WAC 296-856-20050   Exposure evaluations.  

     IMPORTANT:

     • This section applies when there is a potential for an employee to be exposed to airborne formaldehyde in your workplace.

     • When you conduct an exposure evaluation in a workplace where an employee uses a respirator, the protection provided by the respirator is not considered.

     • Following this section will fulfill the requirements to identify and evaluate respiratory hazards found in a separate chapter, Respiratory hazards, chapter 296-841 WAC.

     You must:

     • Conduct an employee exposure evaluation to accurately determine airborne concentrations of formaldehyde by completing Steps 1 through 7 of the exposure evaluation process, each time any of the following apply:

     – No evaluation has been conducted.

     – Changes have occurred in any of the following areas that may result in new or increased employee exposures:

     ▪ Production.

     ▪ Processes.

     ▪ Exposure controls, such as ventilation systems or work practices.

     ▪ Personnel.

     ▪ Equipment.

     – You have any reason to suspect new or increased employee exposure may occur.

     – You receive a report of employee developing signs and symptoms associated with formaldehyde exposure.

     You must:

     • Provide affected employees or their designated representatives an opportunity to observe exposure monitoring required by this chapter.

     • Make sure observers entering areas with formaldehyde exposure:

     – Are provided with and use the same protective clothing, respirators, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) that employees working in the area are required to use;

     AND

     – Follow any safety and health requirements that apply.

     Exposure evaluation process:

Exemption:	• Exposure monitoring is not necessary if you have documentation conclusively demonstrating that employee exposure for a particular material and the operation where it is used, cannot exceed the action level (AL) or short-term exposure limit (STEL) during any conditions reasonably anticipated.
	• Such documentation can be based on observations, data, calculations, and previous air monitoring results. Previous air monitoring results:
	– Must meet the accuracy required by Step 5.
	– Must be based on data that represents conditions being evaluated in your workplace.
	– May be from outside sources, such as industry or labor studies.

     Step 1: Identify all employees who have potential exposure to airborne formaldehyde in your workplace.

     Step 2: Identify operations where employee exposures could exceed the 15-minute short-term exposure limit (STEL) for formaldehyde of 2 parts per million (ppm).

Note:

You may use monitoring devices such as colorimetric indicator tubes or real-time monitors to screen for activities where employee exposures could exceed the STEL.

     Step 3: Select employees from those working in the operations you identified in Step 2 who will have their 15-minute exposures monitored.

     Step 4: Select employees from those identified in Step 1 who will have their 8-hour exposures monitored.

     – Make sure the exposures of the employees selected represent 8-hour exposures for all employees identified in Step 1, including each job activity, work area, and shift.

     ▪ If you expect exposures to be below the action level (AL), you may limit your selection to those employees reasonably believed to have the highest exposures.

     ▪ If you find any of those employees' exposure to be above the AL, then you need to repeat monitoring to include each job activity, work area, and shift.

Reference:

A written description of the procedure used for obtaining representative employee exposure monitoring results needs to be kept as part of your exposure records, as required by Exposure records, WAC 296-856-20070.

     – This description can be created while completing Steps 3 through 6 of this exposure evaluation process.

     Step 5: Determine how you will obtain accurate employee exposure monitoring results. Select and use an air monitoring method with a confidence level of 95 percent, that is accurate to:

     – ±25 percent when concentrations are potentially above the TWA of 0.75 parts per million (ppm).

     – ±25 percent when concentrations are potentially above the STEL of 2 ppm.

     – ±35 percent when concentrations are potentially above the AL.

Note:	• Here are examples of air monitoring methods that meet this accuracy requirement:
	– OSHA Method 52 found at http://www.osha.gov/dts/sltc/methods/toc.html.
	– NIOSH methods: 2016, 2514, 3500, 2539, and 5700, found at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html and linking to the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods.
	– Direct reading methods found at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/formaldehyde/index.html

     Step 6: Obtain employee exposure monitoring results by collecting air samples to accurately determine the formaldehyde exposure of employees identified in Steps 3 and 4.

     – Make sure samples are collected from each selected employee's breathing zone.

Note:	• You may use any sampling method that meets the accuracy specified in Step 5. Examples of these methods include:
	– Real-time monitors that provide immediate exposure monitoring results.
	– Equipment that collects samples that are sent to a laboratory for analysis.
	• The following are examples of methods for collecting samples representative of 8-hour exposures.
	– Collect one or more continuous samples, such as a single 8-hour sample or four 2-hour samples.
	– Take a minimum of 5 brief samples, such as five 15-minute samples, during the work shift at randomly selected times.
	• For work shifts longer than 8 hours, monitor the continuous 8-hour portion of the shift expected to have the highest average exposure concentration.

     Step 7: Have the samples you collected analyzed to obtain employee exposure monitoring results for 8-hour and short-term exposure limits (STEL) exposures.

     – Determine if employee exposure monitoring results are above or below the following values:

     ▪ 8-hour action level (AL) of 0.5 ppm.

     ▪ 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA₈) of 0.75 ppm.

     ▪ 15-minute short-term exposure limit (STEL) of 2 ppm.

Reference:

To use the monitoring results to determine which additional chapter sections apply to employee exposure in your workplace, turn to the Scope, WAC 296-856-100, and follow Table 1 in that section.

Note:	• You may contact your local WISHA consultant for help with:
	– Interpreting data or other information.
	– Determining 8-hour employee exposure monitoring results.
	• To contact a WISHA consultant:
	– Go to the safety and health core rules, chapter 296-800 WAC;
	AND
	– Find the resources section, and under "other resources," find service locations for labor and industries.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. 06-08-087, § 296-856-20050, filed 4/4/06, effective 9/1/06.]