Levels of exposure to wood dust

Surveys of exposure to inhalable dust have been carried out in two woodworking machine shops and five other woodworking shops where both manual and machine tool work is carried out. The Occupational Exposure Limits for wood dust were found to be frequently exceeded in some workshops. It is possible that the fraction of dust projected from woodworking machines towards the operator may have contributed both to measured dust concentrations and to exposure. Dust exposure may be reduced by careful attention to enclosure and ventilation, possibly using total enclosure at some machines. Emission of dust from portable orbital type sanding machines was considerably reduced by the use of low-volume high-velocity type extraction. It is suggested that suppliers of woodworking machines should provide data on dust emission to assist the user to manage better the introduction of new machines.