Formaldehyde is a dangerous chemical that can have severe long term effects if precautions are not taken. Following the OSHA Formaldehyde standard is imperative in every workplace where the chemical is present.
Should you find yourself in an occupation where you deal with or work in close proximity to any process that involves Formaldehyde, it may be in your best interest to know what the OSHA Formaldehyde Standard entails (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) when dealing with this substance.
Like any other harmful chemical, this one also shows short term symptoms to those who are exposed to it. The sad story though is the long term effects of working in an environment filled with harmful gases which only shows itself years after you have left this harmful environment.
The main problem is the development of various cancers years after being exposed to formaldehyde for long periods. These cancers can not be predicted nor stopped because of the long term effect of the chemical on the body.
Short term symptoms of formaldehyde poisoning will quickly tell you that you are in a danger zone. Your lungs will protest and you may suffer from asthma attacks to feeling terribly ill. Nausea and a burning sensation experienced on all mucous membrane areas also indicates that these areas are affected.
Your body will warn you amply when you are exposed to massive amounts, but the real problem comes from being exposed to a small quantity over a very long period of time. This means that your body may get used to being irritated by the formaldehyde and thus stop showing you the symptoms.
This means you are being poisoned slowly but surely and at some stage you will become symptomatic, by then it may be a serious problem to get back to good health again. Unbelievably a trend has developed recently which sees youngsters sniffing formaldehyde as part of drug use. This has caused many deaths and coma cases as direct inhalation can prove fatal.
But how can you protect yourself from being poisoned at work? Firstly you must know what you are working with. Maybe you are working with undiluted chemicals or the chemicals may be hidden inside materials you use every day.
In both these cases you are prone to inhaling the stuff, so a first line of defense will be the wearing of appropriate face masks. Make sure the mask you wear is specially made to prevent chemical fumes from entering your lungs. A normal dust mask will not help at all.
Secondly make sure that the work area has a very good through airflow, this will take away toxic fumes constantly. Monitor where the ventilated air goes so as not to cause extra problems for unsuspected neighbors.
Should you spill any of this product, it is vital to do the right cleanup procedure or you may face certain poisoning. Small spills should be cleared with a cloth and the cloth then sealed in air tight containers and disposed of via chemical disposal companies.
Large spills should rather be left for the professionals to clean. Remove yourself from the affected area immediately and seal it off as best as possible. Keep others away and call for emergency cleaning up immediately.
Make sure you and your company adhere to the OSHA rules and regulations and you will be safe when working with dangerous chemicals.
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