READ: Technical Guide for Airborne Contaminants - Australia
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READ: Technical Guide for Airborne Contaminants - Appendix - Australia
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(4 RC) - The appendices to Australia’s 2026 Technical Guide on Air Monitoring and workplace exposure limits provide practical reference material for occupational hygienists and employers assessing airborne contaminants. The supplemental sections cover terminology, particulate sampling curves, employer duties, information to capture during assessments, real-time monitoring considerations, sampling methods and minimum sampling times… (Safe Work Australia, Jul 2026)
Read MoreREAD: Exposure to Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)
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(4 RC) - Management from a university requested a health hazard evaluation concerning potential workplace exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and the occurrence of cancer among employees working in a university building. The request was prompted by employee health concerns and environmental sampling that revealed PCBs were present in indoor air and on surfaces throughout the building… (CDC HHE, Mar 2026)
Read MoreREAD: Peracetic Acid Exposure at a Beverage Manufacturing Facility
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(3 RC) - A union representing employees at a beverage processing plant requested a health hazard evaluation for employees working in two departments. They were concerned with employee exposures to peracetic acid (PAA), which is used to sanitize containers prior to filling them with beverages. PAA readily breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid, so we also included these chemicals in the evaluation… (CDC - HHE - Feb 2026)
Read MoreREAD: Evaluation of IEQ at a State-Operated Wastewater Plant
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(2 RC) - A health hazard evaluation identified several indoor environmental quality and worker-safety concerns at a state-operated wastewater treatment plant, including deficient ventilation and potential exposure to untreated sewage and process chemicals. The evaluation found that the ventilation system in one process building had deteriorated beyond repair, while a recently installed laboratory mini-split controlled temperature and humidity but did not supply outdoor air or exhaust indoor air… (CDC - HHE - Jun 2025)
Read MoreREAD: Active Surveillance for Invasive Mold Disease
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(2 RC) - A CDC surveillance study of four Atlanta-area hospitals found that invasive mold disease remains a rare but potentially deadly threat, particularly for immunocompromised and critically ill patients. From 2020 through 2024, investigators identified 449 cases among 968 patients evaluated for possible invasive mold disease… (CDC - MMWR - July 2026)
Read MoreREAD: Indoor Air Reference Levels for Chronic Exposure to VOCs
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(4 RC) - Health Canada has released an updated reference guide establishing health-based indoor air exposure limits for dozens of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), providing public health officials, researchers, and industry professionals with screening values for assessing long-term indoor air quality risks… (Health Canada, Apr 2024)
Read MoreREAD: Technical Guide for Wildfire Restoration
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(2 RC) - A new technical guide says many homes and buildings affected by wildfire smoke can be safely restored through professional cleaning rather than stripped to the studs or demolished. The guide challenges the assumption that smoke, ash and related combustion byproducts automatically make structures unrestorable, noting that impact often depends on distance from the fire, exposure conditions, building systems and the types of materials affected… (IICRC - RIA - Dec 2025)
Read MoreREAD: Evaluation of Diesel Exhaust Control Methods at a City Fire Station
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(2 RC) - An investigation into diesel exhaust exposure at an Iowa fire station found that ventilation systems and industrial air cleaners largely kept diesel particulate and carbon monoxide levels below occupational exposure limits in both apparatus bays and living quarters. Researchers determined that negative air pressure successfully prevented exhaust from migrating into sleeping and common areas, though ultrafine particle levels in the bay spiked during engine operations and sometimes remained elevated for up to two hours afterward… (CDC - NIOSH - Mar 2026)
Read MoreREAD: Cancer Concerns at an Elementary School
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(2 RC) - An investigation into cancer concerns at a Missouri elementary school found no evidence linking employee cancer cases to workplace exposures, despite years of concern surrounding a nearby cell tower and possible environmental contamination. NIOSH and Health investigators reviewed employee cancer reports alongside extensive testing of air quality, drinking water, soil conditions, and radiofrequency radiation, ultimately concluding that exposure levels remained well below established safety thresholds… (CDC - NIOSH - Feb 2026)
Read MoreREAD: Worker Exposure to Silica During Countertop Manufacturing
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(1/2 RC) - The report emphasizes that effective mitigation—such as wet cutting, ventilation systems, and proper protective equipment—can significantly reduce exposure, yet inspections show these measures are not uniformly implemented across U.S. worksites. Officials urge employers to adopt comprehensive control strategies and monitoring practices to prevent overexposure and protect worker health in both fabrication shops and on-site installations… (OSHA - Jan 2026)
