OSHA INFOSHEET

How Do You Know if You Are Working 

with Toluene? 

Toluene is used in many products and workplaces, 

from printing operations, manufacturing facilities 

and construction sites to nail salons. Workers 

should read product information on the packaging 

or in printed materials delivered with the product 

such as material safety data sheets (MSDSs)* or 

safety data sheets (SDSs). Employers must make 

MSDSs or SDSs readily available so workers can 

get information about the products they are using. 

Employers must also provide workers with training 

and information about the hazards of the products 

used and how to work with them safely.

How Can Toluene Affect You?

You can be affected by toluene in the workplace if 

you:

•	 Breathe it in (inhalation);

•	 Get it on your skin (skin contact);

•	 Get it splashed into your eyes (eye contact); or

•	 Swallow it after it gets onto your hands and is

transferred to food (ingestion).

These types of “exposures” may make workers 

sick immediately or cause health effects over time. 

Without taking proper safety precautions, toluene 

can cause: 

•	 Headaches and dizziness

•	 Dry or cracked skin

•	 Irritated eyes, nose and throat

Exposure can also affect color vision and hearing. 

Symptoms may get worse as toluene levels in the air 

or skin contact increases. Over time, exposure to high 

concentrations, day after day, may lead to tiredness 

and slow reaction, difficulty sleeping, numbness in 

the hands or feet, or female reproductive system 

damage and pregnancy loss. If swallowed, toluene

can cause liver and kidney damage. 

Toluene Safety in the Workplace

Toluene, also known as “methylbenzene”, “phenylmethane” or “toluol” is a clear, 

colorless liquid with a sweet smell. It dissolves other substances easily and evaporates 

quickly into the air. Toluene is also highly flammable and may catch on fire if exposed to 

heat or flames.

Examples of products that contain toluene.

Where Is Toluene Found?

•	 Paints and paint thinners

•	 Varnishes, lacquers

•	 Metal cleaners

•	 Fingernail polish and glue

•	 Adhesives and glues

•	 Dyes and inks

•	 Gasoline and fuels

This is not a complete list.

* The Hazard Communication standard was revised in 2012. Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) will replace MSDSs. SDSs have a 

standardized 16 section format with specific information required in each section. Manufacturers and importers have until June 1, 

2015 to replace MSDSs with SDSs. Until then, both MSDSs and SDSs may be received by employers.
How Much is Too Much?

Many people can smell toluene at levels below 

established limits. But, if you can smell it, then it is

getting into the air. Do not count on odor as your 

warning. You may “get used to the smell (olfactory 

fatigue)” and no longer be able to smell the 

toluene. Your employer should collect air samples 

to determine if you are being exposed to toluene 

above the Federal OSHA permissible exposure

limits (PEL). Employers are required to keep worker

exposures at or below the PEL. For toluene, this

means keeping worker exposure at or below the 

PEL of 200 parts per million (ppm) of toluene for

an 8-hour work shift (29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-2). 

However, OSHA recommends that employers use

exposure limits based on more recent data, such 

as the California (Cal/OSHA) PEL of 10 ppm for

an 8-hour work shift. Both Federal and California

OSHA have additional PELs for peak exposures

during an 8-hour shift; see 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table

Z-2 and Title 8 GISO 5155 Table AC-1 for more 

information. (29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-2) 

How to Prevent Overexposure to 

Toluene?

Employers must use engineering controls and 

work practices first to reduce toluene exposures. 

If those controls are not effective then personal

protective equipment may be required. Employers

must provide workers with training and 

information on using controls, handling products 

safely, and required protective equipment.

SUBSTITUTION Use products that do not contain toluene. Read product labels

and MSDSs or SDSs to see if toluene is listed as an ingredient.

•	 Use water-based parts cleaners, inks, paints,

lacquers, varnishes, adhesives and dyes when possible.

CONTROLS Make sure that there is general air flow (ventilation) to carry 

toluene away from the work area. For stationary work, use local

exhaust ventilation (such as a snorkel, fume hood, work table 

with down-draft or side-draft ventilation). Local exhaust should

vent to the outdoors or have a charcoal filter that is changed as 

recommended by manufacturer.

• Keep doors and windows open, when possible.

•	 Use fans to draw contaminated air away and to bring fresh air

toward the work area.

•	 Inspect local exhaust systems to make sure they are on and

working properly. 

WORK PRACTICES Use the following precautions when working with toluene and 

products that contain toluene:

•	 Practice good housekeeping (especially in product storage,

loading, and transfer areas). Clean up spills as soon as possible.

•	 Keep containers closed, except when removing or adding

material. This helps avoid spills or evaporation into the air.

•	 Use only the amount of toluene or product needed for the task.

•	 Avoid touching toluene-soaked material, such as wiping rags, with

your bare hands. 

•	 Dispose of toluene-soaked materials into approved waste cans

with a self-closing lid.

•	 When possible, use methods that release less product into the air

(e.g., a paint roller instead of a spray gun).

•	 Flush and purge process pipelines and vessels before working on

or in equipment.

•	 Wash your hands after working with toluene and products,

especially before eating, drinking, smoking, handling contact 

lenses, or applying lip balm or other cosmetics. 

•	 Establish a clean area for eating and taking breaks.

•	 Do not smoke, or work with toluene close or near open flames or

areas that can generate a spark.

•	 Ground and bond containers while dispensing and filling

flammable liquids.
U.S. Department of Labor

DTSEM OSHA 3646-04 2013

U.S. Department of Labor

www.osha.gov

This InfoSheet is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations. It contains recommendations as well

as descriptions of mandatory safety and health standards. The recommendations are advisory in nature, informational in 

content, and are intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace. The Occupational Safety and 

Health Act requires employers to comply with safety and health standards and regulations promulgated by OSHA or by a

state with an OSHA-approved state plan. In addition, the Act’s General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1), requires employers to

provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

How Can OSHA Help?

Workers have the right to a safe and healthy 

workplace. If you think that your job is unsafe or

if you have questions, contact OSHA at 1-800-

321-OSHA (6742). It’s confidential. We can help.

For information on workers’ rights, employer

responsibilities, or how to file a complaint, visit 

OSHA’s Workers page at www.osha.gov/workers.

html. 

Employers can contact OSHA’s free and

confidential Consultation Program to help

determine if there are hazards (including toluene) 

in their workplace. On-site consultations do 

not result in citations or penalties. For more

information, visit OSHA’s website at www.osha.

gov or call 1-800-321-6742; TTY 1-877-889-5627.

We will keep your information confidential. We are 

here to help you.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE 

EQUIPMENT (PPE)

Use the following personal protection equipment when working

with toluene and materials that contain toluene:

•	 Wear gloves if hand contact can occur. Glove type (light or heavy

duty) and material (Nitrile, Viton, Teflon, etc.) depend on the task.

Use the information in the product’s MSDS to help with selection.

•	 Wear safety goggles, faceshield, coveralls, and boots as needed if

there is a splash hazard.

If airborne exposures cannot be kept below permissible

exposure limits (PELs) and respiratory protection must be

worn, the employer must have a written respiratory protection 

program and:

•	 Ensure workers are fit tested and medically able to wear a

respirator.

•	 Provide respirators that are approved by National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and are fitted with

organic vapor (ov) cartridges.

•	 Tell workers how often the cartridges must be changed. 

•	 Train workers on how to use and maintain a respirator properly.

 

Twenty-seven states operate their own 

occupational safety and health programs approved 

by OSHA. States enforce similar standards that

may have different or additional requirements.

A list of state plans is available at www.osha.gov/

dcsp/osp/index.html.