AIHA Launches Chemical Exposure Guidelines Resource and Training
The new resources provide access to exposure guidelines for more than 150 chemicals and support emergency response planning.
- By Stasia DeMarco
- Oct 30, 2026
The AIHA Guideline Foundation has launched a free online resource and training module designed to help safety professionals and emergency responders prepare for hazardous chemical releases. The organization also announced proposed updates to six Emergency Response Planning Guidelines (ERPGs).
The new online resource provides access to ERPG values for more than 150 chemicals, along with supporting technical documentation. The guidelines establish airborne exposure thresholds to help emergency planners assess potential health effects from short-term chemical releases.
According to AIHA, the resource includes information about how the guidelines are developed, factors that contribute to uncertainty and considerations for applying exposure values during emergency situations.
The foundation also introduced a free training module developed with assistance from TRANSCAER, a national program focused on hazardous materials emergency preparedness and response.
The approximately 90-minute course explains how emergency planning personnel and first responders can use ERPG values to assess chemical exposure risks and protect workers and surrounding communities.
In addition to the new resources, the foundation is seeking public comments on five revised ERPGs and one proposed guideline.
The proposed revisions address 1-hexene, acetic anhydride, acrylonitrile, n-butyl acrylate and fluorosulfonic acid. A new guideline has been proposed for methyl methacrylate.
The ERPG program was established more than four decades ago following the 1984 chemical disaster in Bhopal, India, which exposed hundreds of thousands of people to toxic methyl isocyanate gas.
The guidelines support planning and decision-making during accidental chemical releases, particularly incidents involving potentially hazardous airborne concentrations.
Safety professionals and other interested parties can review the proposed guidelines and submit comments through the foundation's website.
The online resources, training module and proposed guidelines are available on the AIHA Guideline Foundation's ERPG webpage.
About the Author
Stasia DeMarco is the content editor of Occupational Health & Safety.