In May 2026, TRGS 521 was revised. In addition to aligning with the current Hazardous Substances Ordinance and the CLP system, the requirements for information, documentation, and protective measures were further specified. For building owners and clients, this is particularly relevant: the party commissioning the work must provide the executing contractor, prior to the start of activities, with all available information on the building and usage history as well as on existing or suspected hazardous substances. For buildings constructed between 1996 and 2000, a more detailed assessment is required, as mineral wool from this transitional period may still have been used. If no reliable information or individual records are available, the presence of old mineral wool must generally be assumed. Mineral wool installed before 1996 is classified as carcinogenic category 1B.
In addition, the revised TRGS further specifies the requirements for occupational health surveillance, industrial vacuum cleaners, construction dust extractors, and mobile air cleaners, as well as for the recirculation of cleaned air.
As a result, early assessment of building history and targeted investigation of installed mineral wool are becoming increasingly important in practice. It provides the basis for a sound hazard assessment, tendering process, and the planning of appropriate protective measures.
