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Page last reviewed: 03/27/2012
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Highlights |
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- Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (Reissued). OSHA Directive CPL
03-00-008, (2008, March 11). Contains policies and procedures for inspecting workplaces that create or handle combustible dusts.
- Wood Products: Sawmills. OSHA eTool. Provides an
interactive web-based training tool on the hazards associated with working in sawmills. Includes a section on wood dust and provides information on topics such as lumber storage, log handling, and plant-wide hazards.
- Wood
Products: Woodworking. OSHA eTool. Provides an interactive web-based training tool on the hazards associated with
woodworking. Proposes measures to prevent those hazards, and contains modules specific to wood dust as a health
hazard plantwide as well as when it is associated with rough mill and production work.
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Wood Dust
Wood dust becomes a potential health problem when wood
particles from processes such as sanding and cutting become airborne. Breathing
these particles may cause allergic respiratory symptoms, mucosal and
non-allergic respiratory symptoms, and cancer. The extent of these hazards and
the associated wood types have not been clearly established
OSHA Standards
Exposures to wood dust are addressed in specific standards for general industry. This section highlights OSHA standards, preambles to final rules
(background to final rules), Federal Registers (rulers,
proposed rules, and notices), and standard interpretations (official
letters of interpretation of the standards) related to wood dust. Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have
OSHA-approved
State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement
policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are
identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different
standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement
policies.
General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
Federal Registers
- Hazard Communication. Final Rules 59:6126-6184, (1994, February
9). Includes a number of minor changes and technical amendments to
further clarify the requirements, and thereby help ensure full compliance
and achieve protection for employees, it also contains a section on wood dust.
- Search all available Federal Registers.
Directives
Standard Interpretations
Hazard Recognition
Wood dust has several hazards associated with
exposure to it in the workplace. In general, exposure to excessive amounts is considered to have an
irritant effect on eyes, nose and throat in addition to pulmonary function
impairment and is considered a human carcinogen. Western red cedar dust has also
been shown to cause asthma. Significant accumulations of fine particles of wood
dust can also be a fire and explosion hazard in the workplace. The
following web pages list different types of woods and provide information about
each one and how they may affect humans.
Toxicity
- Report on Carcinogens (RoC). US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Toxicology Program (NTP). Identifies and discusses agents, substances, mixtures, or exposure circumstances that may pose a health hazard due to their carcinogenicity.
The listing of substances in the RoC only indicates a potential hazard and does not establish the exposure conditions that would pose cancer risks to individuals.
- Wood Dust [132 KB PDF, 3 pages] NTP classification: Known to be a human carcinogen
- International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks for Humans [37 KB PDF, 8 pages]. World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer. IARC Classification: Carcinogenic to humans (Group 1).
- Wood Dust. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (1989, January
19). OSHA comments from the January 19, 1989 Final Rule on Air Contaminants Project extracted from
54 FR 2332 et. seq. This rule was remanded by the US Circuit Court of Appeals
and the limits are not currently in force, and contains data from animal studies
and human epidemiological studies on the health effects of wood dust.
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Particulates (Not Otherwise Regulated). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (1989,
January 19). OSHA comments from the January 19, 1989 Final Rule on Air Contaminants Project extracted from
54 FR 2332 et. seq.
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Toxic Woods [100 KB PDF, 4 pages]. Health and Safety Executive (HSE), (2001, June). Identifies health effects of wood exposures and precautions, and includes a table of woods and their effects.
- Wood Dust and Occupational Asthma [132 KB PDF, 8 pages]. Occupational Health Surveillance and Evaluation Program (OHSEP), Occupational Health Branch, California Department of Health Services and Labor Occupational Health Program (LOHP), Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, (2004, January).
Biological Hazards and Chemical Additives
The health effects associated with wood dust
come not only from the wood dust itself but also biological organisms such as mold and fungi which grow on the wood, and chemicals
such as formaldehyde, copper naphthanate, and pentachlorophenol used in the processing of some woods.
Dust Explosions
In addition to the health effects of wood dust, airborne dust can create the
potential for a dust explosion.
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Hazardous
(Classified) Locations. OSHA Construction Safety and Health Outreach
Program. Contains a discussion of what comprises a hazardous location and the rating
system. Wood dust can cause a location to be classified as Class II or Class III.
Exposure Evaluation
There are a number of ways to check the workplace for airborne wood dust.
However, the only way to be certain of excessive exposure levels is to monitor the air for wood dust
and compare the results with the relevant occupational exposure levels.
The following links provide information about evaluating the level of wood dust in the workplace.
- Chemical Sampling Information. OSHA. Includes recommended exposure limits and sampling and analysis methods.
- OSHA Occupational Chemical Database. OSHA maintains this chemical database as a convenient reference for the occupational safety and health community. It compiles information from several government agencies and organizations. This database originally was developed by OSHA in cooperation with EPA.
Occupational Exposure Levels
Several organizations have set standards or given recommendations for
wood dust exposure. These include OSHA, NIOSH, and the American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH).