Read MoreREAD: Indoor Environmental Illnesses Following Building Renovation
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(2 RC) - A federal health investigation has linked a cluster of unexplained illnesses among office employees to indoor air quality issues following overnight building renovations, with 91% of workers reporting symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and respiratory irritation that improved when away from the workplace… (CDC - NIOSH - May 2025)
Read MoreREAD: Indoor Air Exposures in Buildings - Delano, CA Plume Site
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(4 RC) - A new health consultation from ATSDR finds that vapor intrusion from a long-standing tetrachloroethylene (PCE) groundwater plume in downtown Delano, California, has led to elevated levels of volatile organic compounds in dozens of commercial and residential buildings. Sampling conducted between 2002 and 2024 shows that, despite mitigation efforts including sub-slab depressurization and recently installed soil vapor extraction systems, some buildings continue to record indoor air concentrations exceeding state and federal screening levels. Federal health officials conclude that indoor air exposure remains a potential concern for workers and residents, particularly given the community’s existing environmental and public health burdens… (ATSDR, Jan 2026)
Read MoreREAD: Evaluation of Exposure at a Coffee Packaging Facility
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(3 RC) - A NIOSH health evaluation has found that workers at a Michigan coffee roasting and packaging facility were exposed to elevated levels of diacetyl and carbon monoxide, particularly during grinding operations, with six of seven production employees exceeding recommended exposure limits for diacetyl. Investigators recorded carbon monoxide peaks as high as 1,521 parts per million at a small grinder—briefly surpassing the immediately dangerous to life or health threshold—while area samples near the grinder also showed high concentrations of diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione. Installation of a ventilated enclosure around a larger grinder significantly reduced airborne contaminants, prompting federal officials to recommend expanded ventilation controls, continuous carbon monoxide monitoring, and follow-up air sampling to better protect workers… (CDC - NIOSH - Jun 2025)
Read MoreREAD: Vapor Intrusion into Indoor Air - Naval Plant
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(3 RC) - Data provided by Environmental Resources Management indicates inhalation exposure to TCE and VC within the breakroom of the facility. Our assessment shows that employees breathing VC in the breakroom were not likely to be harmed by noncancer or cancer health effects. Employees breathing TCE in the breakroom in 2020 and 2023 were not likely to be harmed by noncancer health effects in the past. However, based on 2015 TCE levels, there is a concern for increased cancer risk for employees… (ATSDR - Aug 2025)
Read MoreREAD: Evaluation of First Responders after Maui, Hawaii Wildfires
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(4 RC) - On August 8, 2023, wildfires developed on Maui, Hawaii, and burned thousands of structures. Kula and Lahaina suffered catastrophic damage. The president declared the wildfires a national emergency and a public health emergency. Firefighters and Ocean Safety Officers from the Maui County Department of Fire and Public Safety were part of the initial response… (CDC HHE, Jul 2024)
Read MoreREAD: Evaluation of VOC Exposures at a Tire Manufacturing Facility
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(2 RC) - Union representatives requested a health hazard evaluation to evaluate fume exposures in the 4-roll section of a rubber tire manufacturing facility. Representatives were concerned about employees in the 4-roll area who reported eye, nose, throat, and sinus irritation caused by fumes from rubber processing… (CDC HHE - Nov 2024)
Read MoreREAD: Evaluation of Exposure; Carr Wildfire Debris Cleanup
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(4 RC) - The Carr Fire was the sixth most destructive wildfire in California history. The fire burned in Shasta and Trinity counties in Northern California over approximately 2 months in 2018. The Carr Fire burned 229,651 acres and destroyed 1,079 residences, 22 commercial buildings, and 503 outbuildings before it was fully contained. When structures are destroyed, hazardous materials may be left behind and must be cleaned up to limit the impact to the public and the surrounding environment … (CDC HHE, Aug 2019)
Read MoreREAD: OSHA Technical Manual on Combustible Dust Part 3
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(4 RC) - Combustible dusts include particles of any size and shape that present a fire, flash-fire, deflagration, or explosion hazard. These can include powders, dusts, fines, fibers, flakes, chips, chunks, metal sponge, swarf, and turnings. In some cases, combustible dusts can have other hazards that must be addressed. Common categories of combustible dusts include food, agricultural products, metal, wood, plastics, chemicals, coal, and other carbonaceous material… (OSHA, Feb 2020)
Read MoreREAD: OSHA Technical Manual on Combustible Dust Part 2
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(4 RC) - Combustible dusts include particles of any size and shape that present a fire, flash-fire, deflagration, or explosion hazard. These can include powders, dusts, fines, fibers, flakes, chips, chunks, metal sponge, swarf, and turnings. In some cases, combustible dusts can have other hazards that must be addressed. Common categories of combustible dusts include food, agricultural products, metal, wood, plastics, chemicals, coal, and other carbonaceous material… (OSHA, Feb 2020)
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