U.S. Department of Labor | ||||||
Occupational Safety & Health Administration |
Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards
Small Business Safety Management Series U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA 3157 1999 This informational booklet is intended to provide a generic, nonexhaustive overview of a particular standards-related topic. This publication does not itself alter or detemine compliance responsibilities, which are set forth in OSHA standards themselves, and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.Moreover, because interpretations and enforcement policy may change over time, for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements, the reader should consult current administrative interpretations and decisions by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission and the courts. Material contained in this publication is in the public domain and may be reproduced, fully or partially, with out the permission of the Federal Government. Source credit is requested but not required. This information will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone (202) 693-2300; Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) message referral phone: 1-800 326-2577. Introduction Who Should Read This Guide? How Will This Guide Help Protect My Employees? What Standards Cover Woodworking? What Are the Main Types of Hazards Associated with Woodworking Operations? Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control How Can My Employees Recognize the Hazards of Woodworking Equipment? What Controls Are Available to Help Protect My Employees from Machine Hazards? What Engineering Controls Are Available to Help Protect My Employees from Machine Hazards? What Procedural and Administrative Controls Are Needed to Protect Employees from Equipment Hazards? Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls Circular/Crosscut/Ripsaws Overhead Swing and Straight Line Pull Cutoff Saws Radial Saws Band Saws Jig Saws Jointers Shapers Power-Feed Planers/Moulders Lathes Sanders Routers Tenoning Machine Boring/Mortising Machine Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking What Are Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking? What Are the Electrical Hazards? How Can I Protect My Employees from Electrical Hazards? What Are the Machine Maintenance Hazards? How Can I Protect My Employees from Machine Maintenance Hazards? How Can I Develop an Effective Lockout and Tagout Program? My Facility Susceptible to Fire and Explosion? How Can I Protect My Employees and Facility from Fires and Explosions What Other Fire Protection Measures Should Be Taken? What Should You Do to Protect Your Workers in the Event of a Fire? Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control What Are the Health Hazards of Wood Dust? How Can I Protect My Employees from Wood Dust? What Are My Options for Noise Control? What Are the Health Hazards of Vibration? How Can I Protect My Workers from Vibration? Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) What Is PPE? Once I Have Provided My Employees with the Necessary PPE, Is My Job Done? Finishing Operations What Are the Hazards of the Chemicals Used in Finishing? How Can I Protect My Employees from the Chemicals Used in Finishing? Appendix A: References and Standards Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls Appendix C: Sources of OSHAAssistance Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory List of Tables Table 1 : How Do Injuries Occur at the Point of Operation? Table 2 : Types of Machine Guards Table 3 : Other Methods of Safeguarding Machines Table 4 : Allowable Daily Noise Exposure Limits-Unprotected Table 5 : PPE Items Typically Used in the Woodworking Industry Table 6: Minimum Criteria for Selecting ANSI-Approved Eye Protection Table 7: OSHA Standards Relevant to Finishing Operations List of Figures Figure 1: Reciprocating Movement Figure 2: In-Running Nip Points Figure 3: Push Stick Work Practice Control Figure 4: Fixed Guard on Belt and Pulley Figure 5: Fixed Guard on Planer Figure 6: Adjustable Guard on Table Saw Figure 7: Adjustable Guard on Horizontal Band Saw Figure 8: Self-Adjusting Guard on Table Saw Figure 9: Self-Adjusting Guard on Jointer Figure 10: Push Stick and Push Block Figure 11: Enclose the Saw Blade with a Self-Adjusting Guard Figure 12: Overhead Swing Saw Figure 13: Radial Saw with Self-Adjusting Guard Figure 14: Adjustable Guard on Band Saw Figure 15: Jig Saw Figure 16: Jointer with Self-Adjusting Guard Figure 17: Shaper with Adjustable Guard Figure 18: Planer Figure 19: Plexiglass Guard on Lathe Protects Operator from Flying Chips Figure 20: Drum Sander Figure 21: Belt and Disc Sander Figure 22: Router with Adjustable Tool Guard Figure 23: Single-End Tenoning Machine Figure 24: Chain Mortising Machine Figure 25 : Auxiliary Ventilation System for Horizontal Belt Sanders Figure 26: Improved Head Configuration for Shapers Figure 27 : Computer Controlled Jet Stripper System for Controlling Emmisssions from Automated Routers Figure 28: Jet Stripper System for Improving Dust Control from Disc Sanders Figure 29: Dust Control System for Random Orbital Hand Sanders Figure 30: Dust Control Plenum for Orbital Hand Sanders Figure 31: Local Exhaust Head for Table Saws Introduction Machines used in woodworking are dangerous, particularly when used improperly or without proper safeguards. Workers operating woodworking equipment suffer the following common injuries: laceration, amputation, severed fingers, and blindness. Wood dust and the chemicals used in finishing are health hazards, and workers in this industry can suffer from skin and respiratory diseases. The purpose of this guide is to help employers provide a safe and healthful workplace. The guide describes the principal hazards of woodworking and the methods for controlling these hazards. The guide is not a substitute for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards related to woodworking, but can help clarify the regulatory language and technical information covered in those standards. For more comprehensive information, consult the General Industry Standards, Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1910. In particular, Subpart O of the General Industry Standards establishes specific machinery and machine guarding requirements for much of the equipment discussed in this guide. Specific OSHA standards for woodworking are listed in Appendix A of this guide. Who Should Read This Guide? If you employ one or more persons to operate woodworking equipment, you should read this guide. This includes employers in industries making wood furniture (household, office, public, and restaurant); wood office and store fixtures; kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities; industrial patterns; wood containers; wooden musical instruments and toys; and other wood products. Employers at fabricated wood millwork establishments (e.g., establishments that produce doors, windows, porches, and shutters) are also included. This guide does not cover logging operations or the production of lumber and basic wood materials at pulp, paper, or saw mills. There are many safety and health hazards associated with the above industries. This guide focuses primarily on the safety hazards associated with woodworking machinery and the health hazards of wood dust. How Will This Guide Help Protect My Employees? This guide will familiarize you with the hazards of woodworking and the control options for protecting your employees from these hazards. Employing the recommended controls can help you prevent workplace injuries. This guide also will help you comply with OSHA standards related to woodworking. OSHA regulations require you to protect your employees from workplace hazards caused by machines and hazards associated with the processed material (wood). What Standards Cover Woodworking? OSHA has specific standards covering woodworking equipment plus other general regulations that address hazards common to woodworking facilities. This publication primarily covers the regulations for woodworking equipment. A list of the general OSHA regulations covering hazards common to woodworking facilities is included in Appendix A.
For a detailed list of other OSHA standards that may apply to the woodworking industry, see Appendix A. In this document, "shall" and "must" are used to indicate when a control device or other safeguard is required by OSHA; "should" is used to indicate recommended safe work practices. What Are the Main Types of Hazards Associated with Woodworking Operations? The principal hazards of woodworking can be classified as either safety or health hazards. Safety hazards can cause immediate injury to a worker. For example, if not properly grounded, the metal framework of a circular saw could become energized and possibly electrocute an employee. Or, if a worker's hands were to contact a saw blade, he or she could have one or more fingers cut off.
Mosthealth hazards are associated with long-term exposure to certain substances or to excessive noise levels or vibrations. Certain types of wood dust, for example, can cause allergic reactions, and saw dust has been determined to be a group A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Likewise, some finishes and coatings used in finishing processes contain chemicals that can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Health hazards can cause both immediate (acute) and longer-term (chronic) health effects. For example, exposure to turpentine, a chemical used in some furniture waxes and finishes, can result in a range of health effects, from temporary irritation of the eyes and skin to kidney and bladder damage.
Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control How Can My Employees Recognize the Hazards of Woodworking Equipment? It is important to train/teach your employees how to identify hazards related to their assigned job tasks. This section provides an overview of the major safety hazards associated with woodworking equipment. The section "Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls" covers in more detail each of these hazards and discusses recommended controls for specific types of machinery typically used in woodworking operations. Point of Operation The point of operation is the place where work is performed on the material. This is where the stock is cut, shaped, bored, or formed. Most woodworking machines use a cutting and/or shearing action. Table 1 lists examples of how injuries can occur at the point of operation. Table 1. How Do Injuries Occur at the Point of Operation?
Rotating and Reciprocating Movements All machines operate by rotating or reciprocating motion or by a combination of these motions. For example, rotary cutting and shearing mechanisms, rotating wood stock, flywheels, shaft ends, and spindles all rotate. Rotating action is hazardous regardless of the speed, size, or surface finish of the moving part. Rotating parts and shafts, such as stock projecting from the chuck of a lathe, can catch hair or clothing and draw the operator in. This can seriously mangle or crush the operator. Rotating parts and stock can also force an arm or hand into a dangerous position, breaking bones and lacerating or severing a hand or other parts of a limb. Bolts, projecting keys, or screws on rotating parts increase the danger of getting caught by the rotary part. Operators can also be struck by a projecting bolt or key. Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control Reciprocating movement is back-and-forth or up-and-down motion. Operators can be caught and crushed by reciprocating movement when the moving part approaches or crosses a fixed part of the machine. (See Figure 1.) Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding, OSHA Figure 1. Reciprocating Movement In-Running Nip Points In-running nip points (or pinch points) are a special danger arising from rotating or reciprocating parts. They occur whenever machine parts move toward each other or when one part moves past a stationary object. Parts of the body may be caught between or drawn into the nip point and crushed, mangled, or severed. Figure 2 shows some in-running nip points that may be encountered in the woodworking industry. The nip points in this figure are located where the belts or chains approach the pulleys or gears, or where the rotating parts approach the stationary components. Kickbacks Kickbacks occur when a saw seizes the stock and hurls it back at the operator. This can happen when the stock twists and binds against the side of the blades or is caught in the teeth. A blade that is not sharpened, or that is set at an incorrect height, can cause kickbacks. Poor-quality lumber (in other words, frozen lumber or lumber with many knots or foreign objects such as nails) can also result in kickbacks. Hazards due to kickbacks are most likely when there is a lack of safeguards, such as spreaders, anti-kickback fingers, and gauge or rip fences. Kickbacks occur more often when cutting parallel to the wood grain (ripping) than when cross-cutting. Source: Concepts and Techniques of MachineSafeguarding, OSHA Figure 2. In-Running Nip Points Flying Chips Employees may be exposed to splinters and chips that are flung by the cutting action of woodworking equipment. Tool Projection (Unbalanced Cutter Heads) Many pieces of woodworking equipment-such as routers, shapers, and molders-employ rotating cutter heads with multiple knives. Cutter heads that are not properly adjusted, or that are poorly mounted or have broken knives, can become unbalanced. Balance is critical for keeping knives secured to a rapidly moving cutter head. The centrifugal forces on an unbalanced cutter head can fling the knives from the tool and severely or fatally injure the operator or other nearby personnel. Using the wrong tool on a cutter head or using a tool at a higher speed than it was designed to operate at also can cause tool breakage and projection. What Controls Are Available to Help Protect My Employees from Machine Hazards? The preferred way to control hazards is through engineering or work practice controls. When these controls are not possible or do not provide adequate protection, personal protective equipment (PPE) must be provided as a supplement. Employers must institute all feasible engineering and work practice controls to eliminate or reduce hazards before using PPE to protect employees.
