Small Business Safety Management Series

U.S. Department of Labor

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA 3157

1999

A Guide for Protecting Workers

from Woodworking Hazards
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

This informational booklet is intended to provide a

generic, nonexhaustive overview of a particular

standards-related topic. This publication does not

itself alter or detemine compliance responsibilities,

which are set forth in OSHA standards themselves,

and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Moreover, because interpretations and enforcement

policy may change over time, for additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements, the reader

should consult current administrative interpretations and decisions by the Occupational Safety and

Health Review Commission and the courts.

Material contained in this publication is in the

public domain and may be reproduced, fully or

partially, with out the permission of the Federal

Government. Source credit is requested but not

required.

This information will be made available to sensory

impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone

(202) 693-2300; Telecommunications Device for

the Deaf (TDD) message referral phone:

1-800 326-2577.
Small Business Safety Management Series

U.S. Department of Labor

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA 3157

1999

A Guide for Protecting Workers

from Woodworking Hazards
Contents iii

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................... 1

Who Should Read This Guide? ............................................................................................................... 1

How Will This Guide Help Protect My Employees? ................................................................................. 1

What Standards Cover Woodworking? ................................................................................................... 1

What Are the Main Types of Hazards Associated with Woodworking Operations? ................................ 2

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control ................................................ 3

How Can My Employees Recognize the Hazards of Woodworking Equipment? ................................... 3

What Controls Are Available to Help Protect My Employees from Machine Hazards? ........................... 5

What Engineering Controls Are Available to Help Protect My Employees from Machine Hazards? ....... 6

What Procedural and Administrative Controls Are Needed to Protect Employees from

Equipment Hazards?......................................................................................................................... 10

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls .............................................................. 12

Circular/Crosscut/Ripsaws .................................................................................................................... 12

Overhead Swing and Straight Line Pull Cutoff Saws ............................................................................ 13

Radial Saws .......................................................................................................................................... 14

Band Saws ............................................................................................................................................ 15

Jig Saws ................................................................................................................................................ 17

Jointers.................................................................................................................................................. 17

Shapers ................................................................................................................................................. 18

Power-Feed Planers/Moulders.............................................................................................................. 19

Lathes ................................................................................................................................................... 20

Sanders ................................................................................................................................................. 22

Routers.................................................................................................................................................. 23

Tenoning Machine ................................................................................................................................. 24

Boring/Mortising Machine...................................................................................................................... 24

Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking............................................................................................. 26

What Are Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking? ............................................................................... 26

What Are the Electrical Hazards? ......................................................................................................... 26

How Can I Protect My Employees from Electrical Hazards? ................................................................ 26

What Are the Machine Maintenance Hazards? ..................................................................................... 26

How Can I Protect My Employees from Machine Maintenance Hazards?............................................ 26

How Can I Develop an Effective Lockout and Tagout Program? .......................................................... 27

Is My Facility Susceptible to Fire and Explosion? ................................................................................. 27

How Can I Protect My Employees and Facility from Fires and Explosions........................................... 27

What Other Fire Protection Measures Should Be Taken? .................................................................... 28

What Should You Do to Protect Your Workers in the Event of a Fire? .................................................. 28

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control .............................................................. 29

What Are the Health Hazards of Wood Dust? ....................................................................................... 29

How Can I Protect My Employees from Wood Dust? ........................................................................... 29

What Are My Options for Noise Control? .............................................................................................. 32

What Are the Health Hazards of Vibration? .......................................................................................... 33

How Can I Protect My Workers from Vibration?.................................................................................... 33

Contents
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

iv Contents (continued)

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) .............................................................................................. 35

What Is PPE? ........................................................................................................................................ 35

Once I Have Provided My Employees with the Necessary PPE, Is My Job Done? .............................. 39

Finishing Operations .......................................................................................................................... 40

What Are the Hazards of the Chemicals Used in Finishing? ................................................................. 40

How Can I Protect My Employees from the Chemicals Used in Finishing? .......................................... 40

Appendix A: References and Standards ........................................................................................... 43

Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls ................................................................................................ 45

Appendix C: Sources of OSHA Assistance ...................................................................................... 53

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory .................................................................................................. 56

List of Tables

Table 1: How Do Injuries Occur at the Point of Operation?..................................................................... 3

Table 2: Types of Machine Guards.......................................................................................................... 8

Table 3: Other Methods of Safeguarding Machines ................................................................................ 9

Table 4: Allowable Daily Noise Exposure Limits—Unprotected ............................................................ 32

Table 5: PPE Items Typically Used in the Woodworking Industry ......................................................... 35

Table 6: Minimum Criteria for Selecting ANSI-Approved Eye Protection .............................................. 36

Table 7: OSHA Standards Relevant to Finishing Operations ................................................................ 42

List of Figures

Figure 1: Reciprocating Movement ......................................................................................................... 4

Figure 2: In-Running Nip Points .............................................................................................................. 4

Figure 3: Push Stick Work Practice Control ............................................................................................ 5

Figure 4: Fixed Guard on Belt and Pulley ............................................................................................... 6

Figure 5: Fixed Guard on Planer ............................................................................................................. 6

Figure 6: Adjustable Guard on Table Saw ............................................................................................... 7

Figure 7: Adjustable Guard on Horizontal Band Saw.............................................................................. 7

Figure 8: Self-Adjusting Guard on Table Saw ......................................................................................... 7

Figure 9: Self-Adjusting Guard on Jointer ............................................................................................... 7

Figure 10: Push Stick and Push Block .................................................................................................. 10

Figure 11: Enclose the Saw Blade with a Self-Adjusting Guard............................................................ 13

Figure 12: Overhead Swing Saw .......................................................................................................... 13

Figure 13: Radial Saw with Self-Adjusting Guard ................................................................................. 15

Figure 14: Adjustable Guard on Band Saw ........................................................................................... 16

Figure 15: Jig Saw ................................................................................................................................ 17

Figure 16: Jointer with Self-Adjusting Guard......................................................................................... 18

Figure 17: Shaper with Adjustable Guard ............................................................................................. 19

Figure 18: Planer................................................................................................................................... 20

Figure 19: Plexiglass Guard on Lathe Protects Operator from Flying Chips ........................................ 21

Figure 20: Drum Sander........................................................................................................................ 22

Figure 21: Belt and Disc Sander ........................................................................................................... 22

Figure 22: Router with Adjustable Tool Guard....................................................................................... 23

Figure 23: Single-End Tenoning Machine ............................................................................................. 24
Contents (continued) v

Figure 24: Chain Mortising Machine ..................................................................................................... 25

Figure 25: Auxiliary Ventilation System for Horizontal Belt Sanders ..................................................... 46

Figure 26: Improved Head Configuration for Shapers .......................................................................... 47

Figure 27: Computer Controlled Jet Stripper System for Controlling Emmisssions from

Automated Routers ........................................................................................................................... 48

Figure 28: Jet Stripper System for Improving Dust Control from Disc Sanders .................................... 49

Figure 29: Dust Control System for Random Orbital Hand Sanders..................................................... 50

Figure 30: Dust Control Plenum for Orbital Hand Sanders ................................................................... 51

Figure 31: Local Exhaust Head for Table Saws .................................................................................... 52

Contents (continued)
Introduction 1

Machines used in woodworking are dangerous,

particularly when used improperly or without

proper safeguards. Workers operating woodworking

equipment suffer the following common injuries:

laceration, amputation, severed fingers, and blindness. Wood dust and the chemicals used in finishing

are health hazards, and workers in this industry can

suffer from skin and respiratory diseases.

The purpose of this guide is to help employers

provide a safe and healthful workplace. The guide

describes the principal hazards of woodworking

and the methods for controlling these hazards. The

guide is not a substitute for Occupational Safety

and Health Administration (OSHA) standards

related to woodworking, but can help clarify the

regulatory language and technical information

covered in those standards. For more comprehensive information, consult the General Industry

Standards, Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations

(CFR), Part 1910. In particular, Subpart O of the

General Industry Standards establishes specific

machinery and machine guarding requirements for

much of the equipment discussed in this guide.

Specific OSHA standards for woodworking are

listed in Appendix A of this guide.

Who Should Read This Guide?

If you employ one or more persons to operate

woodworking equipment, you should read this

guide. This includes employers in industries making wood furniture (household, office, public, and

restaurant); wood office and store fixtures; kitchen

cabinets and bathroom vanities; industrial patterns;

wood containers; wooden musical instruments and

toys; and other wood products. Employers at

fabricated wood millwork establishments (e.g.,

establishments that produce doors, windows,

porches, and shutters) are also included. This guide

does not cover logging operations or the production

of lumber and basic wood materials at pulp, paper,

or saw mills.

There are many safety and health hazards associated with the above industries. This guide focuses

primarily on the safety hazards associated with

woodworking machinery and the health hazards of

wood dust.

How Will This Guide Help Protect My

Employees?

This guide will familiarize you with the hazards

of woodworking and the control options for protecting your employees from these hazards. Employing

the recommended controls can help you prevent

workplace injuries.

This guide also will help you comply with

OSHA standards related to woodworking. OSHA

regulations require you to protect your employees

from workplace hazards caused by machines and

hazards associated with the processed material

(wood).

What Standards Cover Woodworking?

OSHA has specific standards covering woodworking equipment plus other general regulations

that address hazards common to woodworking

facilities. This publication primarily covers the

regulations for woodworking equipment. A list of

the general OSHA regulations covering hazards

common to woodworking facilities is included in

Appendix A.

 Standards for Woodworking Machinery

• General Requirements for All Machines,

29 CFR 1910.212

• Woodworking Machinery Requirements,

29 CFR 1910.213

• Mechanical Power Transmission Apparatus,

29 CFR 1910.219

• Standard for the Prevention of Fires and

Explosions in Wood Processing and

Woodworking Facilities, NFPA 644-1993

• Woodworking Machinery—Safety

Requirements, ANSI O1.1-1992

For a detailed list of other OSHA standards that

may apply to the woodworking industry, see

Appendix A.

Indroduction
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

2

In this document, “shall” and “must” are used to

indicate when a control device or other safeguard is

required by OSHA; “should” is used to indicate

recommended safe work practices.

What Are the Main Types of Hazards

Associated with Woodworking

Operations?

The principal hazards of woodworking can be

classified as either safety or health hazards. Safety

hazards can cause immediate injury to a worker.

For example, if not properly grounded, the metal

framework of a circular saw could become energized and possibly electrocute an employee. Or, if a

worker’s hands were to contact a saw blade, he or

she could have one or more fingers cut off.

 Safety Hazards

• Machine hazards

– Point of operation

– Rotary and reciprocating movements

– In-running nip points (pinch points)

• Kickbacks

• Flying chips, material

• Tool projection

• Fire and explosion hazards

• Electrical hazards

 Health Hazards

• Noise

• Vibration

• Wood dust—carcinogens

• Chemical hazards—from exposure to coatings,

finishings, adhesives, solvent vapors

This manual primarily focuses on machine

guarding (safety) and wood dust (health) hazards

and their controls; however, all of the safety and

health topics listed above are addressed.

Introduction

Most health hazards are associated with longterm exposure to certain substances or to excessive

noise levels or vibrations. Certain types of wood

dust, for example, can cause allergic reactions, and

saw dust has been determined to be a group A

carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). Likewise, some finishes

and coatings used in finishing processes contain

chemicals that can affect the central nervous

system, causing headaches, nausea, and dizziness.

