Identifying and Mitigating Occupational Exposure Risks to Wood Dust

In 1995, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified wood dust as carcinogenic to humans. California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added wood dust to the list of substances known to the state to cause cancer for purposes of Proposition 65 in 2009.

For those who work with wood, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that wood dust becomes a potential health problem when wood particles from processes such as sanding and cutting become airborne. OSHA goes on to warn that in addition to cancer concerns, breathing these particles may cause allergic respiratory symptoms and mucosal and non-allergic respiratory symptoms. The extent of these hazards and the associated wood types have not been established; however, western red cedar dust has been shown to cause asthma.

The potential health effects from exposure to wood dust come not only from the wood dust itself but also from biological organisms, such as mold that can grow on the wood. Exposure to various chemicals used in the processing of some types of wood, and wood products, is yet another health concern. Wood dust can also be a fire hazard and even a combustible dust hazard under certain conditions.

“Breathing too much ‘stuff’ is generally bad. Whether at work or home, whenever possible you should minimize your inhalation of ‘stuff.’ Wood dust is no exception,” said Derrick A. Denis, Senior Vice President for Clark Seif Clark. “To protect workers from respiratory threats, OSHA has set a Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL), NIOSH has a Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) for wood dust, and Cal/OSHA has its own PEL.”

Mr. Denis went on to say, “Workers or employers commonly shrug off the potential health effects of wood dust because they believe wood is natural and is therefore safe. This is a false and dangerous argument. Firstly, ‘natural’ is not synonymous with ‘safe’ since poison ivy, radon, rabies, E. coli, Legionella, mold, ultraviolet light, asbestos, and many other ‘natural’ things are indeed harmful. Secondly, wood and wood products are often mixed or treated with compounds like resins, adhesives, paints, etc. that present exposure potential in addition to the wood. Some examples include lead in paints, chromated copper arsenate (CCA) in older pressure-treated lumber, and creosote in railroad ties.”

To help mitigate worker exposure to wood dust and other constituents of concern, the industrial hygiene professionals at CSC offer inspections, testing, monitoring, consulting, and training services to meet health and safety requirements. These resources not only help to protect workers, but they can be essential for maintaining regulatory compliance and avoiding costly penalties. CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about wood dust exposure risks that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/8vFkYJhVKZE

To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, environmental, health, and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com, or call 800-807-1118.

About Clark Seif Clark, Inc. (CSC)
CSC was established in 1996 to help clients in both public and private sectors address indoor air quality, occupational, and environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering, making them the preferred environmental consultants to industrial clients, healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers, and real estate professionals.

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Paul Cochrane

President

Cochrane & Associates, LLC

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