Officials to investigate health and safety risks for woodworkers

Woodworking involves many
health and safety risks.

Health and Safety officials in the UK will be evaluating the occupational risks for those in the wood-working and furniture-making industries, according to a recent article in the Guardian.

It has been 10 years since they last checked the risks officially, but a growing number of nasal cancer cases reported in longtime woodworkers prompted the new investigation.

Doctors say that woodworkers face 70 to 80 times the risk of a particular for of nasal cancer, which may develop decades after exposure to wood dust. Many other woodworkers report developing asthma as a result of their exposure to wood dust.

Workers are exposed to wood dust of a certain size and it is people who are sanding or lathing wood in conditions where they have to have quite a long exposure that they can develop this particular form of cancer, doctors said.

Often, woodoworkers are unaware they have nasal cancer until it is in an advanced state. Symptoms could be non-specific, including a blocked or runny nose with a bit of blood.

Source:  The Guardian

Woodworkers' health and safety risks

Apart from the noise, tools and other safety concerns, many of the risks associated with wood shops are connected to the air they breathe.

Wood dust, mold and fungus, sap and oils, chemical additives, and toxic solvents and adhesives can cause respiratory damage to woodworkers. Wearing a face mask often isn’t enough to stop the airborne toxins from affecting the woodworkers.

Along with sufficient ventilation and personal protective equipment, wood workers can benefit from an industrial-strength air filtration system for woodshops that is designed to handle a lot of fine dust.

It’s important to note that a simple air filter would not suffice. Filters would become clogged quickly. With a special bag filter option designed for large particle filtration, Electrocorp products such as the Dirty Dog or the I-6500 with Cyclone attachment are well equipped to work in environments with heavy sawdust or drywall dust.

The bag filters are easy to clean and reusable. This is an excellent option for situations where a HEPA filter would become blocked too quickly to be effective.

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