Engineering controls involve physically changing the machine or work environment to prevent employee exposure to the potential hazard. Examples are using a guard on a machine, or using local exhaust ventilation to remove dust and other contaminants at the source. Work practice controls involve removing your employees from exposure to the potential hazard by changing the way they do their jobs. For example, workers should always use push sticks to guide short or narrow pieces of stock through saws. Using a push stick allows saw operators to keep their hands at a safe distance from the saw blades. (See Figure 3.) Figure 3. Push Stick Work Practice Control Personal protective equipment encompasses a wide variety of devices and garments designed to protect workers from injuries. Examples include respirators, goggles, safety shields, hard hats, gloves, earmuffs, and earplugs. What Engineering Controls Are Available to Help Protect My Employees from Machine Hazards? Machine Guarding Guards are now standard equipment on most woodworking machines. If you purchase a machine that does not come equipped with a guard, install one. Contact the manufacturer of the machine to see if appropriate guard(s) are available for the equipment. If not, use this guide to help you determine the appropriate guard to install. Because woodworking equipment is dangerous, guards should always be designed and installed by technically competent and qualified persons. In addition, it is always a good idea to have the equipment manufacturer review proposed guard designs to ensure that the guard will adequately protect employees and allow safe operation of the equipment. There are many ways to guard machines. The type of operation, size or shape of stock, work being performed on the material, method of handling, and production requirements are some of the factors that help determine the appropriate safeguarding method for an individual machine. All moving machine parts that may cause injury must be safeguarded. This includes the point of operation, the power transmission apparatus, and rotary or reciprocating parts. Table 2 describes three types of machine guards commonly used on woodworking machinery: fixed, adjustable, and self-adjusting. To be effective, a guard should prevent employees from contacting the dangerous parts of the machines, and it should be secure. This is not always possible, as in the case of the radial arm saw. Regardless, workers should not be able to easily bypass, remove, or otherwise tamper with the guard. In protecting the worker, however, the guard must not create additional hazards, nor prevent the worker from performing the job. Make sure that guards are in working order and that they are appropriate and practical for the machinery. Guards must have adequate strength to resist blows and strains and should be constructed to protect operators from flying splinters and machine parts such as broken saw teeth, cutting heads, and tools. For more information on methods of machine guarding (including construction of guards), consult Appendix A of this guide. The section "Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls" provides more detailed information on guard types for specific woodworking machines.
Table 2. Types of Machine Guards
Source: Adapted from Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding, U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA. Table 3. Other Methods of Safeguarding Machines
Source: Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial Operations, National Safety Council
This section covers the major safety hazards of specific woodworking machinery, and discusses the engineering controls and work procedures for minimizing employee exposure to these hazards. References to applicable OSHA standards are provided in the text of this section in cases where the engineering controls or work practices are required by a specific OSHA standard. Note that not all OSHA requirements are covered in this section. Consult OSHA's woodworking machinery standard [29 CFR 1910.213] to ensure that you are in compliance with all requirements. Personal protective equipment is not covered in this section because the same recommendations discussed in the "Personal Protective Equipment" section of this guide apply to all machinery. 1Similarly, work practices that apply to all woodworking equipment (such as using a brush for cleaning saws) are not covered here. Circular/Crosscut/Ripsaws These table saws are used for straight sawing. Depending on the blade, they cut either across (crosscut) or with (ripsaw) the grain of the wood. With the hand-fed saws, the operator adjusts the height and angle of the blade. Then, holding the stock, the operator pushes it into the blade. A guide is used to maintain a straight cut at the desired width. At the end of the cutting stroke, the operator either changes positions or pushes the stock past the blade. Self-feed or power table saws are equipped with rollers or a conveyor system to hold the lumber and force-feed it into the saw blade. Injuries can occur if an operator's hands slip as he or she is feeding the stock into the saw or if the operator holds his or her hands too close to the blades while cutting. Employees can also be injured when removing scrap or finished pieces from the table. Kickbacks (that is, when the blade catches the stock and throws it back toward the operator) are another major cause of injury. Kickbacks can result if the blade height is not correct or if the blade is not properly maintained. Kickbacks are more likely to occur when ripping, rather than crosscutting. Kickbacks also can occur if safeguards are not used or if poor-quality lumber is cut.
Engineering Controls
Figure 11: Saw Blade with a Self-Adjusting Guard
These are special types of circular saws, which are also used for straight cutting. They are preferred for cutting long pieces of stock. The overhead swing saw is suspended from the ceiling, as shown in Figure 12; the saw is generally attached directly to the motor shaft. To run the saw the operator pulls it forward like a pendulum. Figure 12. Overhead Swing Saw Injuries can occur if the operator reaches to remove a section of board while the blade is coasting or idling, or if the operator tries to measure a board or position it while the saw is still running. Injuries can also occur if an improperly adjusted saw swings beyond its safe limits.
Engineering Controls
Radial saws are circular saws that cut downward, either with or against the wood grain (rip or crosscut). For crosscutting, the wood is pushed away from the operator and against a fence. For rip cuts, the blade is set parallel to the fence, and the stock is pushed through. The saw blade rotates upward toward the operator; who feeds the stock in the opposite direction of the blade movement. Radial saws have features that make them more versatile than table saws. The saw arm can be raised and lowered and swung from side to side to adjust the depth and horizontal angle of the cut; the blade can be replaced with shaping cutters, disk or drum sanders, and other accessories. The principal types of injury from radial saws are cuts to the arms and hands, or amputation of fingers, from contact with the blade or flying wood chips. Workers can also be injured from kickback. Employees working nearby can be seriously injured if stock that is fed in the wrong direction is flung out of the saw.
Engineering Controls
Figure 13. Radial Saw with Self-Adjusting Guard
Band saws are used for both straight sawing and for cutting curved pieces. The band saw uses a thin, flexible, continuous steel strip with cutting teeth on one edge. The blade runs on two pulleys, driven and idler, through a hole in the work table on which stock is fed. The operator hand-feeds and manipulates the stock against the blade to saw along a predetermined line. Although workers are not injured as frequently or as severely on band saws as on circular saws, injuries do occur. The most common injury is caused by contact with the blade. Contact with the blade at the point of operation occurs because the operator's hands may come close to the blade during cutting, and band saws cannot be completely guarded.
Engineering Controls
Jig saws are generally not considered to be as dangerous as other saws; however, contact at the point of operation can cause hand and finger injuries. Contact with the blade can also occur below the table. All portions of the blade must be guarded.
Engineering Controls
Figure 15. Jig Saw Jointers Jointers face or flatten wood and are primarily used to joint small pieces of material. The operator passes stock over a cylindrical, multiple-knife cutter head, while keeping the stock flush against a guide. The depth of the cut is achieved by adjusting the front table. There are two types of jointers: hand-fed jointers with a horizontal cutting head, and wood jointers with a vertical head. Hand-fed jointers are dangerous woodworking machines. Injuries can occur if the operator's hands and fingers come in contact with the knives. This can happen when the operator is jointing narrow lengths of stock, particularly if he or she does not use a jig or other holding device. Injuries can occur when the operator allows his or her fingers to ride along the surface of the jointer as the wood is fed through. Also, stock may be accidentally kicked away, exposing the operator's hands to the cutter head.
Engineering Controls For hand-fed jointers, horizontal head:
For vertical head jointers:
Work Practices
Shapers are most commonly used to shape the edges of stock. The operator feeds the stock from any direction against a vertical rotating cutter mounted on a spindle. The spindle rotates at a high speed. Some machines have multiple spindles. Guidepins hold the stock for curved shaping and fences hold it for straight line shaping. Injuries can occur when the operator's hands or fingers contact the revolving knives. Workers can also be seriously injured or killed by tool projection from unbalanced cutter heads. Shapers are difficult to guard; however, a number of guards are available to protect operators' hands.
Engineering Controls
Also called surfacers, planers are used to dress and size rough-sawed lumber on one or more sides. They plane boards to an even thickness. Stock passes under or between cylindrical cutter heads with multiple knives. (See Figure 18.) Planers are similar to jointers except that the cutter head is above, or above and below, the stock. The operator adjusts for the cut and then feeds stock into the in-feed side of the machine. The surface board is retrieved from the out-running end. Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls Automatic feeding mechanisms make this equipment less hazardous. However, operators' hands may be pulled into the cutting area, and can come in contact with the point of operation while adjusting blades. Operators' hands also may be pinched between the stock and in-running rolls, if the feed system is not properly guarded. Figure 18. Planer
Engineering Controls
Lathes are used for shaping round parts, such as table legs. Two types of lathes are used in the woodworking industry: automatic-feed and manual-feed. In an automatic-feed lathe, the stock, mounted on a carriage, is moved into contact with a mul-tiple-knife cutter head that runs the entire length of the stock. The stock rotates at a low speed, while the cutter rotates faster. Using a feed lever, the operator feeds the stock into the cutter head and maintains the proper pressure for effective cutting. In a hand-fed lathe, the stock, mounted between two centers, rotates rapidly while the operator applies a single-point tool to the wood. The operator holds the tool on a tool rest and advances it along the length of the tool rest to shape the stock as desired. The primary hazards of lathes are contact with rotating parts and contact at the point of operation. Operators’ hands, clothing, or jewelry may be caught on the rotating parts and pulled into the machine. The danger is greater with hand-fed lathes, because the operator works in such close proximity to the rotating stock and the cutting tool. With automatic lathes, the operator can contact the rotating parts if he or she reaches into the work area to adjust components while the machine is running. Flying chips are also a hazard on lathes.
Engineering Controls
Sanders Sanders finish stock by using a coated abrasive surface to remove material. Figures 20 and 21 show the three general types of sanders: drum, belt, and disc. A belt sander uses a system of pulleys to move the abrasive material across the stock. Either the wood is fed manually or automatically into the machine or the sanding belt is pressed toward the wood, which is located on a working table. Figure 20. Drum Sander Figure 21. Belt and Disc Sander Sanders produce a considerable quantity of fine wood dust. Wood dust hazards and controls are discussed in detail in the section "How Can I Protect My Employees from Wood Dust?" All sanders should be carefully ventilated. The primary safety hazard of belt sanders is that workers may catch their hands, clothing, or jewelry in the in-running rolls. Also, contact with an abrasive surface can cause abrasions and lacerations.