Health hazards can cause both immediate (acute)

and longer-term (chronic) health effects. For

example, exposure to turpentine, a chemical used in

some furniture waxes and finishes, can result in a

range of health effects, from temporary irritation of

the eyes and skin to kidney and bladder damage.
3

How Can My Employees Recognize the

Hazards of Woodworking Equipment?

It is important to train/teach your employees how

to identify hazards related to their assigned job

tasks. This section provides an overview of the

major safety hazards associated with woodworking

equipment. The section “Specific Woodworking

Equipment Hazards and Controls” covers in more

detail each of these hazards and discusses recommended controls for specific types of machinery

typically used in woodworking operations.

Point of Operation

The point of operation is the place where work is

performed on the material. This is where the stock

is cut, shaped, bored, or formed. Most woodworking machines use a cutting and/or shearing action.

Table 1 lists examples of how injuries can occur at

the point of operation.

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking

and Methods of Control

Table 1.

How Do Injuries Occur at the Point of Operation?

Rotating and Reciprocating Movements

All machines operate by rotating or reciprocating

motion or by a combination of these motions. For

example, rotary cutting and shearing mechanisms,

rotating wood stock, flywheels, shaft ends, and

spindles all rotate. Rotating action is hazardous

regardless of the speed, size, or surface finish of the

moving part. Rotating parts and shafts, such as

stock projecting from the chuck of a lathe, can

catch hair or clothing and draw the operator in. This

can seriously mangle or crush the operator. Rotating parts and stock can also force an arm or hand

into a dangerous position, breaking bones and

lacerating or severing a hand or other parts of a

limb. Bolts, projecting keys, or screws on rotating

parts increase the danger of getting caught by the

rotary part. Operators can also be struck by a

projecting bolt or key.

• Employees can be injured if their hands get too close to the blade, particularly when working on

small pieces of stock. The size of the piece dictates that the operator’s hand be close to the blade.

Accidents can occur when stock unexpectedly moves or when a worker’s hand slips.

• Stock can get stuck in a blade and actually pull the operator’s hands into the machine.

• Employees can be injured if the machine or its guard is not properly adjusted or maintained. An

improperly adjusted radial saw, for example, might not return to its starting position after making a

cut.

• If the machine has controls that are not recessed or remote, and the equipment is accidentally started,

a worker’s hands may be caught at the point of operation.

• Contact also can occur during machine repair or cleaning if care is not taken to de-energize the

machine—that is, if lockout/tagout procedures are not followed.

• An employee may be injured if he or she reaches in to clean a saw or remove a piece of wood after

the saw has been turned off, but is still coasting or idling. Also, saw blades often move so fast that it

can be difficult to determine whether they are moving. This is especially a problem under fluorescent

lighting.

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

4

Reciprocating movement is back-and-forth or

up-and-down motion. Operators can be caught and

crushed by reciprocating movement when the

moving part approaches or crosses a fixed part of

the machine. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Reciprocating Movement

In-Running Nip Points

In-running nip points (or pinch points) are a

special danger arising from rotating or reciprocating parts. They occur whenever machine parts

move toward each other or when one part moves

past a stationary object. Parts of the body may be

caught between or drawn into the nip point and

crushed, mangled, or severed. Figure 2 shows some

in-running nip points that may be encountered in

the woodworking industry. The nip points in this

figure are located where the belts or chains approach the pulleys or gears, or where the rotating

parts approach the stationary components.

Kickbacks

Kickbacks occur when a saw seizes the stock and

hurls it back at the operator. This can happen when

the stock twists and binds against the side of the

blades or is caught in the teeth. A blade that is not

sharpened, or that is set at an incorrect height, can

cause kickbacks. Poor-quality lumber (in other

words, frozen lumber or lumber with many knots or

foreign objects such as nails) can also result in

kickbacks. Hazards due to kickbacks are most

likely when there is a lack of safeguards, such as

spreaders, anti-kickback fingers, and gauge or rip

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking

and Methods of Control

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Table

Bed

(stationary)

C

Nip Point

Nip point

Nip point

Nip

point Nip

point

Nip Nip point point

Nip point

Typical nip points

A

B

Figure 2. In-Running Nip Points

fences. Kickbacks occur more often when cutting

parallel to the wood grain (ripping) than when

cross-cutting.

Flying Chips

Employees may be exposed to splinters and

chips that are flung by the cutting action of

woodworking equipment.
5

Tool Projection (Unbalanced Cutter Heads)

Many pieces of woodworking equipment—such

as routers, shapers, and molders—employ rotating

cutter heads with multiple knives. Cutter heads that

are not properly adjusted, or that are poorly

mounted or have broken knives, can become

unbalanced. Balance is critical for keeping knives

secured to a rapidly moving cutter head. The

centrifugal forces on an unbalanced cutter head can

fling the knives from the tool and severely or fatally

injure the operator or other nearby personnel. Using

the wrong tool on a cutter head or using a tool at a

higher speed than it was designed to operate at also

can cause tool breakage and projection.

What Controls Are Available to Help

Protect My Employees from Machine

Hazards?

The preferred way to control hazards is through

engineering or work practice controls. When these

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking

and Methods of Control

controls are not possible or do not provide adequate

protection, personal protective equipment (PPE)

must be provided as a supplement. Employers must

institute all feasible engineering and work practice

controls to eliminate or reduce hazards before using

PPE to protect employees.

Engineering controls involve physically changing the machine or work environment to prevent

employee exposure to the potential hazard. Examples are using a guard on a machine, or using

local exhaust ventilation to remove dust and other

contaminants at the source.

Work practice controls involve removing your

employees from exposure to the potential hazard by

changing the way they do their jobs. For example,

workers should always use push sticks to guide

short or narrow pieces of stock through saws. Using

a push stick allows saw operators to keep their

hands at a safe distance from the saw blades. (See

Figure 3.)

Router Operator Killed

by Flying Tool

A 32-year-old experienced woodworker

was fatally injured at work while operating

an overarm router. The worker was making

custom rosettes when a steel tool knife was

propelled from the rosette cutter. The knife

penetrated a Plexiglas shield, and then

penetrated and exited his chest. The knife

ricocheted off a wall before landing.

The knife, measuring approximately 1 5/8

inches square, was part of a cutter-head

assembly that had been previously used on a

drill press at much lower cutting speeds. It

was custom designed for the drill press, not

for the router, which is run at much higher

speeds. The knife was held in the cutter head

by flat shims and set screws; the screws

could not counteract the centrifugal forces

generated by the high-speed rotation.

Fatality Investigation Report 2:2, February 1997, Occupational Health Surveillance

Program, Massachusetts Department of

Public Health.

Source: Accident Prevention Manual for

Industrial Operations, National Safety Council

Figure 3. Push Stick Work Practice Control

Personal protective equipment encompasses a

wide variety of devices and garments designed to

protect workers from injuries. Examples include

respirators, goggles, safety shields, hard hats,

gloves, earmuffs, and earplugs.

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

6

What Engineering Controls Are Available

to Help Protect My Employees from

Machine Hazards?

Machine Guarding

Guards are now standard equipment on most

woodworking machines. If you purchase a machine

that does not come equipped with a guard, install

one. Contact the manufacturer of the machine to see

if appropriate guard(s) are available for the equipment. If not, use this guide to help you determine

the appropriate guard to install. Because woodworking equipment is dangerous, guards should

always be designed and installed by technically

competent and qualified persons. In addition, it is

always a good idea to have the equipment manufacturer review proposed guard designs to ensure that

the guard will adequately protect employees and

allow safe operation of the equipment.

There are many ways to guard machines. The

type of operation, size or shape of stock, work

being performed on the material, method of handling, and production requirements are some of the

factors that help determine the appropriate safeguarding method for an individual machine. All

moving machine parts that may cause injury must

be safeguarded. This includes the point of operation, the power transmission apparatus, and rotary

or reciprocating parts. Table 2 describes three types

of machine guards commonly used on woodworking machinery: fixed, adjustable, and self-adjusting.

To be effective, a guard should prevent employees from contacting the dangerous parts of the

machines, and it should be secure. This is not

always possible, as in the case of the radial arm

saw. Regardless, workers should not be able to

easily bypass, remove, or otherwise tamper with the

guard. In protecting the worker, however, the guard

must not create additional hazards, nor prevent the

worker from performing the job.

Make sure that guards are in working order and

that they are appropriate and practical for the

machinery. Guards must have adequate strength to

resist blows and strains and should be constructed

to protect operators from flying splinters and

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking

and Methods of Control

machine parts such as broken saw teeth, cutting

heads, and tools.

For more information on methods of machine

guarding (including construction of guards), consult

Appendix A of this guide. The section “Specific

Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls”

provides more detailed information on guard types

for specific woodworking machines.

Source: Health and Safety Guide for Wooden Furniture

Manufacturing, NIOSH

Figure 5. Fixed Guard on Planer

Planer guard

Figure 4. Fixed Guard on Belt and Pulley

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Inspection

Panel
7 Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking

and Methods of Control

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Figure 6. Adjustable Guard on Table Saw

Guard

Saw blade

Handle for extending

or retracting guard

over blade

Crank for

height

adjustment

Figure 8. Self-Adjusting Guard on Table Saw

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

First guard

Second guard

Figure 9. Self-Adjusting Guard on Jointer

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Guard

Stock

Figure 7. Adjustable Guard on Horizontal

Band Saw

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Adjustment knob

Blade

Guard
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

8

Table 2. Types of Machine Guards

Types of Machine Guards

Type Examples Safeguarding

Action Advantages Limitations

Fixed Provides a barrier

and is a permanent

part of machine.

• Can be constructed

to suit many specific applications.

• Can provide

maximum

protection.

• Usually requires

little maintenance.

• Suitable to high

production, repetitive operations.

• May interfere with

visibility.

• Machine adjustment and repair

often require

removal of guard.

• Other means of

protecting maintenance personnel

often required

(i.e., lockout).

Use on:

• In-running rolls.

• Belts and pulleys

(see Figure 4).

• Power transmission apparatus.

• Cutting heads of

planers and other

automatic-feed

equipment (see

Figure 5).

Provides a barrier

that may be adjusted to facilitate a

variety of production operations.

• Can be constructed

to suit many

specific applications.

• Can be adjusted to

admit varying sizes

of stock.

• Hands may enter

danger area

protection may

not be complete at

all times.

• May require

frequent maintenance or

adjustment.

• Operator may

make guard

ineffective.

• May interfere

with visibility.

Used on woodworking machinery, such

as:

• Table saws (see

Figure 6).

• Routers.

• Shapers.

• Band saws (see

Figure 7).

Adjustable

Self-adjusting Provides a barrier

that moves according to the size of the

stock entering the

point of operation.

Guard is in place

when machine is at

rest. Guard pushes

away when worker

moves stock into

point of operation.

• Off-the-shelf guards

are often commercially available.

• Do not require

manual adjustments.

• Does not provide

maximum

protection.

• May interfere

with visibility.

• May require

frequent maintenance and

adjustment.

Used on woodworking machinery, such

as:

• Table saws

(see Figure 8).

• Radial saws.

