The Presidents Turn,
The one thing about woodturning that is common to all of us is wood! At first, that seems like
the understatement of the new year. Let me be a bit clearer. Woodturning by nature causes dust and
other by-products, and not a few are toxic. I found an article that deals with the toxicity of wood and
how it relates to our craft. I wanted to share a few tips concerning the toxicity of different woods and
how to protect ourselves.
Protect yourself from the health issues caused by wood dust and some woods.
While we often take the necessary precautons around the workshop, you could be ignoring another
hazard that has a way of sneaking up on you, that of so-called toxic woods. Some of your favorite woods
have varying levels of toxicity, and people can develop unpleasant reactions and symptoms from them.
Some are immediate, and some can develop over #me. Some are minor, but some can be downright
serious.
The reactions are caused by chemical compounds in wood that contact the skin, eyes, throat, nose, and
respiratory tract. This occurs either through direct contact from handling and use or with wood dust
serving as the delivery system.
The Usual Suspects
It’s challenging to rank the reactions and risks of individual wood species. For just about every wood in
use, somebody has reacted to it. Any long-term exposure to any wood dust can cause respiratory
problems. The OSHA Wood Dust Standard specifies workplace exposure limits for wood dust. The
exposure limits are the same for all species, hardwood, and softwood, domestic or imported, with one
exception. Because of the number of people who have reacted to western red cedar, the allowable
exposure limits are half of that allowed for other species.
Wood toxicity can run within botanic families. In some wood species, a particular chemical compound
has been identified as the cause of most reactions to that wood. Sometmes that chemical is also found
in other related species. In various “rosewoods,” for example, many species have the same chemical
that is known to cause reactions. Also related are purpleheart (Peltogyne paniculata), the paduks and
sandalwoods (Pterocarpus spp), and wenge (Millettia spp). Cocobolo is a member of the poison ivy
family, so you may not want to make duck calls with this particular wood…
To be continued