Engineering Controls
Routers are used for such purposes as cutting and shaping decorative pieces, making frame and panel doors, and milling moldings. Routers have spindles that spin variously shaped, small-diameter cutting tools at high speeds. The tool is held in a collet chuck and protrudes through a flat, smooth base that slides over the surface of the work. The tool-spindle axis is usually vertical, but it may be tilted. The operator lowers the head for machining, and the head automatically returns to its original position after the cut is made. The spindle is driven by belts and pulleys or by a high-speed motor. Operators may be injured from inadvertent contact with the rotating tool when handling the stock or removing scrap from the table. Kickback is another common source of injury among router operators. Kickback may be caused by poor-quality lumber (i.e., if the stock breaks) or incorrect work method, such as feeding the stock into the tool too abruptly or in the wrong direction, or poorly fixing the stock to the template. Projection of tools can severely injure or kill router operators. Tools can be flung from the cutter head if they are poorly fastened in the tool holder, if the wrong tool is used, or if the tool speed is too high.
Engineering Controls
Tenoning machines use cutter heads and/or saw blades to form projections (tenons) on pieces of stock. Each tenon can be inserted into a cavity (mortise) on another piece of wood to form a mortise and tenon joint. Figure 23 shows a single-end tenoning machine. Figure 23. Single-End Tenoning Machine
Engineering Controls
Boring and mortising machines use boring bits or mortising chains to cut cavities in pieces of stock. These cavities are often used in mortise and tenon joints. Figure 24 shows a chain mortising machine.
Figure 24. Chain Mortising Machine Engineering Controls
Other safety hazards associated with woodworking equipment include electrical hazards, fire and explosion hazards, and hazards caused by poor machine maintenance. What Are the Electrical Hazards? Electrical hazards include electrocution, fire, or explosions. Even slight shocks can lead to injury or death. How Can I Protect My Employees from Electrical Hazards? All electrical installations must comply with OSHA electrical standards. Among the many provisions included in the standards are the following requirements:
Each year, more than a hundred workers are killed, and many more are injured, while repairing or maintaining machines.2 A coworker may start a machine that another employee is repairing. Sometimes it is the worker who accidentally knocks a switch and energizes the machine while clearing a jam or cleaning the equipment. Workers may be crushed at the point of operation, drawn into rotating parts, instantly electrocuted, or mangled by other moving parts. To prevent accidental energizing of machines during maintenance, shut off and lock out all power sources. Under OSHA's Lock-out/Tagout standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, tagout is permitted if an energy-isolating device is not capable of being locked out or if certain other conditions apply. How Can I Protect My Employees from Machine Maintenance Hazards? You can protect your workers by establishing a "lockout/tagout" program. Lockout/tagout refers to the process of shutting down and locking out machines before maintenance begins to prevent accidental start-up during machine maintenance, cleaning, or other similar operations. Locking out equipment provides a physical means (i.e., a lock) that ensures that power will not be restored to the machine and that the machine will not be started until work on the machine has been completed. Tagging the equipment warns others that someone is working on the machine and that power must not be restored to the machine until the work is completed and the person performing the work removes the tag. All power sources-electrical, mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic-must be shut off and locked out during machine maintenance. This includes power that is stored in a machine, such as compressed air in a cylinder, after the machine is turned off. To achieve this, you must have a written lockout/tagout plan that, for each machine, describes all power sources and the correct procedure for shutting down, testing, and re-energizing the equipment. Your plan should describe how employees will be notified when a lockout/tagout is necessary, and shall require your employees to always lock out or tag out equipment, using the appropriate procedures, before performing work on the equipment. How Can I Develop an Effective Lockout and Tagout Program? To develop your energy control program, inventory your equipment and identify all power sources. Identify the lockout devices that you will need for your particular machines. There are many commercially available devices for locking out electrical switches, circuit breakers, valves, compressed-air lines, hydraulic equipment, and other power sources. When feasible, affected employees must be given their own lock to use during lockout procedures. If you use tagout devices in place of lockout devices, the tagout program must be as effective as the lockout program. Train all affected employees about your company's plan: your program will only work if your employees understand how to implement the correct lockout/tagout procedures. See the "Resources" section of this guide for more information on lockout/tagout controls. OSHA's standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, establishes specific requirements for lockout/tagout programs. Refer to this standard for more information on how to properly protect your workers. Is My Facility Susceptible to Fire and Explosion? Yes. Woodworking facilities are inherently prone to fires and explosions, for the following reasons:
How Can I Protect My Employees and Facility from Fires and Explosions? Preventing the buildup of dust is one of the key means for controlling fire and explosion hazards. The principal engineering control technology for control of dust is exhaust ventilation. The primary work practice control is good housekeeping. Dust collection is best accomplished at the source-at the point of operation of the equipment, if feasible. For many pieces of equipment, well-designed ducts and vacuum hoods can collect most of the dust generated before it even reaches the operator. Very fine dust that manages to escape point-of-source collection can be captured from above by general exhaust points located along the ceiling. These control technologies are effective for most equipment, excepting machines that commonly produce the very finest dust or large quantities of dust. Good housekeeping extends to periodic hand cleaning of your entire facility, as some dust will Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking escape from even the best exhaust system and will eventually accumulate on rafters and other out-of-the-way spots. Also, it is extremely important to inspect and clean your exhaust ventilation system on a regular basis to maintain maximum efficiency. You must also:
Exposure to wood dust has long been associated with a variety of adverse health effects, including dermatitis, allergic respiratory effects, mucosal and nonallergic respiratory effects, and cancer. Contact with the irritant compounds in wood sap can cause dermatitis and other allergic reactions. The respiratory effects of wood dust exposure include asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and chronic bronchitis. Both the skin and respiratory system can become sensitized to wood dust. When a worker becomes sensitized to wood dust, he or she can suffer a severe allergic reaction (such as asthma) after repeated exposure or exposure to lower concentrations of the dust. Other common symptoms associated with wood dust exposure include eye irritation, nasal dryness and obstruction, prolonged colds, and frequent headaches. Certain species of hardwood-such as oak, mahogany, beech, walnut, birch, elm, and ash- have been reported to cause nasal cancer in woodworkers. This is particularly true when exposures are high. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recognizes wood dust as a "confirmed" human carcinogen,3 and recommends a limit of 1 milligram per cubic meter (mg/m3) for hardwoods and 5 mg/m3 for softwoods. At this time, OSHA regulates wood dust as a nuisance dust; however, OSHA strongly encourages employers to keep exposures to a minimum and to adopt the ACGIH levels. The maximum permissible exposure for nuisance dust is 15 mg/m3, total dust (5 mg/m3, respirable fraction). How Can I Protect My Employees from Wood Dust? Employers can protect workers from wood dust through a combination of engineering and work practice controls. Where necessary, employers must provide PPE as a supplement to these controls. Engineering Controls Wood dust is emitted at high velocity by moving or spinning machine components. The primary method of controlling wood dust is with local exhaust ventilation (LEV), which removes dust at or near its source. LEV systems can often be integrated with machine guards. Exhaust hoods should be located as close as possible to the emission source, either on the woodworking machinery itself or near to the machine. The local exhaust systems should have an efficient air cleaning device. How Can I Maintain Local Exhaust Ventilation? For LEV systems to provide maximum protection, they should be properly maintained. Check and clean ducts and dust collectors at regular intervals. Inspect ducts to ensure that they are not loose, broken, or damaged. Check the V-belts on the drive units of belt-driven exhaust fans for slippage or breakage. Make sure the duct velocity is maintained at a minimum of 2,500 to 4,000 feet per minute to effectively remove light, dry saw dust, heavy wood chips, and green shavings, and to prevent these from plugging the system. Sanders, shapers, and routers generally produce the greatest amount of dust. Conventional means for exhausting these machines are not very effective. NIOSH has developed new, innovative means for controlling dust exposure from these machines, but these methods are not yet commercially available. These methods either increase the exhaust volume or velocity, or supply pressurized air to help blow dust particles from the machine into an exhaust hood. Work Practices See the discussion for control of fire and explosion hazards ("How Can I Protect My Employees and Facility from Fire and Explosion Hazards") for information on work practices to control dust accumulations. Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control LEV Recommendations for Individual Machines Circular Saws
Sanders Sanders produce a considerable amount of dust and are difficult to control. Conventional methods do not effectively remove dust. New innovative systems have been developed for controlling dust emissions from horizontal belt sanders, large-diameter disc sanders, random orbital hand sanders, and orbital hand sanders. Although these systems are not yet commercially available, more information can be obtained from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The following NIOSH Hazard Controls deal with horizontal belt sanders, large diameter disc sanders, random orbital hand sanders and orbital hand sanders respectively: HC4, HC 7, HC 8 and HC 9 (See Appendix B). Some of these systems are discussed below.
Excessive noise can damage a person's ability to hear-an effect that can be temporary or permanent. There also is mounting evidence that noise may adversely affect other parts of the body- particularly the cardiovascular, endocrine, and muscular systems-and may also lead to stress-related disorders, such as nervousness, chronic fatigue, increased blood pressure, and impaired concentration and mental function. There are as yet no effective treatments for noise-induced health problems, beyond the body's limited natural ability to repair itself, over time, with rest and quiet. What Constitutes Dangerous Noise and Is It a Problem at My Business? Two primary factors act together to make noise hazardous-volume (intensity) and duration. The louder the noise and the longer the duration of exposure at that volume, the greater the potential for hearing loss. The risk of hearing impairment is also cumulative over the course of a working day. The frequency of a sound is measured in units called hertz-one hertz equaling one vibration cycle per second. The normal range of human hearing encompasses sounds with frequencies from 20 to 20,000 hertz. Sound pressure is commonly measured on the A-weighted decibel (dBA) scale, where zero decibels is the weakest sound that can be heard by a person with very good hearing in an extremely quiet location. Table 4 shows the accepted daily exposure limits to various noise levels. For example, a circular saw operator exposed to 105 dBA reaches the threshold for hearing damage in 1 hour, while a worker operating a vacuum at 95 dBA can safely work for 4 hours. Another worker could run the circular saw for half an hour and then vacuum 2 hours before reaching the limit for noise exposure. However, none of these workers could be exposed to occupational noise in excess of 90 dBA for the rest of the day. Decibel levels from two or more sounds cannot be simply added. The combined effect of two sounds depends on the difference in their levels. When there is no difference in the sound levels between two sources, the combined effect will be an increase of 3 dBA. For example, if two circular saws are placed side by side, and each has a noise level of 105 dBA, the resulting noise level from both machines would be 108 dBA. Once the difference in noise level between two sources reaches 10 dBA or more, however, the combined sound level is essentially that of the louder source. Thus, if someone is vacuuming next to a circular saw operator, both workers will only hear the saw. What Are My Options for Noise Control? You can reduce noise levels through the use of some or all of the simple and practical methods discussed below. These methods focus on three basic approaches to controlling noise: noise source controls, noise path controls, and hearing protection. Noise source controls, which typically consist of engineering controls, provide the most effective means of protection, since they actually reduce the amount of noise generated in the workplace. For this reason, it is best to exhaust source control options first, before moving on to path controls and, finally, to hearing protection devices. Source Controls Source control begins with a thorough analysis of each piece of noise-generating equipment. You should attempt to identify all noise sources within a given piece of equipment, as well as the ways in which the sound is transmitted (and often amplified via resonance or vibration) to the surrounding room. Then every effort should be made to both quiet the sources and dampen the resonant pathways of transmission. Noise sources generally include motors, gears, belts and pulleys, points of operation where blades touch wood, and any other moving parts. Resonant transmitters generally include the frames, footings, and housings of the equipment.