• Band saws.

• Jointers (see

 Figure 16).

Source: Adapted from Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding, U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA.

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking

and Methods of Control
9

Other Means of Safeguarding Machines

Additional methods for safeguarding machines include guarding by location or distance, feeding methods,

and appropriate placement of controls. None of these methods should replace machine guards, however. It is

always important to provide a guard or barrier that prevents access to the danger area. Table 3 describes these

other safeguarding methods.

Table 3. Other Methods of Safeguarding Machines

Location/distance

Other Methods of Safeguarding Machines

Method Safeguarding Principle Examples Comments

Dangerous parts of

machinery positioned so

that they are not accessible to workers during

normal operation.

• Placement of

machine’s power

apparatus against

wall.

• Fencing off access to

automatic machines.

• Feeding long stock

into machine.

Not always feasible,

particularly on nonautomatic machines.

Automatic Feeding

and Ejection

Methods

Operator not required to

place his or her hands in

the danger area.

• Self-feeder planers.

• Sanders.

• Lathes.

Malfunctioning can

create hazard. Controls

should be set at a

distance.

Prevent Accidental Startup

Controls shrouded or

recessed.

Standard on many

machines.

Off switch should be

easily accessible, and

operator should be able

to operate machine with

ease.

Miscellaneous Hazardous part of machine automatically

retracted after operation

is complete.

Counterweight/stroking

mechanisms that return

blade to rest after stock

has been cut on overhead swing and radial

saws.

Improperly adjusted

counterweights can create

hazard. Blade may travel

in wrong direction or

may fail to retract.

Placement of

Controls

Place controls sufficiently

far from point of operation to prevent reaching

into point of operation.

Two hand controls sit at

a distance from the point

of operation.

Stopping time of

machine is a factor in

calculating the distance.

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking

and Methods of Control

Source: Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial Operations, National Safety Council

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

10 Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking

and Methods of Control

What Procedural and Administrative

Controls Are Needed to Protect

Employees from Equipment Hazards?

• Use appropriate equipment for the job.

Workers can be seriously injured if they do not

use the correct equipment for a job. Use machines only for work within the rated capacity

specified by the machine manufacturer. Use the

correct tools on a given machine. For example,

when using a circular saw, use the correct blade

for the required cutting action. Similarly, you

must only mount blades, cutter heads, or collars

on machine arbors that have been accurately

sized and shaped to fit these parts.

• Train workers on machine use and allow only

trained and authorized workers to operate

and maintain the equipment. Workers should

understand the purpose and function of all

controls on the machine, should know how to

stop the equipment in an emergency, and should

be trained on the safety procedures for special

set-ups.

Operator training should include hazards associated with the machine, how the safeguards protect

the worker from these hazards, under what circumstances the guard may be removed (usually just for

maintenance), and what to do if the guard is

damaged or not functioning properly.

Employees should be able to demonstrate their

ability to run the machine with all safety

precautions and mechanisms in place.

• Frequently inspect equipment and guards.

Ensure that: (1) the operator and machine are

equipped with the safety accessories suitable for

the hazards of the job, (2) the machine and

safety equipment are in proper working condition, and (3) the machine operator is properly

trained. Document the inspections and keep the

records. Documentation should identify the

machine, inspection date, problems noted, and

corrective action taken. Noting problems helps

to ensure that corrective action will be taken,

that operators on all shifts will be made aware of

any potential danger, and that any pattern of

repeat problems on a particular machine can be

detected and resolved as early as possible.

• Use equipment only when guards are in place

and in working order. A worker should not be

allowed to operate a piece of woodworking

equipment if the guard or any other safety

device, return device, spreader, anti-kickback

fingers apparatus, guard on in-running rolls, or

gauge or rip fence is not functioning properly.

When guards cannot be used (during rabbeting

or dadoing, for instance), you must provide

combs, featherboards, or suitable jigs for

holding the stock.

• You must provide your employees with push

sticks or other hand tools so that their hands

are away from the point of operation when

they work on small pieces of stock. A push

stick is a strip of wood or block with a notch cut

into one end that is used to push short or narrow

lengths of material through saws. (See Figure

10.) Using push sticks keeps stock from tipping

and prevents the operator’s fingers from coming

in contact with blades.

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Push stick Push block

Stock

Figure 10. Push Stick and Push Block

• Use a brush or stick to clean sawdust and

scrap from a machine. Never allow your

employees to clean a saw with their hands or

while the machine is running.

• Provide regular preventive maintenance.

Regularly clean and maintain woodworking

equipment and guards. Ensure that blades are in

good condition. Knives and cutting heads must
11

be kept sharp, properly adjusted, and secured.

Sharpening blades prevents kickback. You must

also remove any cracked or damaged blades

from service. Keep circular saw blades round

and balanced. You must remove dull, badly set,

improperly filed or improperly tensioned saws

from service, and immediately clean saws to

which gum has adhered.

• Never leave a machine unattended in the

“on” position. Make sure that workers know

never to leave a machine that has been turned

off but is still coasting.

• Maintain proper housekeeping. Workers have

been injured by tripping and then falling onto

the blades of saws. You must keep floors and

aisles in good repair and free from debris, dust,

protruding nails, unevenness, or other tripping

hazards. Do not use compressed air to blow

away chips and debris. Make sure you have a

non-slip floor.

• Do not allow workers to wear loose clothing

or long hair. Loose clothing or long hair can be

easily caught up in rotating parts.

• Never saw freehand. Always hold the stock

against a gauge or fence. Freehand sawing

increases the likelihood of an operator’s hands

coming in contact with the blade.

• See the “Personal Protective Equipment”

section, located near the end of this guide, for a

discussion of PPE.

• Use appropriate personal protective equipment.

See the “Personal Protective Equipment”

section of this guide for additional information.

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking

and Methods of Control

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

12

This section covers the major safety hazards of

specific woodworking machinery, and discusses the

engineering controls and work procedures for

minimizing employee exposure to these hazards.

References to applicable OSHA standards are

provided in the text of this section in cases where

the engineering controls or work practices are

required by a specific OSHA standard. Note that

not all OSHA requirements are covered in this

section. Consult OSHA’s woodworking machinery

standard [29 CFR 1910.213] to ensure that you are

in compliance with all requirements.

Personal protective equipment is not covered in

this section because the same recommendations

discussed in the “Personal Protective Equipment”

section of this guide apply to all machinery.1

Similarly, work practices that apply to all woodworking equipment (such as using a brush for

cleaning saws) are not covered here.

Circular/Crosscut/Ripsaws

These table saws are used for straight sawing.

Depending on the blade, they cut either across

(crosscut) or with (ripsaw) the grain of the wood.

With the hand-fed saws, the operator adjusts the

height and angle of the blade. Then, holding the

stock, the operator pushes it into the blade. A guide

is used to maintain a straight cut at the desired

width. At the end of the cutting stroke, the operator

either changes positions or pushes the stock past the

blade. Self-feed or power table saws are equipped

with rollers or a conveyor system to hold the

lumber and force-feed it into the saw blade.

Injuries can occur if an operator’s hands slip as

he or she is feeding the stock into the saw or if the

operator holds his or her hands too close to the

blades while cutting. Employees can also be injured

when removing scrap or finished pieces from the

table. Kickbacks (that is, when the blade catches

the stock and throws it back toward the operator)

are another major cause of injury. Kickbacks can

result if the blade height is not correct or if the

blade is not properly maintained. Kickbacks are

more likely to occur when ripping, rather than

crosscutting. Kickbacks also can occur if safeguards are not used or if poor-quality lumber is cut.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

1 For further information on personal protective equipment,

please consult OSHA publication #3151, entitled Assessing

the Need for Personal Protective Equipment: A Guide for

Small Business Employers.

Safety Hazards of Circular/Crosscut/

Ripsaws

• Point of operation—Contact with the

turning blade may occur.

• Other moving parts—Contact with the

blade under the table, or with the power

transmission apparatus (if not enclosed),

may occur.

• Kickbacks—Stock caught by the blade may

be thrown back at the operator.

• Flying particles—Wood chips, splinters,

and broken saw teeth may be thrown by the

cutting action of the blade.

• Nip points from automatic feed—Clothing,

hair, or hands may be caught by and pulled

into the in-running rolls.

Engineering Controls

• Ripsaws and crosscut saws. Enclose the portion

of the saw above the table with a self- adjusting

guard, as shown in Figure 11. The guard must

adjust to the thickness of the material being cut

and remain in contact with it [29 CFR 1910.213

(c)(1) and (d)(1)]. Hinge the guard so that the

blades can be easily changed.

• For ripsaws, use a spreader to prevent material

from squeezing the saw or kicking back during

ripping [29 CFR 1910.213(c)(2)]. Use antikickback fingers to hold the stock down in the

event that the saw kicks back the material

[29 CFR 1910.213(c)(3)].

• Guard all belts and in-running nip points

[29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1), 1910.219(d) and (e)].

• Always guard the portion of the blade below the

table. Operators must be protected from possible

contact when reaching under the table [29 CFR

1910.213(a)(12)].
13

• Attach a brake to the motor’s arbor to stop the

saw from coasting after it has been cut off, or

have the operator remain at the saw station once

the motor is shut off until the blade stops

turning.

• Guard feed rolls on self feed circular saws by a

hood or guard to prevent hands from coming

into contact with in-running rip points

[1910.213(f)(1)].

Work Procedures

• Keep hands out of the line of the cut.

• Use proper blade for cutting action (for example, don’t use crosscut blade for ripping).

• Operate saw at speed specified by the

manufacturer.

• Maintain and sharpen blade [1910.213(s)(2)].

• Leave sufficient clearance for stock.

• Remove cracked saws from service

[29 CFR 1910.213(s)(7)].

• Stand to side of the saw blade to avoid injury

due to kickback.

• Guide stock parallel to the rip fence to minimize

the potential for kickback.

• Use a push stick for small pieces of wood and

for pushing stock past the blade.

[1910.213(s)(9)]

• Avoid crosscutting long boards on table saws.

Considerable hand pressure is required close to

the saw blade, and the boards create a safety

hazard to other people.

• Use a filler piece between the fence and the saw

blade when necessary (e.g., when there is little

clearance on the fence side).

• Properly support all pieces of stock, including

the cut and uncut ends, scrap, and finished

product.

Overhead Swing and Straight Line Pull

Cutoff Saws

These are special types of circular saws, which

are also used for straight cutting. They are preferred

for cutting long pieces of stock. The overhead

swing saw is suspended from the ceiling, as shown

in Figure 12; the saw is generally attached directly

to the motor shaft. To run the saw the operator pulls

it forward like a pendulum.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Source: Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial

Operations, National Safety Council

Figure 11. Saw Blade with a

Self-Adjusting Guard

Figure 12. Overhead Swing Saw

Source: Health and Safety Guide for Wooden Furniture

Manufacturing, NIOSH

Swing sawhood

Swing saw

Limit

chain

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

14

Injuries can occur if the operator reaches to

remove a section of board while the blade is coasting or idling, or if the operator tries to measure a

board or position it while the saw is still running.

Injuries can also occur if an improperly adjusted

saw swings beyond its safe limits.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Safety Hazards of Overhead Swing

and Straight Line Pull Cutoff Saws

•Point of operation—Contact with the blade

may occur during operation, when the saw

is idling; if the return device fails, or if the

saw bounces forward from a retracted

position.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, or

hands may be caught by and pulled into the

in- running rolls of automatic feed.

