use these employer resources to understand health surveillance requirements, choose the right monitoring point and investigate exposure-specific considerations.
Understand when health surveillance is required and how a program supports workplace controls.
Open resourceCompare baseline, periodic, post-exposure and exit health monitoring.
Open resourceFind monitoring considerations for workplace hazards and hazardous substances.
Open resource
Health Monitoring