READ: Australia Announces Workplace Health & Safety Strategy

READ: Australia Announces Workplace Health & Safety Strategy

(2 RC) - The Commonwealth, state and territory governments, industry and unions have strategies to support and improve work health and safety. The Australian Strategy has been designed to be sufficiently broad and high-level so that governments, industry, unions and other organizations can undertake activities that assist in meeting the desired outcomes… (National OHS Strategy, Mar 2020)

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READ: WHO publishes guidance on indoor chemical sampling

READ: WHO publishes guidance on indoor chemical sampling

(4 RC) - Indoor air contains a wide variety of chemical compounds. Some of these compounds, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs), originate mainly from indoor sources such as paints, building products, furnishings, glues, varnishes, and consumer and household products. Other pollutants, such as nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3), are classical pollutants of outdoor air that penetrate indoor environments in different ways in additional to releases from indoor sources… (WHO, Jan 2020)

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READ: WI Health Department Investigates Indoor Mercury

READ: WI Health Department Investigates Indoor Mercury

(1 RC) - In response to a request from a health care provider about a patient and husband with elevated mercury levels in blood and urine and related health symptoms, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health investigated for mercury contamination in their west-central Wisconsin house. DPH inspected the house and tested for mercury vapors and found high mercury levels associated with adverse health effects. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cleaned up elemental mercury at the affected house… (ASTDR, July 2009)

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READ: Wisconsin evaluates polyurethane on gym floors

READ: Wisconsin evaluates polyurethane on gym floors

(1 RC) - Milwaukee Public Schools requested assistance from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, to evaluate potential health concerns associated with mercury-catalyzed polyurethane flooring in the gymnasium of South Division High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The intent of this health consultation is to characterize and assess the human health implications of elemental mercury vapor levels in the air of the SDHS gym… (ASTDR, Dec 2010)

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READ: CDC Evaluates Indoor Air Sampling Methods

READ: CDC Evaluates Indoor Air Sampling Methods

(2 RC) - A soil­ gas data screening indicates that 1,4­ dioxane is a concern for vapor intrusion in a WI building occupied by workers and children. As 1,4­dioxane is highly soluble in water, it is possible that its presence in soil­ gas samples indicates the leading edge of the groundwater plume may be approaching the building. A complete indoor air investigation of the WI is necessary to evaluate the potential for current exposures… (ASTDR)

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READ: CDC MMWR - National Toxic Substances Incidents Program

READ: CDC MMWR - National Toxic Substances Incidents Program

(1 RC) - Every year in the United States, thousands of toxic substance incidents harm workers, first responders, and the public with the potential for catastrophic consequences. Surveillance data enable public health and safety professionals to understand the patterns and causes of these incidents, which can improve prevention efforts and preparation for future incidents… (CDC, Mar 2020)

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READ: CDC Researches Valley Fever

READ: CDC Researches Valley Fever

(1 RC) - Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) is an infection caused by the environmental fungus Coccidioides spp. Approximately 40% of infected persons develop symptoms including fatigue, cough, fever, shortness of breath, and headache, typically after a 1- to 3-week incubation period (1). The infection is often clinically indistinguishable from community-acquired pneumonia caused by other pathogens… (CDC, Sept 2019)

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READ: Mold Basics for Primary Care Clinicians

READ: Mold Basics for Primary Care Clinicians

(1 RC) - People are constantly exposed to mold in both indoor and outdoor environments and pinpointing one source of exposure can be difficult to impossible. In fact, exposure may come from multiple sources. The general public and some health care providers who are less familiar with the subject have attributed a burden of disease to mold that is disproportionate with symptoms. This document will attempt to give the practicing clinician a synopsis of the state of the art thinking about indoor mold, damp spaces, and health effects… (CDPH, Dec 2009)

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READ: CDC - Bacterial Agents Part Three

READ: CDC - Bacterial Agents Part Three

(4 RC) - The uncertainty and change regarding the identification of emerging bacterial agents and the requirements for containment and safe storage of pathogens continues to accelerate. New infectious agents and diseases have emerged. Work with infectious agents in public and private research, public health, clinical and diagnostic laboratories, and in animal care facilities has expanded… (Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, Jun 2020)

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READ: CDC - Bacterial Agents Part Two

READ: CDC - Bacterial Agents Part Two

(4 RC) - The uncertainty and change regarding the identification of emerging bacterial agents and the requirements for containment and safe storage of pathogens continues to accelerate. New infectious agents and diseases have emerged. Work with infectious agents in public and private research, public health, clinical and diagnostic laboratories, and in animal care facilities has expanded… (Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, Jun 2020)

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READ: CDC - Bacterial Agents Part One