• Kickback—Stock caught by the blade may

be thrown back at the operator.

• Flying particles—Wood chips, splinters, and

broken saw teeth may be thrown by the

cutting action of the blade.

Engineering Controls

• Enclose upper half of saw and arbor end with a

fixed guard; enclose the point of operation (the

lower part of the blade) with a self-adjusting

hood. The hood must drop on top of and remain

in contact with the table or stock. When the saw

returns to the back of the table, the hood must

cover the lower portion of the blade

[29 CFR 1910.213(g)(1)].

• Ensure that the saw contains an automatic

device (for example, a counterweight) to return

the saw to the back of the table after the cut has

been made [29 CFR 1910.213(g)(2)].

• Install a latch with a rachet release on the

handle, nonrecoil spring, bumper, or other

device to keep the saw from rebounding from its

idle position.

• Use limit chains or other means to keep saw

from moving beyond the front or back edge of

the table [29 CFR 1910.213(g)(3)].

(See Figure 12.)

• Enclose overhead drive with a fixed guard

[29 CFR 1910.219].

Work Practices

• Position the piece to be cut before starting the

saw.

•Stand at the side of the saw blade when the saw

is running, and use the hand nearest the handle

to operate the saw. (This keeps the operator’s

body out of the line of the saw.)

• Remove cracked and defective saw blades from

service [29 CFR 1910.213(s)(7)].

• Keep hands out of the line of the cut.

• Make sure guards and counterweights are

properly adjusted at all times. Take improperly

adjusted saws out of service [29 CFR 1910.213

(s)(1)].

Radial Saws

Radial saws are circular saws that cut downward,

either with or against the wood grain (rip or crosscut). For crosscutting, the wood is pushed away

from the operator and against a fence. For rip cuts,

the blade is set parallel to the fence, and the stock is

pushed through. The saw blade rotates upward

toward the operator; who feeds the stock in the

opposite direction of the blade movement.

Radial saws have features that make them more

versatile than table saws. The saw arm can be raised

and lowered and swung from side to side to adjust

the depth and horizontal angle of the cut; the blade

can be replaced with shaping cutters, disk or drum

sanders, and other accessories.

The principal types of injury from radial saws are

cuts to the arms and hands, or amputation of

fingers, from contact with the blade or flying wood

chips. Workers can also be injured from kickback.

Employees working nearby can be seriously injured

if stock that is fed in the wrong direction is flung

out of the saw.
15

Safety Hazards of Radial Saws

• Point of operation—Contact with the

turning blade may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, or

hands may be caught by and pulled into the

in- running rolls of the automatic feed.

• Kickback—Stock caught in the blade or fed

in the wrong direction may be thrown back

at the operator.

• Flying particles—Wood chips, splinters,

and broken saw teeth may be thrown by the

cutting action of the blade.

Engineering Controls

• Enclose the upper half of the saw (from the

blade down to the end of the saw arbor) with a

fixed hood. Guard the lower half with a selfadjusting, floating guard that rises and falls and

automatically adjusts to the thickness of the

stock [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(1)]. Figure 13

shows a radial saw with a self-adjusting guard

covering the lower half of the blade.

• Make sure the saw has a return device. The front

end of the unit must be slightly higher than the

rear, so that the cutting head will return to its

original position when released by the operator.

This should also prevent the cutting head from

rolling or moving the arm due to gravity or

vibration [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(4)].

• Install an adjustable stop to limit forward travel

distance of the blade during repeat cuts

[1910.213(h)(3)].

• Guard feed rolls [29 CFR 1910.213(b)(7)].

• For ripping, install non-kickback fingers on both

sides of the saw blade [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(2)].

• Use a spreader in ripping operations to prevent

the cut in the wood from immediately closing

and binding the blade.

Work Practices

• During crosscutting, operate the saw on the side

of table with the handle.

• Make sure that stock is fed in the correct direction. Post a warning label on the hood showing

the direction of saw rotation

[29 CFR 1910.213(h)(5)].

• Measure boards against a stop gauge, or turn off

the saw if measuring by rule. (Wait for the blade

to stop before moving materials or making

measurements.)

Band Saws

Band saws are used for both straight sawing and

for cutting curved pieces. The band saw uses a thin,

flexible, continuous steel strip with cutting teeth on

one edge. The blade runs on two pulleys, driven

and idler, through a hole in the work table on which

stock is fed. The operator hand-feeds and manipulates the stock against the blade to saw along a

predetermined line.

Although workers are not injured as frequently

or as severely on band saws as on circular saws,

injuries do occur. The most common injury is

caused by contact with the blade. Contact with the

blade at the point of operation occurs because the

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Figure 13. Radial Saw with Self-Adjusting

Guard

Guard

Blade

Handle

Antikickback

device

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

16

operator’s hands may come close to the blade

during cutting, and band saws cannot be

completely guarded.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Safety Hazards of Band Saws

• Point of operation—Contact with the

moving blade may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, or

hands may be caught by and pulled into

feed rolls or the pulley mechanism.

• Kickbacks—Stock caught by the blade

may be thrown back at the operator.

• Flying Chips—Wood chips and splinters

may be thrown by the cutting action of the

blade.

Engineering Controls

• Guard the blade entirely except at the point of

operation (the working portion of the blade

between the bottom of the guide rolls and the

table) [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(1)]. (See Figure 14.)

• Use a self-adjusting guard for the portion of the

blade between the sliding guide and the upper

saw so that it raises and lowers with the guide

[29 CFR 1910.213(i)(1)].

• Properly adjust the blade guide post to fit the

thickness of the stock and to provide additional

guarding.

• Fully enclose the pulley mechanism

[29 CFR 1910.219(d)].

• Guard feed rolls [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(3)].

• Install a brake on one or both wheels to minimize the potential for coasting after the saw has

been shut off; or do not retrieve material until

the blade has stopped.

• Make sure the saw includes a tension control

device to indicate proper blade tension

[29 CFR 1910.213(i)(2)].

Work Procedures

• Use a blade of an appropriate size and type (for

example, do not force a wide saw to cut on a

small radius).

• Never stop the saw too quickly or thrust a piece

of wood against the cutting edge of the teeth

after the power has been shut off.

• Periodically examine blades; remove cracked or

defective blades immediately

[29 CFR.1910.213(s)(7)].

• Make cuts only when the power is on and not

while the saw is coasting.

• Set the guard to just clear the stock being cut.

• Use a push stick to control the stock when it is

near the blade.

• Use a special jig or fixture when cutting small

pieces of stock.

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Figure 14. Adjustable Guard on Band Saw

Stock

Blade

Saw table

Air hose

Transparent

guard

Adjustable

blade guard
17

Jig Saws

Jig saws are useful for precision-cutting intricate

curves and patterns on thin stock. They have thin

blades that move rapidly up and down through the

opening in the saw table. The blade is held in upper

and lower chucks that pull it tight and keep it from

bending. A hold-down adjusts to the thickness of

the wood being cut.

Jig saws are generally not considered to be as

dangerous as other saws; however, contact at the

point of operation can cause hand and finger

injuries. Contact with the blade can also occur

below the table. All portions of the blade must be

guarded.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Safety Hazards of Jig Saws

• Point of operation—Contact with the

moving blade may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, or

hands may be caught by and pulled into the

in-running rolls.

• Flying chips—Wood chips and splinters

may be thrown by the cutting action.

• Kickback—Stock caught by the blade may

be thrown back at operator.

Engineering Controls

• Use a threshold rest (slotted foot) to hold the

stock.

• Guard the blade with an adjustable or

self-adjusting guard (see Figure 15).

• Guard drive belts and pulleys

[29 CFR 1910.213(a)(9)].

• Guard the portion of the blade below the table.

Work Practices

• Make turns slowly; do not make sharp turns

with a wide blade; use a narrow blade for sharp

turns.

• Make sure the blade is properly attached and

secured.

Jointers

Jointers face or flatten wood and are primarily

used to joint small pieces of material. The operator

passes stock over a cylindrical, multiple-knife

cutter head, while keeping the stock flush against a

guide. The depth of the cut is achieved by adjusting

the front table. There are two types of jointers:

hand-fed jointers with a horizontal cutting head,

and wood jointers with a vertical head.

Hand-fed jointers are dangerous woodworking

machines. Injuries can occur if the operator’s hands

and fingers come in contact with the knives. This

can happen when the operator is jointing narrow

lengths of stock, particularly if he or she does not

use a jig or other holding device. Injuries can occur

when the operator allows his or her fingers to ride

along the surface of the jointer as the wood is fed

through. Also, stock may be accidentally kicked

away, exposing the operator’s hands to the cutter

head.

Figure 15. Jig Saw

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Blade

Safety

guard

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

18

Safety Hazards of Jointers

• Point of operation—Contact with the knives

may occur, especially if a holding device is

not used.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, or

hands may be caught by and pulled into the

in- running rolls of the automatic feed.

• Kickbacks—Stock may be thrown back at

the operator after being caught by the

knives; this may also expose the operator’s

hands to the knives.

• Flying chips—Wood chips and splinters may

be thrown by the cutting action of the

knives.

Engineering Controls

For hand-fed jointers, horizontal head:

• Enclose cutter head with an automatic (springloaded, self-enclosing) guard that exposes the

cutter head only when the stock is being fed.

The guard must automatically adjust to cover

the unused portion of the head, and it must

remain in contact with the material at all times

[29 CFR 1910.213(j)(3)]. Figure 16 shows the

appropriate use of a self-adjusting guard.

• Adjust the cylindrical cutter head so that the

knife projects no more than 1/8 inch beyond the

cylindrical body of the head

[29 CFR 1910.213(j)(1)].

• Adjust the cutter head so that the clearance

between the path of the knife projection and the

rear table is no more than 1/8 inch

[29 CFR 1910.213(j)(2)].

• Keep the clearance between the table and the

head as small as possible

[29 CFR 1910.213(j)(2)].

For vertical head jointers:

• Completely enclose cutter head, except for slot

to apply the material for jointing. This guard can

be part of the local exhaust system.

Work Practices

• Use hold-down push blocks when jointing wood

narrower than 3 inches.

• Avoid deep cuts; they increase the likelihood of

kickbacks and require a larger table opening.

• As a general rule, never joint pieces of material

that are less than four times the width of the bed

opening.

• Check knives regularly for proper setting and

adjustment, but only when the power is shut off.

Shapers

Shapers are most commonly used to shape the

edges of stock. The operator feeds the stock from

any direction against a vertical rotating cutter

mounted on a spindle. The spindle rotates at a high

speed. Some machines have multiple spindles.

Guidepins hold the stock for curved shaping and

fences hold it for straight line shaping.

Injuries can occur when the operator’s hands or

fingers contact the revolving knives. Workers can

also be seriously injured or killed by tool projection

from unbalanced cutter heads. Shapers are difficult

to guard; however, a number of guards are available

to protect operators’ hands.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Guard

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Figure 16. Jointer with Self-Adjusting Guard

Guard in rest

position

Stock
19

Safety Hazards of Shapers

• Point of operation—Contact with the cutter

head may occur, particularly if holding

devices are not used.

