Exposure to formaldehyde at work

Workers in the beauty industry may be exposed to
formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.

A whiff of formaldehyde, anyone?

Better skip it.

Federal agencies such as OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) have issued public hazard alerts about exposure to formaldehyde.

Formaldehyde is a cancer-causing chemical that is used in many industries, including the health and beauty industry (in hair straightening treatments, for example), in the funeral and embalming industry, in mortuaries and laboratories for tissue preservation etc.

Workers who may be exposed to formaldehyde are covered by the OSHA Formaldehyde standard (29 CFR 1910.1048) and equivalent regulations.

The permissible exposure limit (PEL) for formaldehyde in the workplace is 0.75 parts formaldehyde per million parts of air (0.75 ppm) measured as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). There are also higher short-term exposure limits for a maximum of 15 minutes.

Exposure to formaldehyde has been deemed a risk because it is an irritant that can affect eyes, nose and throat and can make people cough or wheeze.

Continued exposure to formaldehyde fumes has also been linked to severe allergic reactions and asthma-like respiratory problems. In high concentrations, formaldehyde can be fatal.

At many small to medium workplaces, it is difficult to enforce the standards because of a lack of awareness of the dangers and mislabeled products, according to OSHA.

Formaldehyde “hides” in many products under the names methylene glycol, formalin and oxomethane.

Beauty and hair salons have been racking up citations for violating the formaldehyde standard, but funeral homes and crematories are also guilty of violations.

Source: Business Insurance 

Use activated carbon air scrubbers for better indoor air quality

In most buildings where formaldehyde is used, the existing ventilation system won’t be enough to provide adequate fresh air exchanges.

CleanBreeze 3: A powerful
air cleaner with source capture.

Who hasn’t been assaulted by the strong chemical smells upon entering a hair or nail salon?

Electrocorp provides strong and stand-alone air cleaners with many pounds of activated carbon plus HEPA filters to circulate clean and fresh air indoors.

Activated carbon is the safest and most effective filtration media to remove airborne chemicals, gases and fumes, and the other filters in the units also take care of dust, particles, bacteria, viruses and mold spores.

In their series of air cleaners for beauty salons and spas, Electrocorp offers source capture units with a flexible arm that can be placed right over the head of clients as treatments are applied.

The CleanBreeze 3 features up to 28 pounds of carbon in a very deep bed as well as a micro-HEPA filter and pre-filters.

Electrocorp’s RAP1224 FX8 is an even stronger source capture air cleaner with a 43 lb. carbon filter, a HEPA filter and pre-filters.

The units are equipped with long chords and wheels so that they can easily be moved from one workstation to the next.

Electrocorp also offers air cleaners for funeral homes and embalmers.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.