The FINANCIAL -- California’s Proposition 65 list added wood dust as a substance known to the State of California to cause cancer in 2009.
As WebWire reported, workers across the nation employed at sawmills, wood processing facilities and during construction and renovation activities are exposed to wood dusts on a daily basis.
Whenever wood is cut, drilled, sanded, machined or processed wood dusts can be created. There are several hazards associated with repeated exposure to workers in environments that handle and process wood materials. Wood dust can become a potential health problem when wood particles become airborne.
Breathing wood dust particles may cause allergic respiratory symptoms, mucosal and non-allergic respiratory symptoms, irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, pulmonary function impairment, and even cancer. Western red cedar dust has even been shown to cause asthma.
“The health effects associated with human exposure to wood dust comes not only from the wood dust itself, but also from biological organisms such as mold and fungi which grow on the wood,” reported Brian Mcfarland, Vice President of Legends Environmental Insurance Services, a leading provider of insurance coverage to indoor air quality (IAQ) and health and safety consulting firms. “Chemicals such as formaldehyde, copper naphthanate, and pentachlorophenol, often used in the processing of some woods, are yet another health risk. The only way to be certain of excessive exposure levels is to monitor the air for wood dust and compare the results with the relevant occupational exposure levels. Fortunately, Legends Environmental Insurance Services are experts at insuring a number of experienced indoor environmental professionals who can monitor the air quality for excessive levels of wood dust to prevent harmful exposure to workers,” he continued.
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