• Tool projection—Knives may be flung if

the cutter head is unbalanced.

• Kickback—Stock may be thrown back at

the operator after being caught by the cutter

head.

• Flying chips—Wood chips and splinters

may be thrown by the cutting action of the

knives.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, or

hands may be caught by and pulled into the

in- running rolls of the automatic feed.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Engineering Controls

• As shown in Figure 17, enclose the spindle with

an adjustable guard or cage [29 CFR

1910.213(m)(1)]. For straight-line shaping, the

fence frame should include the guard. The fence

should contain as small an opening as possible

for the knives, and should extend at least 18

inches on either side of the spindle. Split adjustable fences are useful for guarding when the

entire edge of the stock is to be shaped.

• Mount a ring guard around the cutting bit to

reduce contact with the bit.

• Guard automatic feed rollers

[29 CFR 1910.213(b)(7)].

• Ensure that double-spindle shapers have a

starting and stopping device for each spindle

[29 CFR 1910.213(m)(3)].

• Use a safety collar to minimize the potential for

tool projection.

Work Practices

• Maintain the knives. Make sure they are precision-ground to apply uniform pressure. Make

sure the knives are balanced and fit properly

[29 CFR 1910.213(s)(2)].

• Train operators to listen for “chatter,” which

indicates that knives are out of balance. To start

the machine, operators should apply the power

in a series of short starts and stops to slowly

bring the spindle to operating speed.

• Use templates, jigs, and fixtures to distance the

operator’s hands from the point of operation.

Featherboards may be clamped to the fence for

straight line shaping.

• Cut in the opposite direction of the spindle’s

rotations.

Power-Feed Planers/Moulders

Also called surfacers, planers are used to dress

and size rough-sawed lumber on one or more sides.

They plane boards to an even thickness. Stock

passes under or between cylindrical cutter heads

with multiple knives. (See Figure 18.) Planers are

similar to jointers except that the cutter head is

above, or above and below, the stock. The operator

adjusts for the cut and then feeds stock into the infeed side of the machine. The surface board is

retrieved from the out-running end.

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Figure 17. Sharper with Adjustable Guard

Nut for height

adjustment

Guard

Base of

shaper

blade

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

20

Automatic feeding mechanisms make this

equipment less hazardous. However, operators’

hands may be pulled into the cutting area, and can

come in contact with the point of operation while

adjusting blades. Operators’ hands also may be

pinched between the stock and in-running rolls, if

the feed system is not properly guarded.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Safety Hazards of Power-Feed Planers or

Moulders

• Point of Operation—Contact with the

cutter head may occur during blade adjustment or other maintenance activities.

• In-running rolls—Clothing, hair, or hands

may be caught by and pulled into the

automatic feed mechanism.

• Kickbacks—Stock may be thrown back at

the operator after being caught by the cutter

head.

• Flying objects—Workpiece, wood chips

and splinters may be thrown by the cutting

action.

• Vibration (and noise) may be produced if

the machinery is not anchored to, and

insulated from, a solid foundation

Engineering Controls

• Completely enclose belts and pulleys of line

shaft with sheet metal or heavy mesh guards;

guards must be used regardless of the location of

the line shaft [29 CFR 1910.219(a)(1)].

• Cover cutting heads with a metal guard or cage.

The exhaust system may be integrated with the

guard [29 CFR 1910.213(n)(1)].

• Guard feed rolls with a wide metal strip or bar

that will allow boards to pass but that will keep

operators’ fingers out [29 CFR 1910.213(n)(3)].

• Provide barriers at the loading and unloading

ends to keep hands out of point of operation.

• Install anti-kickback fingers on the in-feed side

across the width of the machine.

• Use a barrier or guardrail when the machine is

running.

Work Practices

• Stand back once the boards have been put

through to avoid injuries from kickback and

flying splinters.

• Do not feed boards of different thicknesses.

Thinner boards will be kicked back.

Lathes

Lathes are used for shaping round parts, such as

table legs. Two types of lathes are used in the

woodworking industry: automatic-feed and manualfeed. In an automatic-feed lathe, the stock, mounted

on a carriage, is moved into contact with a multiple-knife cutter head that runs the entire length of

the stock. The stock rotates at a low speed, while

the cutter rotates faster. Using a feed lever, the

operator feeds the stock into the cutter head and

maintains the proper pressure for effective cutting.

In a hand-fed lathe, the stock, mounted between

two centers, rotates rapidly while the operator

applies a single-point tool to the wood. The operator holds the tool on a tool rest and advances it

along the length of the tool rest to shape the stock

as desired.

Source: Machine Guarding—Assessment of Need,

NIOSH

Figure 18. Planer

Operating controls

Feed

Power

transmission

normally

enclosed

Point of

operation

normally

enclosed
21 Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

The primary hazards of lathes are contact with

rotating parts and contact at the point of operation.

Operators’ hands, clothing, or jewelry may be

caught on the rotating parts and pulled into the

machine. The danger is greater with hand-fed

lathes, because the operator works in such close

proximity to the rotating stock and the cutting tool.

With automatic lathes, the operator can contact the

rotating parts if he or she reaches into the work area

to adjust components while the machine is running.

Flying chips are also a hazard on lathes.

Safety Hazards of Lathes

• Point of operation—Contact with the tool

or cutter head may occur.

• Rotating parts—Clothing, hair, or hands

may be caught by and pulled into the cutter

or the rotating stock.

• Flying chips—Wood splinters and chips

may be thrown by the cutting action.

• Kickback—The workpiece may be thrown

out.

Engineering Controls

• For automatic wood-turning lathes with rotating

knives, cover the cutter head with a metal shield

or hood that completely covers the knives and

material, except at the contact points, when the

machine is in operation [29 CFR 1910.213(o)(3)].

A hinged shield permits adjustments when

needed.

• For manual lathes, cover the cutter heads as

completely as possible with a hood or shield

[29 CFR 1910.213(o)(2)].

• Cover lathes used for turning long stock with

long curved guards extending over the top of the

lathe [29 CFR 1910.213(o)(4)]. Such guards

prevent the stock from being thrown from the

machine, should the stock come loose.

• Install a brake for bringing the stock to a

complete stop after the power is shut off.

• On hand-fed lathes, guard the tool and point of

operation with a plexiglass tool guard, as shown

in Figure 19.

• Enclose the power transmission with a fixed

guard [29 CFR 1910.219].

Work Practices

• Never permit operators to wear loose

clothing, long hair, jewelry, or gloves.

• Make sure tools are properly adjusted and

used in a proper manner.

• Do not use stock that has checks, splits,

cracks, or knots.

• Allow glued joints to dry before working

on stock.

• Hold tools firmly in both hands.

• Make sure the tool rest is set close to the

stock. Work only in the area covered by the

tool rest; do not attempt to support the tool

with your hands. Adjust the tool rest when

the lathe is not running.

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Figure 19. Plexiglass Guard on Lathe Protects

Operator from Flying Chips

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

22

Sanders

Sanders finish stock by using a coated abrasive

surface to remove material. Figures 20 and 21 show

the three general types of sanders: drum, belt, and

disc. A belt sander uses a system of pulleys to move

the abrasive material across the stock. Either the

wood is fed manually or automatically into the

machine or the sanding belt is pressed toward the

wood, which is located on a working table.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Sanders produce a considerable quantity of fine

wood dust. Wood dust hazards and controls are

discussed in detail in the section “How Can I

Protect My Employees from Wood Dust?” All

sanders should be carefully ventilated. The primary

safety hazard of belt sanders is that workers may

catch their hands, clothing, or jewelry in the inrunning rolls. Also, contact with an abrasive surface

can cause abrasions and lacerations.

Safety Hazards of Sanders

• Point of operation—Contact with disc or

drum may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hands, or

hair may get caught by and pulled into the

in-running rolls on automatic sanders or

sanding belts.

• Flying chips—Wood splinters and chips may

be thrown from the sanding action.

Engineering Controls

• Guard feed rolls with a semi-cylindrical guard to

prevent the operator’s hands from coming in

contact with the in-running rolls on automatic

sanders. The guard design must allow for

adjustment to any thickness of stock

[29 CFR 1910.213(p)(1)].

• Guard the unused run of the sanding belt against

accidental contact. These guards must prevent

the operator’s hands or fingers from coming in

contact with nip points [29 CFR 1910.219].

• Enclose drum and disc sanders with guards,

except for the portion of the sander’s drum

above the table. The guard can consist of a

protective cover at the rear side of the wheel and

a hinged cover around the wheel periphery

[29 CFR 1910.213(p)(2) and (p)(3)].

• Enclose power transmission pulleys with a fixed

guard [29 CFR 1910.219].

Figure 20. Drum Sander

Guard

Exhaust

hood

Sources: Health and Safety Guide for Wooden Furniture

Manufacturing and Machine Guarding—Assessment of

Need, NIOSH

Figure 21. Belt and Disc Sander

Feed

Feed

Feed

Point of operation

Power transmission

Start/stop

push button

control

Belt travel
23 Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Work Practices

• Replace torn, frayed, or excessively worn belts

or drums. A worn-out belt, disk, or drum can

cause massive heat buildup, which can cause the

belt, disk, or drum to tear or break and pelt the

surrounding area with projected bits.

• Keep hands away from abrasive surfaces.

• Sand on the downward-moving side of the disk

or belt.

Routers

Routers are used for such purposes as cutting and

shaping decorative pieces, making frame and panel

doors, and milling moldings. Routers have spindles

that spin variously shaped, small-diameter cutting

tools at high speeds. The tool is held in a collet

chuck and protrudes through a flat, smooth base

that slides over the surface of the work. The toolspindle axis is usually vertical, but it may be tilted.

The operator lowers the head for machining, and

the head automatically returns to its original position after the cut is made. The spindle is driven by

belts and pulleys or by a high-speed motor.

Operators may be injured from inadvertent

contact with the rotating tool when handling the

stock or removing scrap from the table. Kickback is

another common source of injury among router

operators. Kickback may be caused by poor-quality

lumber (i.e., if the stock breaks) or incorrect work

method, such as feeding the stock into the tool too

abruptly or in the wrong direction, or poorly fixing

the stock to the template.

Projection of tools can severely injure or kill

router operators. Tools can be flung from the cutter

head if they are poorly fastened in the tool holder, if

the wrong tool is used, or if the tool speed is too

high.

Safety Hazards of Routers

• Point of operation—Contact with the cutter

head may occur.

• Rotating parts—Clothing or hair may be

caught on rotating cutter head.

• Tool projection—Knives may be thrown

from unbalanced or improperly adjusted

cutter heads, or from cutter heads operated

with tools that were not designed for the

cutter head.

• Flying chips—Wood chips or wood dust,

and splinters may be thrown by the cutting

action.

Engineering Controls

• Enclose the tool with an adjustable tool guard,

as shown in Figure 22 [29 CFR

1910.213(m)(1)].

Source: Concepts and Techniques of Machine

Safeguarding, OSHA

Figure 22. Router with Adjustable Tool Guard

Guard

Stock

Base of

router blade

Adjustment

nuts

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

24 Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

• Equip routers with a spindle braking system that

gradually engages.

• Guard feed rolls [29 CFR 1910.213(b)(7)].

Work Practices

• Properly attach and secure tools to the holder.

