--- title: "OSHA Formaldehyde: PEL, STEL, and Action Level | Aethair" description: "OSHA Formaldehyde Standard (29 CFR 1910.1048) limit values for Formaldehyde: every value and averaging period, who the standard applies to, and the…" url: https://aethair.io/standards/osha_formaldehyde/ --- 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. [Schedule a call](https://calendly.com/d/ctdd-mkr-v9v/aethair-demo-website) [Configure OSHA formaldehyde Monitoring](https://aethair.io/build/?params=ch2o) At a glance **US OSHA 1910.1048** Occupational: formaldehyde (USA) 1 parameter · 3 limit values [Formaldehyde (CH₂O)](https://aethair.io/parameters/ch2o/) 1 device measures them all - **Aethair IAQ** [Official text from US OSHA 1910.1048](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1048) 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. [**Formaldehyde (CH₂O)** Gases & VOCs](https://aethair.io/parameters/ch2o/) **0.75 ppm** *8-hour TWA (PEL)* **2 ppm** *STEL* 15-minute **0.5 ppm** *Action level* 8-hour TWA 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. [Customize this configuration](https://aethair.io/build/?params=ch2o) ### Who measures each parameter | Parameter | Aethair PRO | Aethair IAQ | External | | - | - | - | - | | [Formaldehyde (CH₂O)](https://aethair.io/parameters/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 [**Aethair PRO** Built in + Aethair MultiSense Covers it](https://aethair.io/products/pro/) Solutions ## Solutions Judged Against OSHA formaldehyde ### [Healthcare Air Monitoring](https://aethair.io/solutions/healthcare/) Clinical air quality, pressurization, and patient safety [All solutions](https://aethair.io/solutions/) Article Library ## Articles on OSHA formaldehyde ### [ASHRAE 170 Requirements and Which Edition Applies to You](https://aethair.io/resources/ashrae-170-requirements/) 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](https://aethair.io/resources/osha-air-quality-standards-compliance/) 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. [All articles](https://aethair.io/resources/) 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.