Formaldehyde Training for Non-Lab Use

1. Formaldehyde Trainingfor Non-Lab Use N. C. State University Environmental Health & Safety Center

2. Contents • Review of OSHA Formaldehyde Standard (1910.1048) • Potential Health Effects • Medical Surveillance • Personal Protective Clothing & Equipment • Safe Work Practices • Spill Procedures

3. OSHA Formaldehyde Standard • Scope: Applies to all occupational exposures to formaldehyde (ie. Formaldehyde gas, its solutions and materials that release formaldehyde

4. Formaldehyde Standard • Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) • TWA - Time Weighted Average: • 0.75 ppm as an 8-hour TWA • STEL - Short Term Exposure Limit • 2.0 ppm for any 15 minute period during the work period • Action Level • 0.5 ppm as an 8-hour TWA

5. Formaldehyde Standard • Regulated Areas - • Shall be established where airborne formaldehyde concentrations exceed the TWA and STEL • Danger signs shall be posted at entrances • Access shall be limited to authorized persons

6. Formaldehyde Standard • Control Methods • Institute engineering controls and work practices to maintain exposures below the TWA and STEL • Keep solution containers of formaldehyde closed when not in use • Perform tasks involving formaldehyde in well ventilated area • Use proper personal protection equipment • Use formaldehyde preservative substitute whenever possible

7. Formaldehyde Standard • Protective Equipment and Clothing • Eyewear - indirect-vent goggles, faceshield worn with goggles for severe exposure • Gloves - choose gloves and sleeves with proper permeation and degradation ratings, materials such as nitrile or neoprene are recommended

8. Formaldehyde Standard • Protective Equipment and Clothing • Apparel - Aprons and sleeves may be worn over lab coats, neoprene and nitrile materials offer excellent resistance to formaldehyde and a wide variety of other chemicals • For more information on personal protective equipment contact EHSC at 515-4190

9. Formaldehyde Standard • Hygiene Protection • Emergency Showers will be located in areas where employee’s skin may be splashed with solutions containing 10% or greater formaldehyde • Emergency Eye Washes will be located in areas where employee’s eyes may be splashed with solutions containing 0.1% or greater formaldehyde

10. Formaldehyde Standard • Hygiene Protection • Emergency Showers and Eye Washes should be periodically checked for proper working order

11. Formaldehyde Standard • Housekeeping • In areas where spillage may occur, provisions will be made to contain spills, decontaminate the work area and dispose of the waste • Employees repairing equipment leaks and cleaning up spills will be properly trained and will wear suitable protective clothing

12. Formaldehyde Standard • Medical Surveillance • Institute medical surveillance program for all employees exposed to formaldehyde at concentrations at or exceeding the Action Level or STEL • Medical Disease Questionnaires • Medical Examinations

13. Formaldehyde Standard • Employee Information and Training • All employees assigned to workplaces where there is an actual or potential health hazard from formaldehyde shall participate in a training program • Training will be provided at the time of the employees initial assignment and whenever a new hazard is introduced into the work area

14. Potential Health Effects • Inhalation: Repeated or chronic exposure- • may cause headaches, rhinitis, nausea, drowsiness, respiratory impairment, kidney injury and pulmonary sensitization and tissue damage • may cause neuropsychological effects may include sleep disorders, irritability, altered sense of balance, memory deficits, loss of concentration, and mood alterations

15. Potential Health Effects • Inhalation: Carcinogenic Effects • Long-term exposure to formaldehyde is reported to be associated with an increased risk of cancer of the nose and accessory sinuses and nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal cancer in humans.

16. Potential Health Effects • Skin Contact • Acute Exposure: vapors or solutions may cause smarting, white discoloration, roughness, hardness, anesthesia, and first degree burns. In previously exposed individuals subsequent exposures may result in a sensitization dermatitis characterized by the sudden eruption of blisters on the eyelids, face, neck and arms.

17. Potential Health Effects • Skin Contact • Chronic Exposure: Prolonged or repeated exposures may cause second degree burns, numbness and itching rash, fingernail damage, hardening or tanning of the skin and sensitization. The dermatitis may be either a sudden blistering reaction or may be delayed several years with eruptions starting on the digital areas, wrists and other body parts.

18. Potential Health Effects • Eye Contact • Acute Exposure: Airborne concentrations from 0.05 to 3.0 ppm may cause irritation with redness, itching, pain, blurred vision, and mild tearing. Concentrations from 4 to 20 ppm may cause profuse tearing and damage to the eye. Aqueous solutions effects range from reversible, minor injury and discomfort to severe, permanent corneal damage and loss of sight.

19. Potential Health Effects • Eye Contact • Chronic Exposure: Effects depend on the concentration and duration of exposure

20. For More Information • For Additional Information or Assistance in Working Safely with Formaldehyde Contact the Industrial Hygiene Section at 515-6862