Wood Dust

Risk Assessment

Health and safety regulations require employers to carry out an assessment of the risks to the health from hazardous substances present in the workplace. A suitable and sufficient risk assessment is required wherever exposure to wood dust is likely to occur.

Where there are five or more employees a written copy of the risk assessment should be provided and employees should always be informed of any significant findings from the assessment process.

Understanding when employees and others may be exposed to wood dust is important when conducting a risk assessment. All potential sources of exposure should be identified as well as who is likely to be exposed, and for how long.

The level of risk will depend on the quantity and type of wood dust being created. Factors that can affect the level of risk are:

• whether the timber is green or seasoned
• the presence of bacteria, fungi or surface treatments
• whether it is a hardwood, softwood or composite board
• how aggressive the machine cutter or blade profile is during wood processing

The biggest risk is from fine dust as this can be breathed deep into the lungs where it will do the most damage. Fine dust may also spread further from the machining process, so it is important to clean ledges and other workroom surfaces regularly to prevent dust accumulating.

In workplaces, the following activities may lead to high dust exposures, some over long periods:

• machining operations, particularly sawing, routing and turning
• sanding, by machine and by hand
• using compressed airlines to blow dust off furniture and other items before spraying
• hand assembly of machined or sanded components
• operations involving processing composite boards, e.g. medium-density fibreboard (MDF)
• the bagging of dust from dust extraction systems
• housekeeping, especially if sweeping up and using compressed airlines

An example risk assessment for a woodworking company shows the kind of approach a small business might take when considering wood dust as an occupational health hazard.

This template should be used only as a guide to completing a risk assessment. As every business is different, employers should carefully think through the hazards and controls unique to their work activity.

Further information on how to conduct a risk assessment is available within the HSE publication A step by step guide to COSHH assessment.