Formaldehyde Safety

Learning objectives

• Describe formaldehyde’s physical properties.
• List products that contain formaldehyde.
• List the routes of exposure for formaldehyde, and describe the health effects of short- and long-term exposure.
• Explain why you should not rely on your senses to alert you to the presence of formaldehyde.
• Define permissible exposure limit (PEL), action level, and short term exposure limit (STEL), and explain how these are used in the monitoring process.
• List the controls that workers use to protect themselves from hazardous contact with formaldehyde.
• Describe the best work practices that help keep workers safe when handling formaldehyde.
• List first aid procedures for the various types of formaldehyde exposures.

Course overview