• Label cutting tools and holders with the

maximum permissible spindle speed.

• Use tools only as intended.

Tenoning Machine

Tenoning machines use cutter heads and/or saw

blades to form projections (tenons) on pieces of

stock. Each tenon can be inserted into a cavity

(mortise) on another piece of wood to form a

mortise and tenon joint. Figure 23 shows a singleend tenoning machine.

Safety Hazards of Tenoning Machines

• Point of operation—Contact with cutter

head or saw blade may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, or

hands may be caught by and pulled into the

in-running rolls of the automatic feed.

• Flying chips—Wood splinters and chips

may be thrown by the cutting action.

• Kickbacks—Stock may be thrown back at

the operator after being caught by the cutter

head or saw blade.

Engineering Controls

• Enclose feed chains and sprockets of double end

machines, except for the portion of the chain

conveying stock [29 CFR 1910.213(k)(1)].

• The cutting head and saws must be guarded with

metal guards. Cover the unused part of the

periphery of the cutting head. If an exhaust

system is used, the guard must form part of the

exhaust system [29 CFR 1910.213(k)(3)].

Boring/Mortising Machine

Boring and mortising machines use boring bits or

mortising chains to cut cavities in pieces of stock.

These cavities are often used in mortise and tenon

joints. Figure 24 shows a chain mortising machine.

Safety Hazards of Boring/Mortising Machines

• Point of operation—Contact with the boring

bit or mortising chain may occur.

• Rotating parts—Clothing or hair may be

caught on rotating boring bit or mortising

chain.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, or

hands may be caught by and pulled into

in- running rolls of automatic feed.

• Flying chips—Woods chips and splinters may

be thrown by the cutting action.

• Kickbacks—Stock may be thrown back at

operator.

Figure 23. Single-End Tenoning Machine

Wood clamp

Fence

Stock

table

Safety

shields

Fence
25 Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards

and Controls

Figure 24. Chain Mortising Machine

Engineering Controls

• Use safety bit chucks with no projecting screws

[29 CFR 1910.213(l)(1)].

• Enclose boring bits with a guard that encloses

the bit and chuck above the material being

worked [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(2)].

• Enclose the top of the cutting chain and driving

mechanism [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(3)].

• If a counterweight is used, prevent it from

dropping by bolting it to the bar or attaching a

safety chain to it [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(4)].

• Cover operating treadles with inverted U-shaped

guard to prevent accidental tripping

[29 CFR 1910.213(l)(6)].

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls

Dust hood

Back fence

Stock

clamp

Foot

treadle

Elevation

crank

Mortising

chain
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

26

What Are Other Safety Hazards

of Woodworking?

Other safety hazards associated with woodworking equipment include electrical hazards, fire and

explosion hazards, and hazards caused by poor

machine maintenance.

What Are the Electrical Hazards?

Electrical hazards include electrocution, fire, or

explosions. Even slight shocks can lead to injury or

death.

How Can I Protect My Employees from

Electrical Hazards?

All electrical installations must comply with

OSHA electrical standards. Among the many

provisions included in the standards are the

following requirements:

• All of the metal framework on electrically

driven machines must be grounded, including

the motor, motor casing, legs, and frame. This

includes other equipment such as lights that may

be mounted on the machine.

• All circuit breakers and fuse boxes must be

labeled to indicate their purpose—that is, what

area of the plant they power or protect. Appropriately rated fuses must be used. All unused

holes in electric boxes must be covered.

• Electrical cords, cables, and plugs must be kept

in good repair. Flexible cords and cables must

be fastened so that there is no direct pull on

joints or terminal screws. Cords and cables must

be free of splices and must not run through

windows, doorways, or holes in the wall.

• Junction boxes, outlets, switches, and fittings

must be covered.

• All electrical components must be approved by

a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory for

the specific location where the equipment will

be used.

• All machines must have a main power

disconnect for lockout/tagout.

In addition, all machines should have

the following:

Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking

• A magnetic switch or other device to prevent

automatic restarting of the machine after a

power failure. Such an unexpected start-up

could expose the worker to moving parts.

• An emergency stop device (panic bar or deadman switch) within reach of operators working

in the normal operating position.

• Clearly marked controls that are within easy

reach of the operator and away from the hazard

area.

What Are the Machine Maintenance

Hazards?

Each year, more than a hundred workers are

killed, and many more are injured, while repairing

or maintaining machines.2 A coworker may start a

machine that another employee is repairing. Sometimes it is the worker who accidentally knocks a

switch and energizes the machine while clearing a

jam or cleaning the equipment. Workers may be

crushed at the point of operation, drawn into

rotating parts, instantly electrocuted, or mangled by

other moving parts. To prevent accidental energizing of machines during maintenance, shut off and

lock out all power sources. Under OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, tagout is

permitted if an energy-isolating device is not

capable of being locked out or if certain other

conditions apply.

How Can I Protect My Employees from

Machine Maintenance Hazards?

You can protect your workers by establishing a

“lockout/tagout” program. Lockout/tagout refers to

the process of shutting down and locking out

machines before maintenance begins to prevent

accidental start-up during machine maintenance,

cleaning, or other similar operations. Locking out

equipment provides a physical means (i.e., a lock)

that ensures that power will not be restored to the

machine and that the machine will not be started

until work on the machine has been completed.

Tagging the equipment warns others that someone

is working on the machine and that power must not

2 From Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1995. Fatal Workplace

Injuries in 1993: A Collection of Data and Analysis. U.S.

Department of Labor, p.78.
Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking 27

be restored to the machine until the work is completed and the person performing the work removes

the tag.

All power sources—electrical, mechanical,

pneumatic, hydraulic—must be shut off and locked

out during machine maintenance. This includes

power that is stored in a machine, such as compressed air in a cylinder, after the machine is turned

off. To achieve this, you must have a written

lockout/tagout plan that, for each machine, describes all power sources and the correct procedure

for shutting down, testing, and re-energizing the

equipment. Your plan should describe how employees will be notified when a lockout/tagout is necessary, and shall require your employees to always

lock out or tag out equipment, using the appropriate

procedures, before performing work on the

equipment.

How Can I Develop an Effective Lockout

and Tagout Program?

To develop your energy control program, inventory your equipment and identify all power sources.

Identify the lockout devices that you will need for

your particular machines. There are many commercially available devices for locking out electrical

switches, circuit breakers, valves, compressed-air

lines, hydraulic equipment, and other power

sources. When feasible, affected employees must be

given their own lock to use during lockout procedures. If you use tagout devices in place of lockout

devices, the tagout program must be as effective as

the lockout program. Train all affected employees

about your company’s plan: your program will only

work if your employees understand how to implement the correct lockout/tagout procedures. See the

“Resources” section of this guide for more information on lockout/tagout controls. OSHA’s standard,

29 CFR 1910.147, establishes specific requirements

for lockout/tagout programs. Refer to this standard

for more information on how to properly protect

your workers.

Is My Facility Susceptible to Fire

and Explosion?

Yes. Woodworking facilities are inherently prone

to fires and explosions, for the following reasons:

• They contain large quantities of fuel in the form

of wood and wood products, sawdust, and

flammable materials such as paints, oil finishes,

adhesives, solvents, and liquid propane for

internal combustion engines. Woodworking

facilities are especially at risk for fire due to the

abundant production of sawdust, which will

ignite and burn far more easily than whole

pieces of lumber. Sanders, routers, and shapers

in particular produce large amounts of fine dust.

Very fine wood dust is especially hazardous. It

can accumulate on rafters and other building

structural components and in unexpected spots

all around your facility, far from the point of

generation.

• They contain ignition sources, such as potentially faulty electrical wiring, cutting and welding operations, sparking tools, propellantactuated tools, and employee smoking. There is

also the potential for static electrical discharges

and lightning.

Conduct at least an annual inspection of the

lockout/tagout program to ensure that it is followed.

How Can I Protect My Employees and

Facility from Fires and Explosions ?

Preventing the buildup of dust is one of the key

means for controlling fire and explosion hazards.

The principal engineering control technology for

control of dust is exhaust ventilation. The primary

work practice control is good housekeeping.

Dust collection is best accomplished at the

source—at the point of operation of the equipment,

if feasible. For many pieces of equipment, welldesigned ducts and vacuum hoods can collect most

of the dust generated before it even reaches the

operator. Very fine dust that manages to escape

point-of-source collection can be captured from

above by general exhaust points located along the

ceiling. These control technologies are effective for

most equipment, excepting machines that commonly produce the very finest dust or large

quantities of dust.

Good housekeeping extends to periodic hand

cleaning of your entire facility, as some dust will

Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

28

escape from even the best exhaust system and will

eventually accumulate on rafters and other out-ofthe-way spots. Also, it is extremely important to

inspect and clean your exhaust ventilation system

on a regular basis to maintain maximum efficiency.

You must also:

• Ensure the proper use and storage of flammable

materials, such as paints, finishes, adhesives,

and solvents.

• Segregate tasks particularly prone to fire and

explosion hazards, such as spray painting,

welding, and use of powder-actuated nail guns.

• Train employees to recognize, avoid, and correct

potentially hazardous conditions and behaviors.

Train employees so that they are acquainted

with the special equipment and aspects of

building design related to dealing with fires and

explosions.

• Control ignition sources. This involves using

electrical systems rated for the projected use and

protected by appropriate circuit breakers,

grounding all equipment prone to accumulating

static electrical charges, grounding entire

buildings against the possibility of lightning

strikes, and controlling and banning smoking in

and around the workplace. Consult Subpart S of

OSHA’s General Industry Standards for more

information on electrical design requirements.

• Never permit blow-down of accumulated dust

with compressed air. Blowing dust with compressed air will create the very type of dust

cloud that presents the greatest explosion

hazard.

• Provide continuous local exhaust ventilation on

all woodworking machines. The local exhaust

systems must have a suitable collector. Dust

collection systems must be located outside the

building, unless the exceptions described in

NFPA standards are met.

• Segregate combustible and flammable materials

such as lumber stock and chemical solvents

from each other and from ignition sources.

• Ensure that you use equipment with a hazard

classification appropriately rated for your work

environment.

Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking

What Other Fire Protection Measures

Should Be Taken?

• Fire-resistant construction and/or fire-resistant

materials (particularly fire doors that could be

used to contain the spread of a fire).

• Explosion relief devices, such as blow-out

panels in walls, floors, and ceilings that protect

structural integrity in the event of an explosion.

• Multiple emergency exits that are well marked

and easily accessible. These exits should lead

people directly away from the areas of greatest

likely hazard.

• Emergency alarms and communications systems

to promote rapid evacuation and fire fighting

response.

• Automatic sprinkler systems designed for a

worst-case fire scenario.

• Readily accessible, portable fire extinguishers

fully charged with fire retardants appropriate to

the types of fires likely to occur in that area.

What Should You Do to Protect Your

Workers in the Event of a Fire?

• Install an alarm system to warn for necessary

action or safe escape [29 CFR 1910.165].

• Establish emergency plans and fire prevention

plans [29 CFR 1910.38].

• Install battery-operated emergency lighting

along the floor to aid in the evacuation of

smoke- filled buildings.

• Store fire-retardant blankets, clothing, and

masks in areas where workers could conceivably

need them to pass through smoke and flames to

reach exits.

