Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management

Formaldehyde Quiz

1.) Please complete all fields with your personal information.

2.) Complete each question by selecting the most correct answer. A score of 100% is required for passing.

3.) When complete, please click “Submit to EHSRM” button.

First Name:

Last Name:

Department:

Department PO Box Number:

Email Address:

Employee or Student Identification Number:

Are You:

Staff / Faculty / UAF Student Employee
UAF Student (if you are a UAF student AND a UAF student employee click above)
Volunteer
Non Affiliate

1. Formaldehyde is:

A non-regulated, non-toxic chemical
A non-regulated, toxic chemical
Considered hazardous, but not covered under any OSHA standard (similar to hydrochloric acid and ethanol)
A suspected carcinogen that is regulated by OSHA

2. The OSHA 8-hour permissible exposure level (PEL) for formaldehyde is:

0.3 ppm
0.5 ppm
0.75 ppm
2.0 ppm

3. OSHA requires that all areas where formaldehyde is used be posted as regulated areas:

True
False

4. Exposure to formaldehyde can cause all of the following, EXCEPT:

Sore throat, coughing, shortness of breath
Fever, headache, body aches
Sensitization of respiratory tract
Skin irritation, contact dermatitis, other allergic reactions
Blurred vision, eye irritation

5. A person's ability to perceive formaldehyde by odor and eye irritation becomes less sensitive with time as s/he adapts to it:

True
False

6. All of the following are acceptable work practices when using formaldehyde, EXCEPT:

Always using formalin in a properly functioning chemical fume hood
Wearing splash-proof goggle whenever using formalin at concentrations greater than 1%
Wearing PVA gloves
Wearing a lab coat to reduce skin exposure to vapors.

7. The storage code for 37% formalin is __________ and the storage code for 10% formalin is ___________:

Blue/red
Green/orange
Yellow/blue
Red/blue

8. All containers of formalin must be labeled, including jars or containers holding preserved specimens.

True
False

9. All of the following are true regarding medical surveillance, EXCEPT:

It is required when a worker may be exposed to formaldehyde at or above the short-term exposure limit (STEL).
It is required whenever an employee shows signs or symptoms associated with toxic levels of formaldehyde exposure.
It is not required if the employee uses a respirator, even if they are exposed to formaldehyde at or above the STEL, because they are protected by the respirator.
It may involve a medical disease questionnaire, a physical exam, laboratory tests, and/or counseling by a physician.

10. Peter arrives at the lab in the morning and discovers that the spigot on the 5 gallon carboy of 10% formalin had leaked. There is a large puddle on the floor and the carboy is largely empty. Peter should:

Quickly apply some Spilfyter® if possible, evacuate the lab, and call EHS&RM (474-5617) or UAF dispatch (474-7721) to report the spill.
Mop it up with paper towels, discard everything in the trash, and then get on with the day’s experiments.
Call the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation and report the person who didn’t close the spigot all the way.
Ignore it—it will evaporate eventually.