Department of Labor OHSA Rules II

Formaldehyde Rule

Establishes specific limits on the amount of exposure allowed

Action Level

Point at which 8-hr exposure is unsafe (0.5 ppm)

In ppm, what is the Time Weighted Average (TWA)

0.75 ppm

Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)

Sets the maximum average exposure over 8 hours that is allowed by OSHA or state government

In terms of ppm, what is the Short Term Exposure Limit (STEL)

STEL 2ppm, over 15 mins

Exposure Monitoring

Intended to determine the level of exposure at or below a specific concentration

Mutagencity

A genotoxin with cell mutation; can cause cancer

The action level (AL) is formaldehyde concentration that begins to be unsafe, prompting embalmers to take measures to lower their exposure. What concentration in parts per million is the action level?

0

What is the permissible exposure limit (PEL) of formaldehyde over 8 hours?

0

The average amount of formaldehyde exposure over an 8-hour period best describes what?

Time Weighted Average (TWA)

Methods like air quality monitoring, medical questionnaires, and medical removal used by employers to determine how much exposure to formaldehyde exists in their workplace best describe what term?

Medical Surveillance

What are recognized methods of controlling formaldehyde overexposure?

Rinse empty fluid bottles

Ventilation

Run continuous table water

Place lids on embalming machine reservoirs