Compliance · US OSHA 1910.1048
OSHA Formaldehyde Standard (29 CFR 1910.1048)
Occupational: formaldehyde (USA)
OSHA's formaldehyde standard, 29 CFR 1910.1048, sets the legal exposure limits for formaldehyde in general industry: a permissible exposure limit of 0.75 ppm as an 8-hour time-weighted average, a short-term exposure limit of 2 ppm over 15 minutes, and an action level of 0.5 ppm (8-hour TWA) that triggers periodic monitoring and medical surveillance. It is a substance-specific standard, separate from the general air contaminants table, because formaldehyde is a carcinogen with its own requirements for exposure monitoring, regulated areas, protective equipment, and hazard communication.
Limit values
OSHA formaldehyde Limit Values
Every value US OSHA 1910.1048 publishes for the parameter below, with its averaging period, as the standard states it.
Who it applies to
Who Must Comply
Employers where workers may be exposed to formaldehyde gas, its solutions, or materials that release it: resin and pressed-wood manufacturing, laboratories and pathology, embalming, textiles and garment finishing, and healthcare. Construction work falls under the equivalent 29 CFR 1926.1148, which applies the same requirements.
Monitoring
How Monitoring Demonstrates Compliance
Compliance is shown by exposure monitoring representative of each employee's 8-hour and 15-minute exposure, typically personal sampling analyzed in a laboratory, repeated periodically once the action level or STEL is reached. Continuous monitoring shows when and where formaldehyde rises (after a new material arrives, during a process step, when ventilation falls) and gives the early warning that personal sampling cannot. NIOSH recommends a far lower limit, 0.016 ppm, which is why indoor programs often track formaldehyde well below the OSHA values.
Recommended
best match-
Aethair IAQ built-in sensors
Compact plug-in monitor with every sensor built in, nothing to add. Ideal for straightforward indoor air quality monitoring.
Built-inFormaldehyde (CH₂O)Also measures 12 more
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)Dew PointHeat IndexRelative HumidityParticle Count (by size)PM1PM10PM2.5Total PM / Mass Conc.Barometric PressureAir TemperatureVOC (Total)
Alternative
Aethair PRO-
Industrial monitor for indoor and outdoor sites. Built-in sensors cover the essentials, and hot-swappable gas sensor cartridges and a differential-pressure option add more.
Gas 1
Free: one more gas sensor cartridge
Gas 2
Free: one more gas sensor cartridge
MultiSense
Aethair MultiSense
Formaldehyde (CH₂O)Simultaneous electrochemical detection of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, and formaldehyde at…
Expansion
Free: differential pressure
Also measures 15 more
Dew PointHeat IndexRelative HumidityIlluminance / LightParticle Count (by size)PM1PM10PM2.5Total PM / Mass Conc.Barometric PressureEquivalent Continuous Level (Leq)Sound Pressure Level (SPL)Air TemperatureNitrogen Dioxide (NO₂)Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂)
Who measures each parameter
| Parameter | Aethair PRO | Aethair IAQ |  External |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formaldehyde (CH₂O) | MultiSense cartridge | Built in | — |
Devices
Devices That Cover OSHA formaldehyde
How much of this standard one Aethair monitor covers, followed by the third-party instruments in the sensor catalog that measure its parameters. Each connects to Environet through a Thiamis gateway, which adds whatever the monitor leaves out.
Aethair monitors
Solutions
Solutions Judged Against OSHA formaldehyde
Healthcare Air Monitoring
Clinical air quality, pressurization, and patient safety
Article Library
Articles on OSHA formaldehyde
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ASHRAE 170 requirements explained: what the standard sets, which edition your facility is held to, what changed in 2025, and how each value gets verified.
OSHA Air Quality Standards 2026: PELs & 29 CFR 1910.1000
OSHA air quality standards for indoor and outdoor work: permissible exposure limits, Table Z-1, 29 CFR 1910.1000, and the heat and wildfire smoke triggers.
Questions
OSHA formaldehyde FAQ
What is the OSHA PEL for formaldehyde?
0.75 ppm as an 8-hour time-weighted average, with a short-term exposure limit of 2 ppm over 15 minutes and an action level of 0.5 ppm.
What does the formaldehyde action level trigger?
Reaching 0.5 ppm as an 8-hour TWA obliges the employer to repeat exposure monitoring periodically and to provide medical surveillance.
Does the formaldehyde standard apply to construction?
Yes, through 29 CFR 1926.1148, which applies the same requirements to construction work.
Monitor Against OSHA formaldehyde
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