The Dangers of Formaldehyde

There are many dangers of formaldehyde when exposed to this toxic gas. It is important for individuals to be careful and cautious when they are around this dangerous gas. Formaldehyde is a strong-smelling gas that is normally found in water-based solutions. It is used a preservative in many medical laboratories and in mortuaries. It is also found in household products, glues, permanent press fabrics, paper products, plywood, and fiberboard, just to name a few.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a permissible exposure limit (PEL) for formaldehyde in the workplace. This is set at 0.75 parts formaldehyde per million parts of air. The OSHA has also set up a standard for a short-term exposure limit of 2 ppm. This is the maximum exposure allowed during a 15 minute period.

The OSHA set these limits because formaldehyde can cause an immune system response that can be dangerous. Also, formaldehyde has been reported to cause cancer. When people are first exposed to formaldehyde, it can cause irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. It can also make an individual cough and wheeze. In some cases, exposure will cause a serious allergic reaction on the skin, eyes, and in the respiratory tract. Ingesting formaldehyde can be fatal, and long-term exposure can cause permanent asthma-like respiratory issues.

Employers have the duty to protect workers that could be exposed to formaldehyde. The employers need to reassign any workers who suffer significant adverse effects to jobs that have less of a risk of exposure, and should label all solutions that have a large amount of formaldehyde so that workers are aware of them. Also, all workers that will be exposed to formaldehyde should be trained as to how to note adverse symptoms due to exposure. If you want more information about formaldehyde lawsuits you need to contact a New York City personal injury lawyer and start a worker’s compensation lawsuit today!