• Maintain first-aid kits designed for the initial

treatment of burns and smoke inhalation. These

kits should be stored outside the area of fire risk.
29 Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods

of Control

What Are the Health Hazards of Wood

Dust?

Exposure to wood dust has long been associated

with a variety of adverse health effects, including

dermatitis, allergic respiratory effects, mucosal and

nonallergic respiratory effects, and cancer. Contact

with the irritant compounds in wood sap can cause

dermatitis and other allergic reactions. The respiratory effects of wood dust exposure include asthma,

hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and chronic

bronchitis.

Both the skin and respiratory system can become

sensitized to wood dust. When a worker becomes

sensitized to wood dust, he or she can suffer a

severe allergic reaction (such as asthma) after

repeated exposure or exposure to lower

concentrations of the dust.

Other common symptoms associated with wood

dust exposure include eye irritation, nasal dryness

and obstruction, prolonged colds, and frequent

headaches.

Certain species of hardwood—such as oak,

mahogany, beech, walnut, birch, elm, and ash—

have been reported to cause nasal cancer in woodworkers. This is particularly true when exposures

are high. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recognizes wood

dust as a “confirmed” human carcinogen,3

 and

recommends a limit of 1 milligram per cubic meter

(mg/m3) for hardwoods and 5 mg/m3

 for softwoods.

At this time, OSHA regulates wood dust as a

nuisance dust; however, OSHA strongly encourages

employers to keep exposures to a minimum and to

adopt the ACGIH levels. The maximum permissible

exposure for nuisance dust is 15 mg/m3

, total dust

(5 mg/m3

, respirable fraction).

How Can I Protect My Employees from

Wood Dust?

Employers can protect workers from wood dust

through a combination of engineering and work

practice controls. Where necessary, employers must

provide PPE as a supplement to these controls.

Engineering Controls

Wood dust is emitted at high velocity by moving

or spinning machine components. The primary

method of controlling wood dust is with local

exhaust ventilation (LEV), which removes dust at

or near its source. LEV systems can often be

integrated with machine guards. Exhaust hoods

should be located as close as possible to the emission source, either on the woodworking machinery

itself or near to the machine. The local exhaust

systems should have an efficient air cleaning

device.

How Can I Maintain Local Exhaust

Ventilation?

For LEV systems to provide maximum protection, they should be properly maintained. Check

and clean ducts and dust collectors at regular

intervals. Inspect ducts to ensure that they are not

loose, broken, or damaged. Check the V-belts on

the drive units of belt-driven exhaust fans for

slippage or breakage. Make sure the duct velocity is

maintained at a minimum of 2,500 to 4,000 feet per

minute to effectively remove light, dry saw dust,

heavy wood chips, and green shavings, and to

prevent these from plugging the system.

Sanders, shapers, and routers generally produce

the greatest amount of dust. Conventional means

for exhausting these machines are not very effective. NIOSH has developed new, innovative means

for controlling dust exposure from these machines,

but these methods are not yet commercially available. These methods either increase the exhaust

volume or velocity, or supply pressurized air to help

blow dust particles from the machine into an

exhaust hood.

Work Practices

See the discussion for control of fire and explosion hazards (“How Can I Protect My Employees

and Facility from Fire and Explosion Hazards”) for

information on work practices to control dust

accumulations.

3 ACGIH Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances

and Physical Agents—Biological Exposure Indices, 1996.

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

30

LEV Recommendations for Individual

Machines

Circular Saws

• Exhaust the saw through the bottom of the table.

Provide LEV under the blade slot. To decrease

the open area between the table and the lower

hood, attach a strip of flexible material to the

machinery that will cover this area when the

hood operates.

• For increased dust control, add a local exhaust

hood above the top of the saw blade. The hood

should be integrated with the guard on the upper

part of the blade.

• For further information on control of wood dust

from circular and other kinds of table saws,

please consult the NIOSH Hazard Controls

HC10 (See Appendix B).

Band Saws

• Provide LEV under the blade slot. To increase

the collection area of the hood, add holes

(1/8 inch in diameter) in the table around the

slot area.

• To collect wood dust from the saw teeth, place a

suction nozzle above the table, at the rear of the

saw blade.

Jointers

• Place a hood underneath the machine head.

Shapers

• Control each head with an open-faced hood,

located on the table behind the head. For additional protection, use a combination of fixed and

adjustable hoods. A fixed open-faced hood can

be attached to the rear of the table between the

shaper heads. Movable open-faced hoods also

can be used on the table. For further information

please consult the NIOSH Hazard Controls

HC5: Wood Dust from Shapers

(See Appendix B).

Planers/Moulders

• Place open-faced hoods above the spinning

heads of planers. Each head can be ventilated

separately, or one hood can be used to control

several heads.

• Place open-faced hoods around the spinning

components of moulders. Each head should be

separately controlled.

• For increased dust control, add a small openfaced hood along the side of the moulder

between the main head and the worker.

Lathes

• Place an open-faced hood attached to a movable

mechanical arm at the point of operation.

Sanders

Sanders produce a considerable amount of dust

and are difficult to control. Conventional methods

do not effectively remove dust. New innovative

systems have been developed for controlling dust

emissions from horizontal belt sanders, largediameter disc sanders, random orbital hand sanders,

and orbital hand sanders. Although these systems

are not yet commercially available, more information can be obtained from the National Institute for

Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The

following NIOSH Hazard Controls deal with

horizontal belt sanders, large diameter disc sanders,

random orbital hand sanders and orbital hand

sanders respectively: HC4, HC 7, HC 8 and HC 9

(See Appendix B). Some of these systems are

discussed below.

• Enclose disc sanders with an exhaust hood,

installed below the table; cover the back of the

sanding disc at points above the worktable. A

system has been developed that supplies pressurized air to the disc inside the hood. The jet of

high speed air blows dust particles out of the

disc air layer so that they can be captured by the

exhaust hood.

• On random orbital sanders, use an aspirator in

combination with a perforated sanding pad. The

aspirator creates a vacuum that draws wood dust

up through the holes of the sanding pad. An

innovative dust control system has been developed that uses additional exhaust and a slotted

sanding pad.

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods

of Control
Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods 31 of Control

• A new dust control plenum has been designed

for orbital sanders. The plenum fits between the

sanding pad and the sander body and has a

series of exhaust slots along its edges.

• Enclose horizontal belt sanders with exhaust

hoods covering each end of the belt. These

hoods control the dust carried by the belt. To

further control dust emissions, install an additional hood above the area where the wood is

processed. To increase the effectiveness of this

system, add a narrow hood and a stripper.

Routers

• Place two open-faced hoods behind the heads of

the router table. Connect the hoods to the

exhaust ductwork via a flexible hose.

• Locate an open-faced or slot hood at the rear

end of the router table.

• For further information please consult the

NIOSH Hazard Controls HC6: Wood Dust from

Automated Routers (See Appendix B).

What Are the Health Hazards of Noise?

Excessive noise can damage a person’s ability to

hear—an effect that can be temporary or permanent. There also is mounting evidence that noise

may adversely affect other parts of the body—

particularly the cardiovascular, endocrine, and

muscular systems—and may also lead to stressrelated disorders, such as nervousness, chronic

fatigue, increased blood pressure, and impaired

concentration and mental function. There are as yet

no effective treatments for noise-induced health

problems, beyond the body’s limited natural ability

to repair itself, over time, with rest and quiet.

NIOSH has published a series of “Hazard

Controls” concerning wood dust control

techniques. For details see Appendix B.

Other Sources of Information

on Wood Dust Control

What Constitutes Dangerous Noise and Is It a

Problem at My Business?

Two primary factors act together to make noise

hazardous—volume (intensity) and duration. The

louder the noise and the longer the duration of

exposure at that volume, the greater the potential

for hearing loss. The risk of hearing impairment is

also cumulative over the course of a working day.

The frequency of a sound is measured in units

called hertz—one hertz equaling one vibration

cycle per second. The normal range of human

hearing encompasses sounds with frequencies from

20 to 20,000 hertz. Sound pressure is commonly

measured on the A-weighted decibel (dBA) scale,

where zero decibels is the weakest sound that can

be heard by a person with very good hearing in an

extremely quiet location.

Table 4 shows the accepted daily exposure limits

to various noise levels. For example, a circular saw

operator exposed to 105 dBA reaches the threshold

for hearing damage in 1 hour, while a worker

operating a vacuum at 95 dBA can safely work for

4 hours. Another worker could run the circular saw

for half an hour and then vacuum 2 hours before

reaching the limit for noise exposure. However,

none of these workers could be exposed to occupational noise in excess of 90 dBA for the rest of the

day.

Decibel levels from two or more sounds cannot

be simply added. The combined effect of two

sounds depends on the difference in their levels.

When there is no difference in the sound levels

between two sources, the combined effect will be

an increase of 3 dBA. For example, if two circular

saws are placed side by side, and each has a noise

level of 105 dBA, the resulting noise level from

both machines would be 108 dBA. Once the

difference in noise level between two sources

reaches 10 dBA or more, however, the combined

sound level is essentially that of the louder source.

Thus, if someone is vacuuming next to a circular

saw operator, both workers will only hear the saw.

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

32

What Are My Options for Noise Control?

You can reduce noise levels through the use of

some or all of the simple and practical methods

discussed below. These methods focus on three

basic approaches to controlling noise: noise source

controls, noise path controls, and hearing protection. Noise source controls, which typically consist

of engineering controls, provide the most effective

means of protection, since they actually reduce the

amount of noise generated in the workplace. For

this reason, it is best to exhaust source control

options first, before moving on to path controls and,

finally, to hearing protection devices.

Source Controls

Source control begins with a thorough analysis

of each piece of noise-generating equipment. You

should attempt to identify all noise sources within a

given piece of equipment, as well as the ways in

which the sound is transmitted (and often amplified

via resonance or vibration) to the surrounding

room. Then every effort should be made to both

quiet the sources and dampen the resonant pathways of transmission. Noise sources generally

include motors, gears, belts and pulleys, points of

operation where blades touch wood, and any other

moving parts. Resonant transmitters generally

include the frames, footings, and housings of the

equipment.

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods

of Control

Examples of source control steps include the

following:

• Maintaining motors and all moving parts in

top operating condition. Maintenance involves lubricating and cleaning; replacing

worn parts; maintaining proper belt tensions

and bolt torques; and properly balancing

pulleys, blades, and other rotating parts.

• Reducing the speed of operation of the

equipment to the slowest level consistent

with product quantity and quality goals.

• Moving power equipment operations out of

wooden or steel-frame buildings and into

stone, cement, or brick structures, if at all

possible.

• Ensuring that equipment frames are as rigid

as possible, that equipment is firmly seated

on a solid floor (preferably cement slab), and

that no piece of equipment is in contact with

any other piece or with walls.

• Isolating noisy equipment with rubber

footings, springs, or other forms of damping

suspension so as to reduce the radiation and

amplification of noise via vibrations.

• Applying vibration-damping materials to all

resonating surfaces, and constructing (where

possible) sound absorbent hoods around

points of operation.

