Containers of these products range in size from 1.0 fluid ounce bottles up to 5.0 gallon containers. Because of the severe dermal effects that can occur when employees have skin contact with concentrated solutions of formaldehyde and because of the relative irreversibility of dermal sensitization to formaldehyde, the employer is required to provide conveniently located quick drench showers for employees who become splashed with solutions of 1 percent or greater formaldehyde as the result of equipment failure, improper work practices, or other emergencies. The availability of emergency showers should also help to lower any potentially serious inhalation hazard when an employee has been splashed with a formaldehyde solution. For small spills, a faucet or small hand held unit could be used provided that all affected parts could be reached. The degree of sophistication of the emergency shower type varies with the size of the potential splash.
Liquid formaldehyde can also cause severe damage to the eyes.
Thus, the standard requires employers to provide appropriate eye wash facilities within the immediate work area for emergency use by any employee whose eyes are splashed with solutions containing 0.1 percent or more of formaldehyde. Such units may be portable if they permit the eye to be flushed for at least 15 minutes. Since these requirements of the standard are triggered based on the percentage of formaldehyde in a solution, it is not appropriate for us to interpret that these provisions only apply when certain quantities of solutions are used. The characterization of emergency plans in your letter is essentially correct. Each employer must develop a plan which addresses an appropriate response to all foreseeable emergencies, which may include spills.