Table 4. Allowable Daily Noise Exposure Limits-Unprotected
Path Controls Effective path controls involve isolating, blocking, diverting, absorbing, or otherwise reducing noise intensity before it reaches your employees' ears.
Hearing Protection Hearing protection devices isolate the human ear from harmful noises. They should be worn by your employees as the final line of defense against noise hazards. Hearing protection devices can be effective and, compared to source and path control efforts, relatively inexpensive. Their use, however, does demand a considerable level of ongoing effort and commitment. Given the nature of woodworking operations, your production floor employees will almost certainly require hearing protection devices. Please refer to the "Personal Protective Equipment" section of this guide for more information about hearing protection devices and about selecting appropriate devices for your employees. What Are the Health Hazards of Vibration? Both hand-held and stationary tools that transmit vibration through a work piece can cause vibration "white fingers" or hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). White fingers, or Raynaud's Syndrome, is a disease of the hands in which the blood vessels in the fingers collapse due to repeated exposure to vibration. The skin and muscle tissue do not get the oxygen they need and eventually die. HAVS is a more advanced condition, and the entire hand or arm may be affected by exposure to vibration. Early signs of HAVS are infrequent feelings of numbness and/or tingling in the fingers, hands, or arms, or numbness and whiteness in the tip of the finger when exposed to cold. As the disease progresses, a worker experiences more frequent attacks of numbness, tingling, and pain and finds it difficult to use his or her hands. A worker with advanced HAVS may be disabled for a long time. How Can I Protect My Workers from Vibration? Engineering Controls Vibration isolators or damping techniques on equipment offer the most effective protection. Isolate machine vibrations from the surface if it is mounted or by use of vibration isolation mounts. Vibrating panels of machine housings and guards may be controlled by use of damping materials applied to the panels. Felts, liquid mastics, and elastomeric damping sheets are effective damping materials. Determining the correct type and quantity of damping material to use for a particular machine is a complicated process and should be left to a knowledgeable person. The frequency emitted by the machine, the noise reduction level desired, and the weight and size of the machine are factors to consider. A good rule of thumb, however, is that the damping layer should be the same thickness as the surfaces being treated. Work Practices
What Is PPE? The term "personal protective equipment" refers to any device or garment worn by a worker on the job to safeguard against injuries and/or the harmful effects of hazardous substances. A wide variety of effective PPE can be readily obtained to protect workers' eyes, hearing, respiratory tracts, and body parts (for example, head, feet, hands, and arms). Table 5 lists some of the PPE items typically required in woodworking facilities. Table 5. PPE Items Typically Used in the Woodworking Industry
The remaining hazards in your facility may include:
Eye Protection Where appropriate, you must provide eye protection to guard against flying particles (for example, wood chips and dust), as well as the risk of paint splashes and other chemical hazards. OSHA requires that all protective eyewear used in the woodworking industry meet the specifications of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z87.1-1989).4 The eye protection that you choose must meet the criteria listed in Table 6. Table 6. Minimum Criteria for Selecting ANSI-Approved Eye Protection
Employees responsible for different tasks at your facility may require (or prefer) different types of eye protection, including impact-resistant glasses with side shields, goggles, and full-face shields. These items each provide a specific kind of protection: safety glasses provide protection from impact eye injuries; goggles with limited venting provide protection from impact eye injuries, dust, and chemical splashes; and full-face shields extend dust and splash protection to the neck (although they should be used in combination with safety glasses or goggles to protect against significant impact hazards). Employees who wear corrective lenses will require eye protection that provides vision correction. (Regular eyeglasses that do not meet the ANSI Z87.1 standards do not provide adequate protection.) For these employees you should provide one of the following:
You must provide protective helmets-hard hats-to employees exposed to overhead hazards. Such hazards occur in areas where:
Foot and Leg Protection You must provide foot and leg protection to your employees if they are subject to hazards such as:
Your need for leg protection will probably be minimal and can be met, where necessary, with hard plastic shin/lower-leg guards for impact resistance, and knee pads/guards where kneeling on hard surfaces is a regular part of the task performed. Hand and Arm Protection Your workers' hands and arms will need protection from burns, bruises, abrasions, cuts, and exposure to the chemicals used in finishing. Protective gloves are the primary means available for direct hand protection. Extra-long gauntlets or sleeves attached to the gloves can extend protection up the arm. However, the appropriateness of glove use in the woodworking workplace should be carefully reviewed on a task-by-task basis. Gloves should not be worn when operating woodworking equipment due to the potential for getting caught in moving parts. Heavy leather, metal mesh, or gloves may provide protection against cuts, abrasions, and lacerations, but they can also greatly reduce dexterity, possibly leading to a higher frequency of the mishaps they are intended to protect against. Furthermore, no glove will stand up to direct contact with the cutting surfaces of most of your power equipment. For these reasons, engineering and work-practice controls will be your best bet for addressing the hand and arm hazards posed by cutting and shaping equipment. When it comes to handling wood finishes, adhesives, equipment cleansing solvents, or any other chemical compounds, you should provide appropriate gloves and make their use mandatory. Chemically resistant gloves are designed as impermeable barriers to prevent absorption of hazardous compounds through the skin of the hands. The most common gloves designed for this purpose are composed of natural rubber or latex,5 butyl rubber, nitrile rubber, plastic, or rubber-like synthetics such as neoprene. Keep in mind that these gloves are not uniformly effective against all compounds. Nitrile gloves, for example, are excellent for handling turpentine compounds, which quickly pass through latex gloves. Carefully review the chemical compositions of the finishes, adhesives, cleaning solvents, and other compounds used at your facility, and provide an array of gloves that offer the necessary protection. In some cases, workers handling multiple chemicals at once may need to wear different gloves in combination. Chemical resistance specifications for the various glove types are readily available from vendors and manufacturers, as well as directly from OSHA. Body Protection You must provide body PPE to those of your employees whose bodies are at risk while performing their tasks. Despite your efforts at hazard mitigation via engineering and work practice controls, some body hazards may continue to exist, including impacts from tools, machinery, and materials; abrasions, lacerations, and allergic dermatitis; splash exposures to hazardous chemicals; and lower back strain. The types of protective garments available to address these hazards include vests, jackets, aprons, overalls, back supports, and full-body suits. As with gloves, protective clothing for workers operating powered cutting, shaping, and boring equipment should not pose a greater risk than the one being addressed. Avoid loose clothing that could snag in moving parts and pull a worker into harm. Also avoid excessive clothing that could result in reduced mobility or heat exhaustion. Use common sense in your decisionmaking.
Hearing Protection You must institute an effective hearing conservation program at your workplace if the engineering controls that you utilize do not lower your employees' daily 8-hour averaged noise exposure to less than 85 dBA. (The section of this guide entitled "What Are My Options for Noise Control?" describes some engineering control options. Note that you must provide hearing protection while such engineering improvements are being made.) OSHA's Occupational Noise Exposure standard, 29 CFR 1910.95, describes the specific procedures that must be included in a hearing conservation program. These include:
The level of protection needed will vary widely for different workers, depending on the duration of their exposure to different noise levels. For example, a full-time band saw operator will probably require more rigorous protection than a general floor worker moving materials between storage, production, and shipping areas. If you employ only a few workers in a small operation, each employee may perform every conceivable task at some point during the work day-a situation which greatly complicates the process of calculating your workers' daily average exposure to noise. The chapter on noise measurement in the OSHA Technical Manual provides specific details on determining your employees' exposure to noise. Appendix B of 29 CFR 1910.95 describes how to determine the level of hearing protection provided by different devices, and how to make appropriate selections based on their noise reduction ratings (NRRs).