READ: CDC - Bacterial Agents Part One

(4 RC) - The uncertainty and change regarding the identification of emerging bacterial agents and the requirements for containment and safe storage of pathogens continues to accelerate. New infectious agents and diseases have emerged. Work with infectious agents in public and private research, public health, clinical and diagnostic laboratories, and in animal care facilities has expanded… (Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, Jun 2020)

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READ: CDC - Principles of Biosafety

READ: CDC - Principles of Biosafety

(3 RC) - A fundamental objective of any biosafety program is the containment of potentially hazardous biological agents and toxins. The term containment describes a combination of primary and secondary barriers, facility practices and procedures, and other safety equipment, including personal protective equipment (PPE), for managing the risks associated with handling and storing hazardous biological agents and toxins in a laboratory environment… (Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, Jun 2020)

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READ: Healthcare Facilities and Power Outages

READ: Healthcare Facilities and Power Outages

(3 RC) - Across the Nation, in every community, there are individuals in hospitals, nursing homes, and other long-term care facilities dependent on power for their well-being. A wide range of facilities provide care in the United States. A portion of these facilities fall within the seventeen provider and supplier types regulated by states and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, including emergency preparedness regulations. A portion (e.g., assisted living facilities, board and care homes, individuals living at home) are not regulated by CMS but still may have electrically-dependent residents..… (EPA, Aug 2019)

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READ: Ventilation & Formaldehyde Sampling of FEMA Trailers

READ: Ventilation & Formaldehyde Sampling of FEMA Trailers

(3 RC) - This report addresses two questions. First, are air formaldehyde levels in closed, unventilated trailers high enough to be associated with health effects in humans? Second, can simple measures such as running air conditioning or opening windows lower the levels of formaldehyde? Accordingly, the data were generated by conducting air sampling for formaldehyde in new, unoccupied trailers under three specific conditions.… (ATSDR, Oct 2007)

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READ: ATSDR Health Consultation - Lead in Dust Report One

READ: ATSDR Health Consultation - Lead in Dust Report One

(2 RC) - The Canon City area has been the historical site of a number of milling and smelting facilities. Based on environmental contamination from those operations, questions and concerns have been voiced by residents of the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Among the various issues are specific concerns that lead contaminated dust from current and historical operations may have migrated into the residential neighborhood… (ATSDR, Nov 2006)

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READ: ATSDR Health Consultation - Lead in Dust Report Two

READ: ATSDR Health Consultation - Lead in Dust Report Two

(2 RC) - The Canon City area has been the historical site of a number of milling and smelting facilities. Based on environmental contamination from those operations, questions and concerns have been voiced by residents of the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Among the various issues are specific concerns that lead contaminated dust from current and historical operations may have migrated into the residential neighborhood… (ATSDR, Nov 2006)

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READ: Evaluation of Follow-up Indoor Air Samples - Nutrition Center

READ: Evaluation of Follow-up Indoor Air Samples - Nutrition Center

(2 RC) - This health consultation evaluates health risks from exposure to tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene associated with the operation and/or contamination at Pacific Cleaners. The owners of an adjacent health food store, Randy’s Nutrition Center, and the Thurston County Public Health and Social Services Department had raised concerns regarding potential exposure to PCE and TCE in indoor air.… (ATSDR, Mar 2005)

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READ: Air Quality Health Assessment Davis County, UT

READ: Air Quality Health Assessment Davis County, UT

(1 RC) - The indoor air monitoring for homes surrounding Hill AFB began in 2003 and currently continues. Both homes residing directly over the plume as well as homes outside of the plume boundaries were sampled. During the routine sampling, indoor air samples were collected and analyzed for VOCs. One of the contaminants routinely detected in indoor air samples is 1,2-DCA; it has been detected in approximately 90 homes in Layton.… (ATSDR, May 2009)

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READ: IAQ Sampling Midwest School, Wyoming

READ: IAQ Sampling Midwest School, Wyoming

(1 RC) - On May 24, 2016, CO2 alarms outside the school went off, prompting an evacuation of students and staff. Air monitoring and investigation began two days later on May 26. ATSDR recommends that the building not be reoccupied until thorough investigation and sampling demonstrate no potential health hazards from building indoor air. … (ATSDR, Sept 2006)

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READ: Evaluation of Vapor Intrusion into Buildings - Colorado

READ: Evaluation of Vapor Intrusion into Buildings - Colorado

(2 RC) - Schlage Lock Company, located in Security, Colorado, discovered that the groundwater beneath their manufacturing facility was contaminated with the chemical tetrachloroethylene, which is also known as perchloroethylene (PCE). Schlage utilized the solvent as a metal cleaner and degreaser during the production of door locks and related hardware… (ATSDR, Nov 2006)

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