Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-856 - Formaldehyde › Section 296-856-099 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Action level.
An airborne concentration
				of formaldehyde of 0.5 parts per million of air calculated as an
				8-hour time-weighted average.
Authorized personnel.
Individuals
				specifically permitted by the employer to enter the exposure control
				area to perform duties, or to observe employee exposure evaluations
				as a designated representative.
Breathing zone.
The space around and in
				front of an employee's nose and mouth, forming a hemisphere with a
				six-to nine-inch radius.
Canister or cartridge (air-purifying).
Part of an air-purifying respirator that consists of a container
				holding materials such as fiber, treated charcoal, or a combination
				of the two, that removes contaminants from the air passing through
				the cartridge or canister.
CAS (chemical abstract service) number.
CAS numbers are internationally recognized and used on safety data
				sheets (SDSs) and other documents to identify substances. For more
				information, see
http://www.cas.org
.
Container.
Any container, except for
				pipes or piping systems that contains formaldehyde. It can be any of
				the following:
* Barrel.
* Bottle.
* Can.
* Cylinder.
* Drum.
* Reaction vessel.
* Shipping containers.
* Storage tank.
Designated representative.
Any one of
				the following:
* Any individual or organization to which an employee
				gives written authorization.
* A recognized or certified collective bargaining
				agent without regard to written employee authorization.
* The legal representative of a deceased or legally
				incapacitated employee.
Emergency.
Any event that could or does
				result in the unexpected significant release of formaldehyde.
				Examples of emergencies include equipment failure, container rupture,
				or control equipment failure.
Exposure.
The contact an employee has
				with formaldehyde, whether or not protection is provided by
				respirators or other personal protective equipment (PPE). Exposure
				can occur through various routes of entry such as inhalation,
				ingestion, skin contact, or skin absorption.
Formaldehyde.
An organic chemical with
				the formula of HCHO, represented by the chemical abstract service
				(CAS) registry number 50-00-0. Examples of primary uses of
				formaldehyde and its solutions are as follows:
* An intermediate in the production of:
- Resins.
- Industrial chemicals.
* A bactericide or fungicide.
* A preservative.
* A component in the manufacture of end-use consumer
				items such as cosmetics, shampoos, and glues.
Licensed health care professional
				(LHCP).
An individual whose legally permitted scope of
				practice allows him or her to provide some or all of the health care
				services required for medical evaluations.
Permissible exposure limits (PELs).
PELs
				are employee exposures to toxic substances or harmful physical agents
				that must not be exceeded. PELs are also specified in WISHA rules
				found in other chapters. The PEL for formaldehyde is an 8-hour
				time-weighted average (TWA8) of 0.75 parts per
				million (ppm) and a 15-minute short-term exposure limit of 2
				ppm.
Short-term exposure limit (STEL).
An
				exposure limit averaged over a 15-minute period that must not be
				exceeded during an employee's workday.
Time-weighted average
				(TWA8).
An exposure limit averaged over
				an 8-hour period that must not be exceeded during an employee's
				workday.
Uncontrolled release.
A release where
				significant safety and health risks could be created. Releases of
				hazardous substances that are either incidental or could not create a
				safety or health hazard (i.e., fire, explosion, or chemical exposure)
				are not considered to be uncontrolled releases.
Examples of conditions that could create a
				significant safety and health risk are:
* Large-quantity releases.
* Small releases that could be highly toxic.
* Potentially contaminated individuals arriving at
				hospitals.
* Airborne exposures that could exceed a WISHA
				permissible exposure limit or a published exposure limit and
				employees are not adequately trained or equipped to control the
				release.