If the equivalent noise factor is equal to or greater than 1, you must provide hearing protection. If any one of the factors from an individual location is greater than 1, you must provide protection for that particular task. Once you have determined the hearing protection needs of your employees, you will have to select appropriate devices. This is a highly important process. Inappropriate hearing protection can isolate individual employees by interfering with effective communication and general workplace awareness. Muffled hearing can cause accidents, render workers unaware of imminent physical hazards, and interfere with coordinated action in the event of an emergency. Common hearing protection devices include self-forming foam earplugs (disposable or durable), individualized molded earplugs, and earmuffs. Within each category, a variety of products are available, providing varying degrees of noise reduction as measured by their NRRs. You must provide reasonably convenient and comfortable hearing protection to each affected employee so that his or her daily equivalent noise factor is kept below 1. As part of your hearing conservation program, you must also provide training in the use and care of all hearing protection distributed to your employees. Respiratory Protection OSHA has specific requirements governing the need for and use of respiratory protection. This guide does not attempt to cover the many detailed topics involved with respiratory protection, such as methods for determining the need for respiratory protection, selecting and purchasing appropriate equipment, training affected workers to use the equipment, and fulfilling the record keeping and medical monitoring requirements. Respiratory protection may be necessary if any of your employees:
Once I Have Provided My Employees with the Necessary PPE, Is My Job Done? No. An effective PPE program means more than simply providing your employees with protective equipment. You should work to create an environment at your facility where the proper and conscientious use of PPE is valued as a vital part of your company's overall commitment to health and safety. In other words, to reap the rewards of your up-front capital investment in PPE, you should be willing to invest your employees' time and effort on a daily basis. Key elements of this ongoing commitment will include training, maintenance (cleaning, repairs, and replacement), and bookkeeping. Consult the OSHA pamphlet Assessing the Need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): A Guide for Small Business Employers(OSHA 3151) for more discussion on PPE programs. What Are the Hazards of the Chemicals Used in Finishing? Finishing operations pose a wide range of health and safety hazards due to the volume and physical properties of the chemicals involved. A complete discussion of this topic is beyond the scope of this guide; however, a general discussion of common hazards and related control measures is provided below. To best protect your employees from the chemical hazards related to your finishing operations, you should identify the specific chemicals in use in your facilities and consult the appropriate OSHA standards to determine required controls. See Table 7 at the end of this section for a list of some of the OSHA standards likely to apply to your finishing operations. Health Hazards A wide range of adhesives and coating agents are used in finishing wood products. Many of these are hazardous to the health of employees. Chemicals can enter the body in three ways: through inhalation (breathing), ingestion (eating), or contact with the skin. The skin readily absorbs many chemicals, such as solvents, allowing them to enter the bloodstream. Woodworkers are generally exposed to chemicals through inhalation and contact with the skin. Both nitrocellulose topcoats (lacquers) and acid-catalyzed coatings (conversion varnishes) contain solvents that are toxic to humans. The solvents most commonly used in these coatings include toluene, xylenes, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and methanol. The acid-catalyzed coatings contain formaldehyde. All of these solvents have short-term effects, such as irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, and headaches, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, and nausea. The longer-term effects include reproductive problems, central nervous system disorders, and damage to the lungs, liver, and kidneys. Toluene exposure increases the risk of miscarriage. Developmental effects have been noted in children born to mothers who were exposed to toluene and xylenes. Studies have shown that formaldehyde can cause lung and nasal cancer. Many of the adhesives used in finishing wood products also contain toxic chemicals. The most hazardous are the solvent-based, epoxy resin, and urea-formaldehyde resin adhesives. Many of the solvents used in the coating agents are used in the adhesives. The epoxy resin adhesives are particularly toxic. Methylene chloride, which has been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, is often the base for these adhesives. Some of the components of the epoxy resins may also be cancer-causing. Epoxy resin adhesives can also cause dermatitis and a sensitization reaction. Safety Hazards In addition to the health hazards posed by the chemicals used in finishing operations, many of the solvents, lacquers, varnishes, and coatings used in these operations are extremely flammable. These materials can pose significant fire and explosion hazards if used in large quantities, in unventilated or enclosed areas, or in processes such as spray finishing operations that can lead to significant airborne concentrations of the material. How Can I Protect My Employees from the Chemicals Used in Finishing? Engineering Controls
Develop a Hazard Communication or "Right-to-Know" Program
The Hazard Communication standard requires employers to train their employees about the hazards of the chemicals they handle. Employers must train employees upon initial hire, after a transfer, and when new hazardous substances are introduced into the workplace. Employers must keep a written record of the training they provide. Employers must ensure that all containers are labeled with information about their contents and about the health hazards of the substance. Personal Protective Equipment
In addition to the Hazard Communication standard discussed above, OSHA has published several standards that may be directly relevant to finishing operations. To determine which of these standards apply to your specific operations, you should consider both the type of chemicals that you will use and how you will use the chemicals. Once you have done this, you should refer to the applicable OSHA standards to determine how to best protect your workers. See Table 7 for OSHA standards particularly relevant to finishing operations. Table 7. OSHA Standards Relevant to Finishing Operations
Appendix A: References and Standards References American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). 1996. Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents- Biological Exposure Indices. 6th ed. ACGIH. Industrial Ventilation: a Manual of Recommended Practice. ACGIH Committee on Industrial Ventilation. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1995. Fatal Workplace Injuries in 1993: A Collection of Data and Analysis. U.S. Department of Labor. Hampl, V. 1982. Development of Criteria for Control of Woodworking Operation. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. July. Firenze, R. J., and J. B. Walters. 1981. Safety and Health for Industrial/Vocational Education. U.s. Department of Health and Human Services. July. Massachusetts Department of Public Health. 1997. Woodworker dies when struck by tool knife launched from overarm router. Occupational Health Surveillance Program. Fatality investigation report 2:2. February. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). 1997. Questions and Answers: Methylene Chloride Control in Furniture Stripping(Niosh Publication No. 93-133). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIOSH. 1975a. Health and Safety Guide for Wooden Furniture Manufacturing (NIOSH Publication No. 75-167). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIOSH. 1975b. Machine guarding-Assessment of need. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. June. National Safety Council. 1988. Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial Operations: Engineering and Technology. 9th Ed. Itasca, IL: National Safety Council. National Safety Council. 1993. Safeguarding Concepts Illustrated. 6th ed. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). 1997. Assessing the Need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): a Guide for Small Business Employers(OSHA Publication No. 3151). U.S. Department of Labor. OSHA. 1992. Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding(OSHA Publication No. 3067). U.S. Department of Labor. See Index on OSHA's Website at http://www.osha.gov. OSHA Standards Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 1910 Subpart D-Walking and Working Surfaces Subpart E-Means of Egress Subpart G-Occupational Health and Environmental Control 1910.94-Ventilation 1910.95-Noise control Subpart H-Hazardous Materials 1910.107-Spray finishing using flammable and combustible materials 1910.108-Dip tanks containing flammable and combustible materials Subpart I-Personal Protective Equipment (Covers eye and face, head, foot, hand, and respiratory protection) Subpart J-General Environmental Controls 1910.147-Control of hazardous energy ("Lockout Tagout") Subpart L-Fire Protection Subpart N-Materials Handling and Storage 1910.178-Powered industrial trucks Subpart O-Machinery and Machine Guarding 1910.212-General requirements for all machines Appendix A: References and Standards 1910.213-Woodworking machinery requirements 1910.219-Mechanical power transmission apparatus Subpart S-Electrical Subpart Z-Toxic and Hazardous Substances 1910.1200-Hazard communication Other Standards National Fire Protection Association:
American National Standards Institute: ANSI Z9.2 Fundamentals Governing the Design and Operation of Local Exhaust Systems ANSI O1.1-1992 Woodworking Machinery Safety Requirements The National Institute for Occupational safety and Health (NIOSH) has published a series of seven Hazard Controls fact sheets concerning wood dust control techniques. In this Appendix, NIOSH articles on controlling dust from woodworking machineries are consolidated for use as applicable. NIOSH is the federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for preventing work-related illness and injuries. Hazard Controlsare based on research studies that show reduced worker exposure to hazardous agents or activities. Copies of the Hazard Controls fact sheets and additional information about hazard control can be obtained by calling NIOSH at 1-800-35-NIOSH or visiting NIOSH's website at www.cdc.gov/niosh/publistd.html. The following is a list of NIOSH's Hazard Controls covered in this Appendix. Control of Wood Dust from Horizontal Belt Sanders,DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-121. Control of Wood Dust from Shapers,DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-122. Control of Wood Dust from Automated Routers,DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-123. Control of Wood Dust from Large Diameter Disc Sanders,DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-124. Control of Wood Dust from Random Orbital Hand Sanders,DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-125. Control of Wood Dust from Orbital Hand Sanders,DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-126. Control of Wood Dust from Table Saws,DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-127. Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls Control of Wood Dust from Horizontal Belt Sanders Hazard The use of horizontal belt sanders in woodworking creates significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limiting wood dust exposures to prevent these health problems. Controls Surveys by NIOSH researchers indicated that wood dust from the horizontal belt sanders used in woodworking was not effectively controlled. As a result, researchers developed an inexpensive auxiliary ventilation system for the horizontal belt sanders that significantly reduced wood dust emissions into the workroom.
Figure 25. Auxiliary Ventilation System for Horizontal Belt Sanders Control of Wood Dust from Shapers Hazard Wood shapers are a major source of wood dust emissions. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limiting wood dust exposures to prevent these health problems. Controls Surveys by NIOSH researchers found that the dust from wood shapers tends to be poorly controlled. The amount of wood dust emitted was found to depend on the sharpness of the cutter, the depth of the cut, the rate at which the wood is fed into the shaper, and the location of the exhaust hood. After studying the usual hood exhaust placement, researchers developed an improved hood configuration that significantly reduced wood dust emissions.
Figure 26. Improved Hood Configuration for Shapers Control of Wood Dust from Automated Routers Hazard Automated routers have been found to create significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limiting wood dust exposures to prevent these health problems. Controls NIOSH researchers found that the wood dust generated by automated routers is generally not adequately controlled. To address this problem, researchers designed and tested a new control system that substantially reduced dust emissions.
Figure 27. Computer-Controlled Jet Stripper System for Controlling Emissions from Automated Routers Control of Wood Dust from Large Diameter Disc Sanders Hazard The use of large diameter disc sanders creates significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limiting wood dust exposures to prevent these health problems. Controls Surveys by NIOSH researchers found that wood dust created by large diameter disc sanders is often not effectively controlled. To address this problem, researchers designed a ventilation control system that significantly reduced wood dust emissions into the workroom.
Figure 28. Jet Stripper System for Improving Dust Control from Disc Sanders Control of Wood Dust from Random Orbital Hand Sanders Hazard Random orbital (rotating) hand sanders have been found to create significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limiting wood dust exposures to prevent these health problems. Controls NIOSH researchers found that wood dust created by random orbital hand sanders is often poorly controlled. To address this problem, researchers designed and tested a new control system for these hand sanders that significantly reduced dust emissions.
Figure 29. Dust Control System for Random Orbital Hand Sanders Hazard Orbital hand sanders have been found to create significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limiting wood dust exposures to prevent these health problems. Controls NIOSH researchers found that the wood dust generated by orbital hand sanders is often poorly controlled. To address this problem, researchers designed and tested a new control system for these hand sanders that significantly reduced dust emissions.
Figure 30. Dust Control Plenum for Orbital Hand Sanders Control of Wood Dust from Table Saws Hazard Table saws have been found to create significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH recommends limiting wood dust exposures to prevent these health problems. Controls NIOSH researchers found that the wood dust generated by table saws is often poorly controlled. To address this problem, researchers designed and tested a control system for table saws that significantly reduced wood dust emissions.