Organization |
OEL |
8 Hour TWA |
Basis |
OSHA |
Permissible
Exposure Limit Particulate Not Otherwise Regulated
(PNOR) |
15 mg/m3 total
5 mg/m3 Respirable |
Throat, skin, eye irritation,
upper respiratory problems |
NIOSH |
Recommended
Exposure Limit |
1 mg/m3 total |
Pulmonary Function,
Carcinogen |
TLV ACGIH 2007 |
Western Red Cedar |
0.5 mg/m3 |
Asthma |
ACIGH
2007 |
All other species |
1 mg/m3 |
Pulmonary Function |
Analytical Methods
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Possible Solutions
Engineering controls and personal protective equipment are two methods used for
controlling wood dust exposure. Engineering controls, the preferred approach, typically includes an
exhaust ventilation system with collectors placed at points where dust is produced. Personal protective equipment is another short term
solution to wood dust exposure. Respirators may be worn to remove hazardous
particulates (dusts) and gases. The selection of appropriate respirators
requires a thorough knowledge of the workplace, the potential chemical
contaminants and their concentrations. The use of respirators also
requires implementation of a respiratory protection program.
The following resources contain information to help control exposures.
- NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2005-149, (2007, September). Provides a physical description, exposure limits, measurement method, personal protection and sanitation, first aid, respirator recommendations, exposure routes, symptoms, target organs, and cancer sites.
- Occupational Health Guidelines for Chemical Hazards. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), (1981, January). Contains information on identification, physical and chemical properties, health hazards, exposure limits, exposure sources and control methods, monitoring, personal hygiene, storage, spills and leaks, and personal protective equipment.
- Hazard Controls. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The following pages
describe control methods for certain tools:
- Control of Wood Dust From Horizontal Belt Sanders.
HC4, Publication No. 96-121, (1996).
- Control of Wood Dust From Shapers.
HC5, Publication No. 96-122, (1996).
- Control of Wood Dust From Automated Routers.
HC6, Publication No. 96-123, (1996).
- Control of Wood Dust From Large Diameter Disc Sanders.
HC7, Publication No. 96-124, (1996).
- Control of Wood Dust From Random Orbital Hand Sanders.
HC8, Publication No. 96-125, (1996).
- Control of Wood Dust From Orbital Hand Sanders.
HC9, Publication No. 96-126, (1996).
- Control of Wood Dust From Table Saws.
HC10, Publication No. 96-127, (1996).
- Improper Installation of Wood Dust Collectors in the Woodworking Industry. OSHA Hazard
Information Bulletin (HIB), (1997, May 2).
- Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV). Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Woodworking National Interest Group.
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NIOSH Numbered Publications: Fact Sheets. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute of
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
For additional information about possible solutions, see OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages on:
Additional Information
Related Safety and Health Topics Pages
Training
- Hazardous
(Classified) Locations. OSHA Construction Safety and Health Outreach
Program, (1996, May). Contains a discussion of what comprises a hazardous location and the rating
system. Wood dust can cause a location to be classified as Class II or Class III.
Other Resources
- Palus, J., E. Dziubaltowska, and K. Rydzynski. "The assessment of DNA damage in lymphocytes of wooden furniture workers."
Acta Biochim Pol 45.2(1998): 605-610.
- Szadkowska-Stanczyk, I., et al. "Cancer risk in workers of the pulp and paper industry in Poland."
Int. J. Occup. Med. Environ. Health 11.3(1998): 217-225. A continued follow-up.
- Lopez-Rico, R., et al. "Cereal alpha-amylase inhibitors cause occupational sensitization in the
wood industry." Clinical and Experimental Allergy 28.10(1998):
1286-1291.
- Miscetti, G., et al. "Exposure to wood dust in a group of carpentry craftsmen in secondary wood processing." Med. Lav. 89.6(1998): 514-523.
- Teschke, K, et al. "Exposures to wood dust in U.S. industries and occupations, 1979 to 1997."
Am. J. Ind. Med. 35.6(1999): 581-589.
- Fabianova, E., et al. "Occupational cancer in central European countries." Environmental Health Perspect 107.2(1999): 279-282.
- Cocco, P., M.H. Ward, and M. Dosemeci. "Occupational risk factors for cancer of the gastric cardia: Analysis of
death certificates from 24 US states." J. Occup. Environ. Med. 40.10(1998): 855-861.
- Hoppin, J. A., et al. "Occupational risk factors for sarcoma subtypes."
Epidemiology 10.3(1999): 300-306.
- Casper, C., et al. "The transcontinental transmission of tuberculosis: a molecular
epidemiological assessment." Am. J. Pub. Health 86(1996, April): 551-553.
- Simpson, C. L., et al. "Wood-dust exposures and cancer of the colon." Int. J. Occup. Environ. Health 4(1998, November): 179-183.
- Mandryk, J., K.U. Alwis, and A.D. Hocking. "Work-related symptoms and dose-response relationships for personal exposures and pulmonary function among woodworkers." Am. J. Ind. Med. 35.5(1999): 481-490.
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