MAY/JUN
2004
Volume 47/Issue 3
IN
THIS ISSUE
Project
Articles
•
Hanging Glass Door Cabinets
• Outdoor Duckboards
• Adjustable Plant Shelf
DEPARTMENTS
•
Ask Smitty
• Owner’s Gallery
• Letters from Owners
•
New Baby Workshop Calendar
Academy Notes
The
Ins and Outs of Using Woodturning Chisels
Service Pointers
Shopsmith
Jigsaw Troubleshooting
Safety Tips
All about Respirators and Dust Masks
What's
New
Check
out our New Online Accessory Catalog
EDUCATION
• Find
A Shopsmith Woodworking Academy Near You
•
National
Woodworking Academy in Dayton, OH
ONLINE
CATALOGS
• Online Accessory Catalog
•
Request
Printed Accessory Catalog
• Online
Replacement Parts Catalog
MARK
V INFORMATION
•
Find
A Shopsmith
MARK V Demo Near You
•
Request
MARK V Information Package
LINKS
•
Links Worth Visiting
•
Free Woodworking
Tips
FEEDBACK
Contacting
Shopsmith
Copyright
2004.
Shopsmith, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Workshop
Safety
All
about Respirators and Dust Masks
Printer
friendly PDF copy of article (15K)
The problem
Experienced woodworkers know full well that airborne dust can cause respiratory
problems. If you've done much woodworking, you've probably experienced
some of these problems at one time or another.
Depending on the woods you've worked with (and how long you've been in the shop), these problems could have ranged from a little sneezing now and then - to flu or pneumonia-like symptoms, headaches or conjunctivitis that resulted in a need for serious medical attention.
Of the domestics, walnut, Western red cedar, chestnut, oak, redwood, hemlock, birch, sassafras and willow are among the most common. In addition, exotics such as cocobolo, ebony, satinwood, rosewoods, wenge and mahogany are also known to cause respiratory distress. However, extended exposure to virtually ANY wood dust will eventually lead to problems.
So, how do you
protect yourself?
First, capture as much of the dust as possible at its source by using
adequate dust collection. Shopsmith's
DC-3300 Dust Collector can be attached to virtually every tool set-up
and will go a long way toward eliminating most of the dust you create
before it becomes airborne.
Next, never work in an enclosed shop without adequate ventilation. Open some windows. Install powerful window fans to carry away airborne dust. Clean up after yourself to eliminate coatings of dust that can accumulate and be re-circulated again and again.
And finally...AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...ALWAYS wear a dust mask or respirator. Yes, it's going to be more uncomfortable than working without one. Yes, it's easy to forget. Yes, you're going to think...“It's just a couple of cuts...and probably won't make any difference.” In short, you're bound to come up with reason-after-reason why wearing a respirator or mask isn't necessary...but you know what? IT'S ALWAYS NECESSARY! ALWAYS!
OSHA regulations
offer some guidelines
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, there are
three basic types of respirators. Non-powered air-purifying respirators,
powered air-purifying respirators and atmosphere-supplying respirators.
Each of the first two are designed to filter-out harmful materials from
the air surrounding the wearer...while the final type accomplishes the
same task by supplying fresh air from a source other than the air surrounding
the operator (such as a tank or airline hook-up).
For the average home woodworker, air-purifying respirators are the most logical solution...both from the standpoint of effectiveness and cost, since atmosphere-supplying respirators are extremely costly and therefore far more appropriate for commercial applications where workers are continuously exposed to high concentrations of contaminants.
Types of contaminants
There are two primary types of contaminants that should concern the home
woodworker... airborne particulates and vapors & mists. Let's take a look
at each.