Figure 31. Local Exhaust Hood for Table Saws State and Local Government Resources Several states have developed relevant requirements, guidelines, or recommendations. These include California OSHA, CAL/OSHA Guidelines for Workplace Security,and Model Injury and Illness Prevention Program for Workplace Security;the State of Florida, Convenience Business Security Act, and Study of Safety and Security Requirements for "At-Risk" Businesses;the State of Virginia, Report to the Virginia State Crime Commission on Violent Crime and Workers' Safety in Virginia Convenience Stores;and Violent Crimes in Convenient Stores: Analysis of Crimes, Criminals, and Costs;and the State of Washington Department of Labor and Industries, Violence in Washington Workplaces, and Late Night Retail Workers' Crime Protection. Information is available from these and other agencies to assist employers who are trying to implement an effective workplace violence prevention program. (See also Selected Bibliography.) Sources of OSHA Assistance OSHA has a variety of products and programs available to help employers comply with its regulations and improve workplace safety and health. These include numerous publications on regulatory topics, such as hazard communication, asbestos, bloodborne pathogens, and on programs such as consultation, voluntary protection, grants, and training and education to name a few. Publications are available either as a single free copy per request or for sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Lists of publications are available from the OSHA Publications Office, P.O. Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535, (202) 693-1888 (phone); (202) 693-2498 (fax). OSHA also has several videos available on loan or for sale by National Technical Information Service (http:// www.ntis.gov) and its National Audiovisual Service (see OSHA publication 2019). OSHA also offers a variety of programs and initiatives to help employers comply with the agency's standards or guidelines, as discussed in the following paragraphs. Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines A single free copy of the guidelines can be obtained from the OSHA Publications Office, P.O. Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535 by sending a self-addressed label with your request or by calling (202) 219-4667. The guidelines are also available on OSHA's web site at http:// www.osha.gov/under Federal Register Notices. State Programs Many states have their own OSHA-approved safety and health regulations covering workplaces in their jurisdiction. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 encourages states to develop and operate their own job safety and health plans. States with plans approved under section 18(b) of the OSH Act must adopt standards and enforce requirements that are at least as effective as federal requirements. There are currently 25 state plan states: 23 covering private and public (state and local government) sectors and two covering public sector only. Plan states must adopt standards comparable to the federal within 6 months of a federal standard's promulgation. Until such time as a state standard is promulgated, Federal OSHA provides interim enforcement assistance, as appropriate, in these states. A listing of the state plan states appears on the Home Page at http://www.osha.gov/ under Office Directory; an explanation appears under Programs and Services. See also the enclosed list of States with Approved Plans at the end of this appendix. Consultation Program Another way OSHA helps employers, especially small employers, is through its consultation program. Free onsite safety and health consultation services are available to employers in all states who want help in establishing and maintaining a safe and healthful workplace. Largely funded by OSHA and primarily developed for smaller employers with more hazardous operations, state governments employing professional safety and health consultants provide the consultation service, on request, to those employers who ask for help. These consultants offer employers comprehensive assistance that includes an appraisal of all mechanical systems, physical work practices, and environmental hazards of the workplace and all aspects of the employer's present job safety and health program. This program is completely separate from the OSHA inspection efforts. No penalties are proposed or citations issued for any safety or health problems identified by the consultant. The service is confidential. Another incentive program, SHARP (Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program), recognizes employers with comprehensive, effective safety and health programs. SHARP is open to small high-hazard employers to do the following:
Voluntary Protection Programs OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) also help employers and employees recognize and promote effective safety and health program management. In the VPP, management, labor, and OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented strong programs. Sites approved for VPP's Star, Merit,and Demonstration programs have met-and must continue meeting-rigorous participation standards. Benefits of VPP participation include improved employee motivation to work safely, leading to better quality and productivity; lost-workday case rates that generally are 60 to 80 percent below industry averages; reduced workers' compensation and other injury- and illness-related costs; positive community recognition and interaction; further improvement and revitalization for already good safety and health programs; and partnership with OSHA. For additional information about the VPP, contact the VPP Manager in your nearest OSHA regional office listed under Office Directory on OSHA's Home Page or see the lists of OSHA Regional and Area Offices at the end of this appendix. Training and Education OSHA's area offices offer a variety of information services, such as publications, audiovisual aids, technical advice, and speakers for special engagements. OSHA's Training Institute in Des Plaines, IL, provides basic and advanced courses in safety and health for federal and state compliance officers, state consultants, federal agency personnel, and private sector employers, employees, and their representatives. To meet the demand for these courses, OSHA also has 12 Training Institute Education Centers nationwide. These centers- comprised of nonprofit colleges, universities, and other organizations- offer a variety of OSHA courses for private and federal sectors. OSHA also provides funds to nonprofit organizations, through grants, to conduct workplace training and education in subjects where OSHA believes there is a lack of workplace training. Grants are awarded annually. Grant recipients are expected to contribute 20 percent of the total grant cost. For more information on grants, training, and education, contact the OSHA Training Institute, Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, IL 60018, phone (847) 297-4810 or fax (847) 297-4874. See also Programs and Services, Training and Education,on OSHA's Home Page. Electronic Information Internet-OSHA standards, interpretations, directives, publications, and additional information are available or can be ordered online from OSHA's Home Page at http://www.osha.gov/. For example, to search for OSHA standards, go to the OSHA Home Page and select Standards, or Federal Register Notices. For information on specific chemicals or substances, go to Technical Information.See also categories on Compliance Assistance, Programs and Services, and OSHA Software/Advisors.All categories allow search functions to help you locate the information you need. CD-ROM-A wide variety of OSHA materials including standards, interpretations, directives, and more can be purchased on CD-ROM from the Government Printing Office. To order, write to Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Specify OSHA Regulations, Documents, and Technical Information on CD-ROM, (ORDT); S/N 729-013-00000-5. The price is $38 per year (4 discs quarterly); single copy $15. (Foreign costs: $47.50 annually; $18.75 single copy.) In addition, OSHA has interactive compliance assistance software, OSHA Expert Systems,or Advisors, to help responde to individual compliance questions. These deal with confined spaces, asbestos, and cadmium. A new test version on fire safety also is available. These can be downloaded from OSHA's Home Page under OSHA Software/ Advisors. Emergencies To report life-threatening situations, catastrophes, or fatalities, call (800) 321-OSHA. Complaints will go immediately to the nearest OSHA area or state office for help. You can also contact your nearest OSHA area or regional office listed in Appendix D or online under Office Directory on OSHA's Home Page. Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory Sates with Approved Plans Commissioner Alaska Department of Labor 1111 West 8th Street P.O. Box 24119 Room 306 Juneau, AK 99802-1149 (907) 465-2700 Director Industrial Commissioner of Arizona 800 W. Washington Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602) 542-5795 Director California Department of Industrial Relations 45 Fremont Street San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 972-8835 Commissioner Connecticut Department of Labor 200 Folly Brook Boulevard Wethersfield, CT 06109 (860) 566-5123 Director Connecticut Department of Labor 38 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109 (860) 566-4550 Director Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations 830 Punchbowl Street Honolulu, HI 96813 (808) 586-8844 Commissioner Indiana Department of Labor State Office Building 402 West Washington Street Room W195 Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317) 232-2378 Commissioner Iowa Division of Labor Services 1000 E. Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50319 (515) 281-3447 Secretary Kentucky Labor Cabinet 1047 U.S. Highway, 127 South Suite 2, Frankfort, KY 40601 (502) 564-3070 Commissioner Maryland Division of Labor and Industry Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation 1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 613 Baltimore, MD 21201-2206 (410) 767-2292 Director Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services 4th Floor, Law Building P.O. Box 30004 Lansing, MI 48909 (517) 373-7230 Commissioner Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry 443 Lafayette Road St. Paul, MN 55155 (612) 296-2342 Director Nevada Division of Industrial Relations 400 West King Street Carson City, NV 89703 (702) 687-3032 Secretary New Mexico Environment Department 1190 St. Francis Drive P.O. Box 26110 Santa Fe, NM 87502 (505) 827-2850 Commissioner New York Department of Labor W. Averell Harriman State Office Building - 12, Room 500 Albany, NY 12240 (518) 457-2741 Commissioner North Carolina Department of Labor 4 West Edenton Street Raleigh, NC 27601-1092 (919) 807-2900 Administrator Department of Consumer and Business Services Occupational Safety and Health Division (OR-OSHA) 350 Winter Street, NE, Room 430 Salem, OR 97310-0220 (503) 378-3272 Secretary Puerto Rico Department of Labor and Human Resources Prudencio Rivera Martinez Building 505 Munoz Rivera Avenue Hato Rey, PR 00918 (787) 754-2119 Commissioner South Carolina Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation 110 Centerview Drive P.O. Box 11329 Columbia, SC 29210 (803) 896-4300 Commissioner Tennessee Department of Labor 710 James Robertson Parkway Nashville, TN 37243-0659 (615) 741-2582 Commissioner Labor Commission of Utah 160 East 300 South, 3rd Floor P.O. Box 146600 Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6650 (801) 530-6880 Commissioner Vermont Department of Labor and Industry National Life Building - Drawer 20 120 State Street Montpelier, VT 05620-3401 (802) 828-2288 Commissioner Virginia Department of Labor and Industry Powers-Taylor Building 13 South 13th Street Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 786-2377 Commissioner Virgin Islands Department of Labor 16-AB Church Street St. Croix, VI 00820-4666 (340) 773-1994 Director Washington Department of Labor and Industries General Administrative Building P.O. Box 44001 Olympia, WA 98504-4001 (360) 902-4200 Administrator Worker's Safety and Compensation Division (WSC) Wyoming Department of Employment Herschler Building, 2nd Floor East 122 West 25th Street Cheyenne, WY 82002 (307) 777-7786 OSHA Consultation Project Directory Alabama Safety State Program University of Alabama 425 Martha Parham West P.O. Box 870388 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (205) 348-7136 Alaska Division of Consultation and Training ADOL/OSHA 3301 Eagle Street, Suite 305 P.O. Box 107022 Anchorage, AK 99510 (907) 269-4957 Arizona Consultation and Training Division of Occupational Safety and Health Industrial Commission of Arizona 800 West Washington Phoenix, AZ 85007-9070 (602) 542-5795 Arkansas OSHA Consultation Arkansas Department of Labor 10421 West Markham Little Rock, AK 72205 (501) 682-4522 California CAL/OSHA Consultation Service Department of Industrial Relations 45 Freemont Street, Room 5346 San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 972-8515 Colorado Occupational Safety and Health Section Colorado State University 115 Environmental Health Building Fort Collins, CO 80523 (970) 491-6151 Connecticut Division of Occupational Safety and Health Connecticut Department of Labor 38 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT 06109 (860) 566-4550 Delaware Occupational Safety and Health Division of Industrial Affairs Delaware Department of Labor 4425 Market Street Wilmington, DE 19802 (302) 761-8219 District of Columbia Office of Occupational Safety and Health D. C. Department of Employment Services 950 Upshur Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20011 (202) 576-6339 Florida 7(c)(1) Onsite Consultation Program Division of Safety Florida Department of Labor and Employment Security 2002 St. Augustine Road Building E, Suite 45 Tallahassee, FL 32399-0663 (904) 488-3044 Georgia 7(c)(1) Onsite Consultation Program Georgia Institute of Technology O'Keefe Building, Room 22 Atlanta, GA 30332 (404) 894-2643 Guam OSHA Onsite Consultation Department of Labor, Government of Guam P. O. Box 9970 Tamuning, Guam 96931 (671) 475-0136 Hawaii Consultation and Training Branch Department of Labor and Industrial Relations 830 Punchbowl Street Honolulu, HI 96831 (808) 586-9100 Idaho Safety and Health Consultation Program Boise State University Department of Health Studies 1910 University Drive, ET-338A Boise, ID 83752 (208) 385-3283 Illinois Illinois Onsite Consultation Industrial Service Division Department of Commerce and Community Affairs State of Illinois Center 100 West Randolph Street, Suite 3-400 Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 814-2337 Indiana Division of Labor Bureau of Safety, Education, and Training 402 West Washington, Room W195 Indianapolia, IN 46204-2287 (317) 232-2688 Iowa 7(c)(1) Consultation Program Iowa Bureau of Labor 1000 East Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50319 (515) 965-7162 Kansas Kansas 7(c)(1) Consultation Program Kansas Department of Human Resources 512 South West 6th Street Topeka, KS 66603-3150 (913) 296-7476 Kentucky Division of Education and Training Kentucky Labor Cabinet 1047 U.S. Highway 127, South Frankfort, KY 40601 (502) 564-6895 Louisiana 7(c)(1) Consultation Program Louisiana Department of Labor P.O. Box 94094 Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9094 (504) 342-9601 Maine Division of Industrial Safety Maine Bureau of Labor Standards Workplace Safety and Health Division State House Station #82 Augusta, ME 04333 (207) 624-6460 Maryland Division of Labor and Industry 312 Marshall Avenue, Room 600 Laurel, MD 20707 (410) 880-4970 Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industries 1001 Watertown Street West Newton, MA 02165 (617) 727-3982 Michigan (Health) Department of Consumer and Industry Services Divison of Occupational Health 3423 North Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard Lansing, MI 48909 (517) 322-1817 (H) Michigan (Safety) Department of Consumer and Industry Services Bureau of Safety and Regulation 7150 Harris Drive Lansing, MI 48909 (517) 322-1809 (S) Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry Conultation Divison 433 LaFayette Road Saint Paul, MN 55155 (612) 297-2393 Mississippi Mississippi State University Center for Safety and Health 2906 North State Street Suite 201 Jackson, MS 39216 (601) 987-3981 Missouri Onsite Consultation Program Division of Labor Standards Department of Labor and Industrial Relations 3315 West Truman Boulevard P.O. Box 449 Jefferson City, MO 65109 (573) 751-3403 Montana Department of Labor and Industry Bureau of Safety P.O. Box 1728 Helena, MT 59624-1728 (406) 444-6418 Nebraska Division of Safety Labor and Safety Standards Nebraska Department of Labor State Office Building, Lower level 301 Centennial Mall, South Lincoln, NE 68509-5024 (402) 471-4717 Nevada Division of Preventive Safety Department of Industrial Relations 2500 West Washington, Suite 106 Las Vegas, NV 89106 (702) 486-5016 New Hampshire New Hampshire Department of Health Divison of Public Health Services 6 Hazen Drive Concord, NH 03301-6527 (603) 271-2024 New Jersey Divison of Public Safety and Occupational Safety and Health New Jersey Department of Labor 225 East State Street, 8th Floor West P.O. Box 953 Trenton, NJ 08625-0953 (609) 292-3923 New Mexico New Mexico Environment Department Occupational Health and Safety Bureau 525 Camino de los Marquez, Suite 3 P.O. Box 26110 Santa Fe, NM 87501 (505) 827-4230 New York Division of Safety and Health State Office Campus Building 12, Room 130 Albany, NY 12240 (518) 457-1169 North Carolina Bureau of Consultative Services North Carolina Department of Labor-OSHA 319 Chapanoke Road, Suite 105 Raleigh, NC 27603-3432 (919) 662-4644 North Dakota Division of Environmental Engineering 1200 Missouri Avenue, Room 304 Bismarck, ND 58504 (701) 328-5188 Ohio Division of Onsite Consultation Bureau of Employment Services 145 S. Front Street Columbus, OH 43216-1618 (614) 644-2246 Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Labor OSHA Division 4001 North Lincoln Boulevard Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5212 (405) 528-1500 Oregon Department of Insurance and Finance Occupational Safety and Health Division Labor and Industries Building 350 Winter Street, N.E., Room 430 Salem, OR 97310 (503) 378-3272 Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania Safety Sciences Department 205 Uhler Hall Indiana, PA 15705-1087 (412) 357-2561 Puerto Rico Occupational Safety and Health Office Department of Labor and Human Resources 505 Munoz Rivera Avenue, 21st Floor Hato Rey, PR 00918 (787) 754-2188 Rhode Island Division of Occupational Health 3 Capital Hill Providence, RI 02908 (401) 277-2438 South Carolina South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation 3600 Forest Drive P.O. Box 11329 Columbia, SC 29204 (803) 896-4300 South Dakota Engineering Extension Onsite Technical Division South Dakota State University, West Hall 907 Harvey Dunn Street P.O. Box 510 Brookings, SD 57007 (605) 688-4101 Tennessee OSHA Consultative Services Division Tennessee Department of Labor 710 James Robertson Parkway, 3rd Floor Nashville, TN 37243-0659 (615) 741-7036 Texas Workers' Health and Safety Division Workers' Compensation Commission Southfield Building 4000 South I H 35 Austin, TX 78704 (512) 440-3834 Utah State of Utah Labor Commission Workplace Safety and Health Consultation Services 160 East 300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6650 (801) 530-7606 Vermont Division of Occupational Safety and Health Vermont Department of Labor and Industry National Life Building, Drawer #20 Montpelier, VT 05602-3401 (802) 828-2765 Virginia Virginia Department of Labor and Industry Occupational Safety and Health Training and Consultation 13 South 13th Street Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 786-6359 Virgin Islands Division of Occupational Safety and Health Virgin Islands Department of Labor 3021 Golden Rock Christiansted St. Croix, VI 00840 (809) 772-1315 Washington Washington Department of Labor and Industries Division of Industrial Safety and Health P.O. Box 44643 Olympia, WA 98504 (360) 902-5638 West Virginia West Virginia Department of Labor Capitol Complex Building #3 1800 East Washington Street, Room 319 Charleston, WV 25305 (304) 558-7890 Wisconsin (Health) Wisconsin Department of Health and Human Services Division of Health Section of Occupational Health 1414 East Washington Avenue, Room 112 Madison, WI 53703 (608) 266-8579 Wisconsin (Safety) Wisconsin Department of Industry Labor and Human Relations Bureau of Safety Inspections 401 Pilot Court, Suite C Waukesha, WI 53188 (414) 521-5063 Wyoming Wyoming Department of Employment Workers' Safety and Compensation Division Herschler Building, 2 East 122 West 25th Street, 2nd Floor Cheyenne, WY 82002 (307) 777-7786 Other Relevant Addresses Consultation Training Coordinator OSHA Training Institute 1555 Training Institute Des Plaines, IL 60018 (847) 297-4810 Laboratory Services Agreement Wisconsin Occupational Health Lab 979 Jonathan Drive Madison, WI 53713 (608) 263-8807 New York Public Sector Consultation Project New York State Department of Labor Building #12 State Building Campus Albany, NY 12240 (518) 457-3518 Director of Consultation Support Services University of Alabama College of Continuing Studies 425 Martha Parham West P.O. Box 870388 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0388 (205) 348-4585 OSHA Area Offices US Department of Labor - OSHA 2047 Canyon Road - Todd Mall Birmingham, AL 35216-1981 Telephone: (205) 731-1534 US Department of Labor - OSHA 3737 Government Boulevard, Suite 100 Mobile, AL 36693-4309 Telephone: (334) 441-6131 US Department of Labor - OSHA 301 W. Northern Lights Boulevard Suite 407 Anchorage, AK 99503-7571 Telephone: (907) 271-5152 US Department of Labor - OSHA 3221 North 16th Street, Suite 100 Phoenix, AZ 85016 Telephone: (602) 640-2007 US Department of Labor - OSHA 425 West Capitol Avenue Suite 450 Little Rock, AR 72201 Telephone: (501) 324-6291 US Department of Labor - OSHA 5675 Ruffin Road, Suite 330 San Diego, CA 92123 Telephone: (619) 557-2909 US Department of Labor - OSHA 1391 North Speer Boulevard Suite 210 Denver, CO 80204-2552 Telephone: (303) 844-5285 US Department of Labor - OSHA 7935 E. Prentice Avenue, Suite 209 Englewood, CO 80111-2714 Telephone: (303) 843-4515 US Department of Labor - OSHA Clark Building Bridgeport, CT 06604 Telephone: (203) 579-5581 