Hardwood dust

Calcining, sintering or smelting of nickel copper matte or acid leaching or electrorefining of roasted matte Coal soots, coal tar, pitch and coal tar fumes Hardwood dusts... 

Wood dust hazards and precautions COSHH and the woodworking mdustnes Glue spreading machines Hardwood dust survey... 

Leather dust in boot and shoe manufacture, arising during preparation and finishing Hardwood dusts... 

Adenocarcinoma has been highly associated with exposure to hardwood dusts while squamous cell carcinoma has been associated with exposure to dusts from a variety of wood types. Based on interviews with sino-nasal cancer patients, exposures to oak and beech clearly have been associated with excess risk. Birch, mahogany, teak, and walnut exposures are strongly suspected of causing sino-nasal cancer. However, because the mechanisms by which wood dust exposures increase the risk of sino-nasal cancer are not clear, other tree species also may be carcinogenic. 

Reinforced health surveillance is foreseen and the practical recommendations for the health surveillance are given in Annex II. Annex III sets limit values on the basis of the available information, including scientific and technical data. At present, Annex in includes only limit values for benzene, vinyl chloride monomer and inhalable hardwood dust. 

In 1987, the atmospheric limit value for wood dust (the TRK value) was established at 2 mg/m for new plants and 5 mg/m for old / existing plants. Since 1996, the 2 mg/tn value,measured as inhalable ( E ) dust (Technical Rule for Hazardous Substances N° 900), applies to all workplaces where wood dust is generated. At European level, the limit value for hardwood dust is 5 mg/m (Coimcil Directive 1999/38/EC). 

Inhalable fraction if hardwood dusts are mixed with other wood dusts, the limit value shall apply to all wood dusts present in that mixture. 

For carcinogenic and mutagenic substances of categories I and II, the carcinogens and mutagens directive 2004/37/EC is intended to establish binding occupational exposure limits which represent minimum requirements. So far a limit value has been determined for 3 substances only. The substances are benzene, vinyl chloride monomer, and hardwood dusts (see Tkble 6.9). 

Substances, preparations, and processes according to annex I of the carcinogens and mutagens directive 90/679/EEC (now 2004/37/EC i. e. auramine, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and hardwood dusts, see also Section 6.4). 

Maximum exposure limits (MEL) This is the maximum concentration of an airborne substance, averaged over a reference period, to which employees may be exposed by inhalation under any circumstances. Details of the legal requirements are contained in Schedule 1 of the COSHH Regulations and the relevant substances are listed in the first part of the HSE s Guidance Note EH 40. Currently there are 32 substances listed but this is reviewed each year. A few selected examples are hardwood dust, rubber fume, cadmium and compounds and 1.1.1-trichloroethane. 

Acute effects on the respiratory system include bronchitis and asthma and chronic effects include fibrosis and cancer. Hardwood dust, for example, can produce asthma attacks and nasal cancer. 

Inhalation of softwood dust Inhalation of hardwood dust Noise Vibration... 

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