WOOD DUST - Shop safety and your health

[AON]

I just read an extremely well written article about shop wood dust and its effects by Seri Robinson, an associate professor of wood anatomy at Oregon State University, and just had to share it.

 

https://www.oneida-air.com/blog/dust-collection-in-a-shared-shop-a-wood-scientists-perspective

 

My father-in-law work with wood all his life, started in the back woods logging camps of New Brunswick chopping and sawing trees, dragging them down to the rivers edge with horse drawn sleds, then dancing on the logs as the drifted down the river to the mill, to ending his career in the local lumber yard making roof trusses and cutting pressure treated lumber for customers. In all that time he never wore any filtered mask... they weren't a consideration for his job until the year after he retired, the year he health declined and he became dependant on supplementary oxygen 24/7. Dust in his lungs.

 

I've been wearing a proper shop filtered dust mask for years, added dedicated dust collection system to my workstations, and added a micro dust filter unit in my shop.... and there is still dust accumulating down there.

 

Please read the article and consider your health.

Edited January 23 by AON

[kurtvd19]

Alan:

Great article.  Opened my eyes that there are hazards other than just the inhalation of dust with many woods.  I am saving this article so I can make it available to club members.

Thanks,

Kurt

 

[AON]

Excellent idea.

I'll send the Model Shipwrights of Niagara group the link too.