Formaldehyde

Industry
Guide

31
A Guide to
Formaldehyde

Occupational Safety and Health Division
N.C. Department of Labor
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1101
Cherie Berry
Commissioner of Labor

N.C. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Program
Cherie Berry
Commissioner of Labor
OSHA State Plan Designee
Allen McNeely
Deputy Commissioner for Safety and Health
Kevin BeauregardAssistant Deputy Commissioner for Safety and Health
Susan Haritos
Reviewer

Acknowledgments
This guide was prepared by H. R. Imbus of Workplace Group, Greensboro, North Carolina, a firm that specializes
in occupational health. Updated material was provided by N.C. Department of Labor employee J. Edgar Geddie. The
information in this guide was updated in 2009.
This guide is intended to be consistent withall existing OSHA standards; therefore, if an area is considered by the
reader to be inconsistent with a standard, then the OSHA standard must be followed instead of this guide.

To obtain additional copies of this guide, or if you have questions about North Carolina occupational safety and health standards or rules, please contact:
N.C. Department of Labor
Education, Training and TechnicalAssistance Bureau
1101 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1101
Phone: (919) 807-2875 or 1-800-625-2267

____________________
Additional sources of information are listed on the inside back cover of this guide.

____________________
The projected cost of the NCDOL OSH program for federal fiscal year 2008–2009 is $17,042,662. Federal funding provides approximately 30 percent ($4,090,400) of
this total.Revised 5/09

Contents
Part

Page
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1iiv

1

Formaldehyde in the Workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
What Is Formaldehyde? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Sources of Formaldehyde . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How Can Formaldehyde Affect Our Health? . . . . . . . .
HowFormaldehyde Enters the Body . . . . . . . . . . . .
Responding to Emergencies From Formaldehyde Releases

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2

A Standard Regulating Formaldehyde in the Workplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii16Background Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii16
Highlights of the Formaldehyde Standard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii16
Appendix—Material Safety Data Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii10
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ii14
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ii15

iii

Foreword
Formaldehyde in its simplest form is a colorless gas that is readily soluble in water. It has an acrid odor that can irritate
the eyes and nose. Formaldehyde is commercially available as a solution called formalin, formed from various proportions of formaldehyde, water, and alcohol. Textile and wood product industries arelarge users of organic dyes and urea
resins that contain formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is also used for disinfecting, embalming and producing some synthetic
plastics.
Employers must be aware of workplace hazards facing their employees and take appropriate action to minimize or
eliminate exposure to these hazards. A Guide to Formaldehyde describes how employers and employees can learn to protect theirhealth in environments that contain formaldehyde.
In North Carolina, the N.C. Department of Labor enforces the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act through
a state plan approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. NCDOL offers many educational programs to the public and
produces publications to help inform people about their rights and responsibilities regarding occupational safety and...