PDFWAC 296-856-20030

Personal protective equipment (PPE).

(1) You must provide PPE at no cost to employees and make sure employees wear the equipment.
(2) You must make sure that employees do not take contaminated clothing or other PPE from the workplace.
Select PPE that is appropriate for your workplace based on at least the following:
(a) The form of formaldehyde, such as gas, solution, or material.
(b) The conditions of use.
(c) The hazard to be prevented.
(3) You must provide full body protection for entry into areas where formaldehyde exposure could exceed 100 parts per million (ppm) or when airborne concentrations are unknown.
(4) You must protect employees from all contact with liquids containing one percent or more of formaldehyde by providing chemical protective clothing that is impervious to formaldehyde and other personal protective equipment, such as goggles and face shields, as appropriate for the operation.
(5) You must make sure when face shields are worn, employees also wear chemical safety goggles if there could be eye contact with formaldehyde.
(6) You must make sure contaminated clothing and other PPE is cleaned or laundered before it is used again.
(7) You must repair or replace clothing and other PPE as needed to maintain effectiveness.
(8) You must make sure storage areas for ventilating contaminated clothing and PPE are established to minimize employee exposure to formaldehyde.
(a) Make sure storage areas and containers for contaminated clothing and PPE have labels or signs with the following warning:
DANGER
FORMALDEHYDE-CONTAMINATED (CLOTHING) EQUIPMENT
MAY CAUSE CANCER
CAUSES SKIN, EYE, AND RESPIRATORY IRRITATION
DO NOT BREATHE VAPOR
DO NOT GET ON SKIN
(b) The employer must ensure containers for contaminated clothing and equipment are labeled consistent with the Hazard Communication Standard, WAC 296-901-140, and must, as a minimum, include the following:
DANGER
FORMALDEHYDE-CONTAMINATED (CLOTHING) EQUIPMENT
MAY CAUSE CANCER
CAUSES SKIN, EYE AND RESPIRATORY IRRITATION
DO NOT BREATHE VAPOR
DO NOT GET ON SKIN
(9) You must make sure that only employees trained to recognize the hazards of formaldehyde remove personal protective equipment (PPE) and clothing from storage areas for the purposes of disposal, cleaning, or laundering.
(10) You must inform any person who launders, cleans, or repairs contaminated clothing or other PPE, of the hazards of formaldehyde and procedures to safely handle the clothing and equipment.
(11) You must provide change rooms for employees who are required to change from work clothes into protective clothing to protect them from skin contact with formaldehyde.
Make sure change rooms have separate storage facilities for street clothes and protective clothing.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, and 49.17.060. WSR 18-22-116, § 296-856-20030, filed 11/6/18, effective 12/7/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060 and 29 C.F.R. 1910 Subpart Z. WSR 14-07-086, § 296-856-20030, filed 3/18/14, effective 5/1/14. Statutory Authority: RCW 49.17.010, 49.17.040, 49.17.050, 49.17.060. WSR 06-08-087, § 296-856-20030, filed 4/4/06, effective 9/1/06.]