Section 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. WSR 06-08-087, § 296-856-20050, filed 4/4/06, effective 9/1/06.]

RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 06-08-087, § 296-856-20050, filed 4/4/06, effective 9/1/06.

Rules

296-841,296-856-20070,296-856-100,296-800,