Hardwood Dust Exposure

Hardwood dust is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, confirmed to cause nasal adenocarcinoma in humans.
Common construction hardwoods include oak, beech, ash, iroko, and sapele used in joinery and flooring.
The UK workplace exposure limit for hardwood dust is 3 mg/m³ over an 8-hour time-weighted average.
Sawing, routing, sanding, and planing hardwood generates fine dust that penetrates deep into the lungs.
Some tropical hardwoods including iroko and western red cedar also cause occupational asthma and dermatitis.
On-tool extraction connected to an H-class vacuum is the minimum control for all hardwood machining.
Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) systems in workshops must be examined and tested every 14 months.
Health surveillance including lung function testing and nasal checks is required for regular hardwood workers.
Mixed hardwood and softwood dust is treated as hardwood dust for exposure limit purposes.
COSHH 2002 requires employers to prevent or adequately control worker exposure to hardwood dust.

Nasal cancer	Hardwood dust is a proven cause of nasal cancer — the risk increases with duration and intensity of exposure.
Respiratory disease	Chronic exposure causes occupational asthma, rhinitis, and reduced lung function that may be irreversible.
Legal duty	COSHH 2002 requires hardwood dust exposure to be prevented or controlled to below the WEL of 3 mg/m³.

Do

Don't

Use on-tool extraction connected to an H-class vacuum for all hardwood machining
Install and maintain LEV systems in workshops and have them tested every 14 months
Wear RPE with a minimum P2 filter where extraction cannot control exposure alone
Complete a COSHH assessment for hardwood dust before starting any timber work
Enrol workers with regular hardwood exposure in health surveillance including nasal checks
Clean up hardwood dust with an H-class vacuum — never dry sweep workshop floors
Identify the wood species being used — tropical hardwoods carry additional sensitisation risk
Monitor personal dust exposure to confirm controls are reducing levels below the WEL
Provide skin protection when handling species known to cause contact dermatitis
Train workers on the cancer risk from hardwood dust and the controls in place

DON'T machine hardwood without on-tool extraction operating
DON'T dry sweep hardwood dust — it becomes airborne and exposes everyone nearby
DON'T use compressed air to blow hardwood dust from surfaces or clothing
DON'T ignore nasal symptoms such as persistent stuffiness, bleeding, or crusting
DON'T treat mixed hardwood and softwood dust as softwood for exposure limit purposes
DON'T allow LEV systems to go untested beyond the 14-month examination interval
DON'T assume low visible dust means low exposure — respirable particles are invisible
DON'T skip health surveillance for workers regularly exposed to hardwood dust
DON'T eat or drink in dusty workshop areas — wash hands and face first
DON'T handle tropical hardwoods such as iroko without gloves if skin irritation occurs

See also: Wood Dust Exposure | On-Tool Extraction Systems

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