Formaldehyde

Scope

This standard applies to all occupational exposures to formaldehyde, i.e., from formaldehyde gas, its solutions, and materials that release formaldehyde.

Regulatory citations

• 29 CFR 1910.1048 — Formaldehyde

Key definitions

• Action level: A concentration of 0.5-part formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.5 ppm) calculated as an eight (8)-hour time-weighted average (TWA) concentration.
• Assistant Secretary: The Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, or designee.
• Authorized person: Any person required by work duties to be present in regulated areas, or authorized to do so by the employer, by this section, or by the OSH Act of 1970.
• Emergency: Any occurrence, such as but not limited to equipment failure, rupture of containers, or failure of control equipment that results in an uncontrolled release of a significant amount of formaldehyde.
• Employee exposure: The exposure to airborne formaldehyde which would occur without corrections for protection provided by any respirator that is in use
• Formaldehyde: The chemical substance, HCHO, Chemical Abstracts Service Registry No. 50-00-0.

Summary of requirements

• Assure that protective equipment and clothing that has become contaminated with formaldehyde is cleaned or laundered before its reuse.
• Determine employee exposure to formaldehyde.
• Ensure that only persons trained to recognize the hazards of formaldehyde remove the contaminated material from the storage area for purposes of cleaning, laundering, or disposal.
• Establish a respirator program when formaldehyde exposure is near, at, or above the short-term exposure limit (STEL).
• Establish regulated areas where the concentration of airborne areas formaldehyde exceeds either the TWA or the STEL using signage bearing the following legend:
  DANGER
  FORMALDEHYDE
  MAY CAUSE CANCER
  CAUSES SKIN, EYE, AND RESPIRATORY IRRITATION
  AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
• Establish and maintain an accurate record of all measurements taken to monitor employee exposure to formaldehyde.
• Equip each air-purifying, full face-piece respirator with a canister or cartridge approved for protection against formaldehyde.
• Institute engineering and work practice controls to reduce and maintain employee exposures to formaldehyde at or below the TWA and the STEL.
• Limit access to regulated areas to authorized persons who have been trained to recognize the hazards of formaldehyde.
• Monitor employees to determine their exposure to formaldehyde.
• Provide conveniently located quick drench showers and assure that affected employees use these facilities immediately if they are exposed to formaldehyde.
• Provide employees with one of the following respirator options: A self-contained breathing apparatus operated in the demand or pressure-demand mode; or a full face-piece respirator having a chin-style, or a front-or back-mounted industrial-size, canister or cartridge approved for protection against formaldehyde.