US Department of Labor - OSHA Federal Office Building 450 Main Street, Room 613 Hartford, CT 06103 Telephone: (860) 240-3152 US Department of Labor - OSHA 1 Rodney Square, Suite 402 920 King Street Wilmington, DE 19801 Telephone: (302) 573-6115 US Department of Labor - OSHA Jacaranda Executive Court 8040 Peters Road Building H-100 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324 Telephone: (954) 424-0242 US Department of Labor - OSHA Ribault Building 1851 Executive Center Drive Suite 227 Jacksonville, FL 32207 Telephone: (904) 232-2895 US Department of Labor - OSHA 5807 Breckenridge Parkway Suite A Tampa, FL 33610-4249 Telephone: (813) 626-1177 US Department of Labor - OSHA 450 Mall Boulevard, Suite J Savannah, GA 31406 Telephone: (912) 652-4393 US Department of Labor - OSHA 2400 Herodian Way, Suite 250 Smyrna, GA 30080-2968 Telephone: (770) 984-8700 US Department of Labor - OSHA La Vista Perimeter Office Park Building 7, Suite 110 Tucker, GA 30084-4154 Telephone: (770) 493-6644 US Department of Labor - OSHA 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 5-146 Honolulu, HI 96850 Telephone: (808) 541-2685 US Department of Labor - OSHA 1150 North Curtis Road Suite 201 Boise, ID 83706-1234 Telephone: (208) 321-2960 US Department of Labor - OSHA 1600 167th Street, Suite 9 Calumet City, IL 60409 Telephone: (708) 891-3800 US Department of Labor - OSHA 2360 E. Devon Avenue Suite 1010 Des Plaines, IL 60018 Telephone: (847) 803-4800 US Department of Labor - OSHA 344 Smoke Tree Business Park North Aurora, IL 60542 Telephone: (630) 896-8700 US Department of Labor - OSHA 2918 West Willow Knolls Road Peoria, IL 61614 Telephone: (309) 671-7033 US Department of Labor - OSHA 46 East Ohio Street, Room 422 Indianapolis, IN 46204 Telephone: (317) 226-7290 US Department of Labor - OSHA 210 Walnut Street, Room 815 Des Moines, IA 50309 Telephone: (515) 284-4794 US Department of Labor - OSHA 300 Epic Center 301 N. Main Wichita, KS 67202 Telephone: (316) 269-6644 US Department of Labor - OSHA John C. Watts Federal Building, Room 108 330 W. Broadway Frankfort, KY 40601-7024 Telephone: (502) 227-2348 US Department of Labor - OSHA 9100 Bluebonnet Center Boulevard Suite 201 Baton Rouge, LA 70809 Telephone: (504) 389-0474 US Department of Labor - OSHA U.S. Federal Building 202 Harlow Street, Room 211 Bangor, ME 04401 Telephone: (207) 941-8177 US Department of Labor - OSHA 300 West Pratt Street Room 1110 Baltimore, MD 21201 Telephone: (410) 962-2840 US Department of Labor - OSHA 639 Granite Street, 4th Floor Braintree, MA 02184 Telephone: (617) 565-6924 US Department of Labor - OSHA Valley Office Park 13 Branch Street Methuen, MA 01844 Telephone: (617) 565-8110 US Department of Labor - OSHA 1145 Main Street, Room 108 Springfield, MA 01103-1493 Telephone: (413) 785-0123 US Department of Labor - OSHA 801 South Waverly Road Suite 306 Lansing, MI 48917-4200 Telephone: (517) 377-1892 US Department of Labor - OSHA 300 South 4th Street, Suite 1205 Minneapolis, MN 55401 Telephone: (612) 664-5460 US Department of Labor - OSHA 3780 I-55 North Suite 210 Jackson, MS 39211-6323 Telephone: (601) 965-4606 US Department of Labor - OSHA 6200 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 100 Kansas City, MO 64120 Telephone: (816) 483-9531 US Department of Labor - OSHA 911 Washington Avenue Room 420 St. Louis, MO 63101 Telephone: (314) 425-4249 US Department of Labor - OSHA 2900 4th Avenue North, Suite 303 Billings, MT 59101 Telephone: (406) 247-7494 US Department of Labor - OSHA Overland Wolf Building, Room 100 6910 Pacific Street Omaha, NE 68106 Telephone: (402) 221-3182 US Department of Labor - OSHA 705 North Plaza, Room 204 Carson City, NV 89701 Telephone: (702) 885-6963 US Department of Labor - OSHA 279 Pleasant Street, Suite 201 Concord, NH 03301 Telephone: (603) 225-1629 US Department of Labor - OSHA 1030 Saint Georges Avenue Plaza 35, Suite 205 Avenel, NJ 07001 Telephone: (908) 750-3270 US Department of Labor - OSHA 500 Route 17 South, 2nd Floor Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604 Telephone: (201) 288-1700 US Department of Labor - OSHA Marlton Executive Park 701 Route 73 South, Suite 120 Marlton, NJ 08053 Telephone: (609) 757-5181 US Department of Labor - OSHA 299 Cherry Hill Road, Suite 304 Parsippany, NJ 07054 Telephone: (203) 263-1003 US Department of Labor - OSHA 505 Marquette Avenue, NW Suite 820 Alburquerque, NM 87102 Telephone: (505) 248-5302 US Department of Labor - OSHA 401 New Karner Road Suite 300 Albany, New York 12205-3809 Telephone: (518) 464-4338 US Department of Labor - OSHA 42-40 Bell Blvd. 5th Floor Bayside, NY 11361 Telephone: (718) 279-9060 US Department of Labor - OSHA 5360 Genesee Street Bowmansville, NY 14026 Telephone: (716) 684-3891 US Department of Labor - OSHA 6 World Trade Center, Room 881 New York, NY 10048 Telephone: (212) 466-2482 US Department of Labor - OSHA 3300 Vikery Road Syracuse, NY 13212 Telephone: (315) 451-0808 US Department of Labor - OSHA 660 White Plaines Road 4th Floor Tarrytown, NY 10591-5107 Telephone: (914) 524-7510 US Department of Labor - OSHA 990 Westbury Road Westbury, NY 11590 Telephone: (516) 334-3344 US Department of Labor - OSHA Century Station, Federal Building 300 Fayetteville Street Mall, Room 438 Raleigh, NC 27601-9998 Telephone: (919) 856-4770 US Department of Labor - OSHA Federal Building, Room 348 3rd & Rosser P.O. Box 2439 Bismarck, ND 58502 Telephone: (701) 250-4521 US Department of Labor - OSHA 36 Triangle Park Drive Cincinnati, OH 45246 Telephone: (513) 841-4132 US Department of Labor - OSHA Federal Office Building, Room 899 1240 East 9th Street Cleveland, OH 44199 Telephone: (216) 522-3818 US Department of Labor - OSHA Federal Office Building, Room 620 200 N. High Street Columbus, OH 43215 Telephone: (614) 469-5582 US Department of Labor - OSHA Federal Office Building, Room 734 234 North Summit Street Toledo, OH 43604 Telephone: (419) 259-7542 US Department of Labor - OSHA 420 West Main, Suite 300 Oklahoma City, OK 73102 Telephone: (405) 231-5351 US Department of Labor - OSHA 1220 S.W. 3rd Avenue, Room 640 Portland, OR 97294 Telephone: (503) 326-2251 US Department of Labor - OSHA 850 N. 5th Street Allentown, PA 18102 Telephone: (610) 776-0592 US Department of Labor - OSHA 3939 West Ridge Road Suite B-12 Erie, PA 16506 Telephone: (814) 833-5758 US Department of Labor - OSHA Progress Plaza 49 N. Progress Street Harrisburg, PA 17109 Telephone: (717) 782-3902 US Department of Labor - OSHA U.S. Custom House, Room 242 Second and Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Telephone: (215) 597-4955 US Department of Labor - OSHA Federal Building, Room 1428 1000 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Telephone: (412) 395-4903 US Department of Labor - OSHA Stegmaier Building 7 North Wilksbarre Boulevard, Suite 410 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701-18702 Telephone: (717) 826-6538 US Department of Labor - OSHA BBV Plaza Building 1510 F.D. Roosevelt Avenue Guaynabo, PR 00968 Telephone: (787) 277-1560 US Department of Labor - OSHA 380 Westminster Mall, Room 543 Providence, RI 02903 Telephone: (401) 528-4669 US Department of Labor - OSHA 1835 Assembly Street, Room 1468 Columbia, SC 29201-2453 Telephone: (803) 765-5904 US Department of Labor - OSHA Green Hills Office Park 2002 Richard Jones Road Suite C-205 Nashville, TN 37215-2809 Telephone: (615) 781-5423 US Department of Labor - OSHA 903 San Jacinto Boulevard Suite 319 Austin, TX 78701 Telephone: (512) 916-5783 US Department of Labor - OSHA Wilson Plaza 606 N. Carancahua, Suite 700 Corpus Christi, TX 78476 Telephone: (512) 888-3420 US Department of Labor - OSHA 8344 East R.L. Thornton Freeway Suite 420 Dallas, TX 75228 Telephone: (214) 320-2400 US Department of Labor - OSHA North Star 2 Building 8713 Airport Freeway, Suite 302 Fort Worth, TX 76180-7604 Telephone: (281) 428-2470 US Department of Labor - OSHA 17625 El Camino Real, Suite 400 Houston, TX 77060 Telephone: (281) 286-0583 US Department of Labor - OSHA 350 North Sam Houston Parkway Suite 120 Houston, TX 77060 Telephone: (281) 591-2438 US Department of Labor - OSHA Strum Thurman Federal Building, Room 804 1205 Texas Avenue Lubbock, TX 79401 Telephone: (806) 472-7681 US Department of Labor - OSHA 1781 South 300 West Salt Lake City, UT 84115-1802 Telephone: (801) 487-0073 US Department of Labor - OSHA AFOB, Room 835 200 Granby Mall Norfolk, VA 23510 Telephone: (757) 441-3820 US Department of Labor - OSHA 505 16th Avenue, N.E., Suite 302 Bellevue, WA 98004 Telephone: (206) 553-7520 US Department of Labor - OSHA 405 Capitol Street, Room 407 Charleston, WV 25301 Telephone: (304) 347-5937 US Department of Labor - OSHA 2618 North Ballard Road Appleton, WI 54915-8664 Telephone: (920) 734-4521 US Department of Labor - OSHA 4802 East Broadway Madison, WI 53716 Telephone: (608) 264-5388 US Department of Labor - OSHA Henry S. Reuss Building 310 West Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1180 Milwaukee, WI 53203 Telephone: (414) 297-3315 U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration Regional Offices Region I (CT,* MA, ME, NH, RI, VT*) JFK Federal Building Room E-340 Boston, MA 02203 Telephone: (617) 565-9860 Region II (NJ, NY,* PR,* VI*) 201 Varick Street Room 670 New York, NY 10014 Telephone: (212) 337-2378 Region III (DC, DE, MD,* PA, VA,* WV) Gateway Building, Suite 2100 3535 Market Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 Telephone: (215) 596-1201 Region IV (AL, FL, GA, KY,* MS, NC,* SC,* TN*) Atlanta Federal Center 61 Forsyth Street SW, Room 6T50 Atlanta, GA 30303 Telephone: (404) 562-2300 Region V (IL, IN,* MI,* MN,* OH, WI) 230 South Dearborn Street Room 3244 Chicago, IL 60604 Telephone: (312) 353-2220 Region VI (AR, LA, NM,* OK, TX) 525 Griffin Street Room 602 Dallas, TX 75202 Telephone: (214) 767-4731 Region VII (IA,* KS, MO, NE) City Center Square 1100 Main Street, Suite 800 Kansas City, MO 64105 Telephone: (816) 426-5861 Region VIII (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT,* WY*) 1999 Broadway, Suite 1690 Denver, CO 80202-5716 Telephone: (303) 844-1600 Region IX (American Samoa, AZ,* CA,* Guam, HI,* NV,* Trust Territories of the Pacific) 71 Stevenson Street Room 420 San Francisco, CA 94105 Telephone: (415) 975-4310 Region X (AK,* ID, OR,* WA*) 1111 Third Avenue Suite 715 Seattle, WA 98101-3212 Telephone: (206) 553-5930 *These states and territories operate their own OSHA-approved job safety and health programs (Connecticut and New York plans cover public employees only). States with approved programs must have a standard that is identical to, or at least as effective as, the federal standard. 1For further information on personal protective equipment, please consult OSHA publication #3151, entitled Assessing the Need for Personal Protective Equipment: A Guide for Small Business Employers. 2From Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1995. Fatal Workplace Injuries in 1993: A Collection of Data and Analysis.U.S. Department of Labor, p.78. 3ACGIH Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents—Biological Exposure Indices, 1996. 4ANSI, 11 West 42nd St., New York, NY 10035 5Some workers may have or may develop an allergic reaction to latex gloves. 6CPL.2-2.54 is available on OSHA Web page at http://www.osha.gov |
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Page last updated: 05/25/2005 |