Table 4. Allowable Daily Noise Exposure Limits—Unprotected

Exposure Duration (hours) Noise Level (dBA) Representative Source

8 90 electric ventilation fan

6 92 drill press

4 95 shop vacuum

3 97 drum sander

2 100 emergency siren

1.5 102 wood planer

1 105 circular saw

0.5 110 chain saw

0.25 115 jackhammer

No tolerance 140 power-driven nail gun
33 Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods

of Control

Path Controls

Effective path controls involve isolating,

blocking, diverting, absorbing, or otherwise

reducing noise intensity before it reaches your

employees’ ears.

Examples of path control steps include

• Segregating operations so as to limit, as far

as possible, the number of employees

exposed to excessive equipment noise.

• Enclosing equipment within barriers designed to absorb noise and/or reflect it in

harmless directions, such as toward ceilings

covered with sound absorbent

material.

• Moving or locating noise-producing equipment away from employees, since noise

intensity decreases significantly as you

move away from the source of the noise.

Depending on the types of surfaces in your

workplace, you can reduce the level of noise

that your workers are exposed to by up to 6

dBA by doubling the distance between the

source of the noise and your workers. The

presence of reflective surfaces (such as flat

metal surfaces) in the workplace will reduce

the level of noise reduction achieved by this

method.

Hearing Protection

Hearing protection devices isolate the

human ear from harmful noises. They should

be worn by your employees as the final line of

defense against noise hazards. Hearing protection devices can be effective and, compared to

source and path control efforts, relatively

inexpensive. Their use, however, does demand

a considerable level of ongoing effort and

commitment.

Given the nature of woodworking operations,

your production floor employees will almost

certainly require hearing protection devices. Please

refer to the “Personal Protective Equipment”

section of this guide for more information about

hearing protection devices and about selecting

appropriate devices for your employees.

What Are the Health Hazards

of Vibration?

Both hand-held and stationary tools that transmit

vibration through a work piece can cause vibration

“white fingers” or hand-arm vibration syndrome

(HAVS). White fingers, or Raynaud’s Syndrome, is

a disease of the hands in which the blood vessels in

the fingers collapse due to repeated exposure to

vibration. The skin and muscle tissue do not get the

oxygen they need and eventually die. HAVS is a

more advanced condition, and the entire hand or

arm may be affected by exposure to vibration. Early

signs of HAVS are infrequent feelings of numbness

and/or tingling in the fingers, hands, or arms, or

numbness and whiteness in the tip of the finger

when exposed to cold. As the disease progresses, a

worker experiences more frequent attacks of

numbness, tingling, and pain and finds it difficult to

use his or her hands. A worker with advanced

HAVS may be disabled for a long time.

How Can I Protect My Workers from

Vibration?

Engineering Controls

Vibration isolators or damping techniques on

equipment offer the most effective protection.

Isolate machine vibrations from the surface if it is

mounted or by use of vibration isolation mounts.

Vibrating panels of machine housings and guards

may be controlled by use of damping materials

applied to the panels. Felts, liquid mastics, and

elastomeric damping sheets are effective damping

materials. Determining the correct type and quantity of damping material to use for a particular

machine is a complicated process and should be left

to a knowledgeable person. The frequency emitted

by the machine, the noise reduction level desired,

and the weight and size of the machine are factors

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

34

to consider. A good rule of thumb, however, is that

the damping layer should be the same thickness as

the surfaces being treated.

Work Practices

• Maintain machines in proper working order.

Unbalanced rotating parts or unsharpened

cutting tools can give off excessive vibration.

• Arrange work tasks so that vibrating and

nonvibrating tools can be used alternately.

• Restrict the number of hours a worker uses a

vibrating tool during the workday. Allow employees to take 10 to 15 minute breaks from the

source of the vibration every hour.

• Train workers about the hazards of working with

vibrating tools. Instruction should include: the

sources of vibration exposure, early signs and

symptoms of hand-arm vibration syndrome, and

work practices for minimizing vibration

exposure.

• Instruct workers to keep their hands warm and

dry, and to not grip a vibrating tool too tightly.

Workers should allow the tool or machine to do

the work.

Health Hazards of Woodworking And Methods

of Control
Personal Protective Equipment 35

The preceding sections of this guide discuss

ways of recognizing and controlling health and

safety hazards at your facility. Once you have

implemented all relevant engineering and workpractice controls, ask yourself (and your employees) what potential hazards remain. If hazards

continue to exist, you must provide your employees

with the necessary personal protective equipment

(PPE) to supplement engineering and work practice

controls and thoroughly protect your employees.

What Is PPE?

The term “personal protective equipment” refers

to any device or garment worn by a worker on the

job to safeguard against injuries and/or the harmful

effects of hazardous substances. A wide variety of

effective PPE can be readily obtained to protect

workers’ eyes, hearing, respiratory tracts, and body

parts (for example, head, feet, hands, and arms).

Table 5 lists some of the PPE items typically

required in woodworking facilities.

The remaining hazards in your facility may

include:

• Blows to the head from stock and equipment at

certain locations within your manufacturing and

shipping operations.

• Threats to the eyes and face from flying wood

chips and splinters, dust, and machine parts.

• Cutting and tearing hazards, particularly to the

hands and arms, during equipment operations.

• The threat of kickback blows to the body, groin,

and legs during stock-cutting and shaping.

• Crushing and laceration threats to the feet,

particularly around loading equipment (for

example, forklifts) and hand-held power tools

(such as chain saws).

• Irritation of the skin, mouth, nose, throat, and

lungs from dust, paint, adhesives, and other

chemicals.

• The constant threat to hearing from machine

noise.

PPE designed to protect against such hazards

may range from hard hats and earplugs to chemically resistant overalls and respirators. A description of how PPE can protect against these woodworking hazards is provided below. For a more

detailed discussion on the proper selection and use

of PPE, refer to OSHA’s pamphlet Assessing the

Need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): A

Guide for Small Business Employers (OSHA 3151).

(See Appendix A for more information.)

Eye Protection

Where appropriate, you must provide eye protection to guard against flying particles (for example,

wood chips and dust), as well as the risk of paint

splashes and other chemical hazards. OSHA requires that all protective eyewear used in the

woodworking industry meet the specifications of

the American National Standards Institute (ANSI

Z87.1-1989).4

 The eye protection that you choose

must meet the criteria listed in Table 6.

4 ANSI, 11 West 42nd St., New York, NY 10035

Table 5. PPE Items Typically Used in the

Woodworking Industry

• Hard hats

• Safety glasses, goggles, and face shields

• Gloves (including chemically protective

gloves)

• Padded kickback aprons; vests; and arm,

groin, and leg guards

• Lower-back supports

• Steel-shanked, steel-toed safety shoes

with slip-resistant soles

• Earplugs and earmuffs

• Particulate-resistant and/or chemically resistant overalls

• Respirators

Personal Protective Equipment
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

36

Table 6. Minimum Criteria for

Selecting ANSI-Approved Eye

Protection

• Provides adequate protection against the

hazards of your workplace.

• Is reasonably comfortable for your

employees to wear.

• Does not restrict your employees’ field or

acuity of vision, nor their freedom of

movement, except as necessary to provide

protection.

• Is durable, and easy to clean and disinfect.

• Does not interfere with the function of

other required PPE, such as respirators.

Personal Protective Equipment

Head Protection

You must provide protective helmets—hard

hats—to employees exposed to overhead hazards.

Such hazards occur in areas where:

• Equipment and/or materials are stored, operated,

or in any way manipulated above shoulder level.

• Fixed objects, such as exposed pipes and beams,

present low clearance.

Hard hats protect employees from objects that

could fall on and/or strike their heads. Hard hats

used in the woodworking industry must comply

with the ANSI Z89.1-1986 standard. OSHA recommends Class A hard hats, which are designed for

mining, construction, and manufacturing uses.

Foot and Leg Protection

You must provide foot and leg protection to your

employees if they are subject to hazards such as:

• Heavy objects (for example, tools, equipment,

fork lifts, heavy-duty dollies, drums, wood

stock) rolling over, falling onto, or striking them

in the feet or legs.

• Sharp objects (for example, broken saw teeth,

broken router blades, nails, spikes, or other

fasteners) piercing the soles or uppers of their

shoes.

• Slippery surfaces.

The type of foot and leg protection you purchase

for your employees should depend on the specific

hazards in your facility, but the safety shoes must at

least meet the ANSI Z41-1991 standards. Standard

safety shoes or boots with slip-resistant soles,

puncture-resistant shanks, and compression-resistant toes should suffice for your workers who

require protection.

Your need for leg protection will probably be

minimal and can be met, where necessary, with

hard plastic shin/lower-leg guards for impact

Employees responsible for different tasks at your

facility may require (or prefer) different types of

eye protection, including impact-resistant glasses

with side shields, goggles, and full-face shields.

These items each provide a specific kind of protection: safety glasses provide protection from impact

eye injuries; goggles with limited venting provide

protection from impact eye injuries, dust, and

chemical splashes; and full-face shields extend dust

and splash protection to the neck (although they

should be used in combination with safety glasses

or goggles to protect against significant impact

hazards).

Employees who wear corrective lenses will

require eye protection that provides vision correction. (Regular eyeglasses that do not meet the ANSI

Z87.1 standards do not provide adequate protection.) For these employees you should provide one

of the following:

• Prescription safety glasses,

• Goggles that fit well over their regular

eyeglasses, or

• Goggles that incorporate corrective lenses

mounted behind the protective lens.
37

resistance, and knee pads/guards where kneeling on

hard surfaces is a regular part of the task

performed.

Hand and Arm Protection

Your workers’ hands and arms will need protection from burns, bruises, abrasions, cuts, and

exposure to the chemicals used in finishing.

Protective gloves are the primary means available for direct hand protection. Extra-long gauntlets

or sleeves attached to the gloves can extend protection up the arm. However, the appropriateness of

glove use in the woodworking workplace should be

carefully reviewed on a task-by-task basis. Gloves

should not be worn when operating woodworking

equipment due to the potential for getting caught in

moving parts.

Heavy leather, metal mesh, or gloves may

provide protection against cuts, abrasions, and

lacerations, but they can also greatly reduce dexterity, possibly leading to a higher frequency of the

mishaps they are intended to protect against.

Furthermore, no glove will stand up to direct

contact with the cutting surfaces of most of your

power equipment. For these reasons, engineering

and work-practice controls will be your best bet for

addressing the hand and arm hazards posed by

cutting and shaping equipment.

When it comes to handling wood finishes,

adhesives, equipment cleansing solvents, or any

other chemical compounds, you should provide

appropriate gloves and make their use mandatory.

Chemically resistant gloves are designed as impermeable barriers to prevent absorption of hazardous

compounds through the skin of the hands. The most

common gloves designed for this purpose are

composed of natural rubber or latex,5

 butyl rubber,

nitrile rubber, plastic, or rubber-like synthetics such

as neoprene.

Keep in mind that these gloves are not uniformly

effective against all compounds. Nitrile gloves, for

example, are excellent for handling turpentine

compounds, which quickly pass through latex

gloves.

Carefully review the chemical compositions of

the finishes, adhesives, cleaning solvents, and other

compounds used at your facility, and provide an

array of gloves that offer the necessary protection.

In some cases, workers handling multiple chemicals

at once may need to wear different gloves in

combination.

Chemical resistance specifications for the various glove types are readily available from vendors

and manufacturers, as well as directly from OSHA.

Body Protection

You must provide body PPE to those of your

employees whose bodies are at risk while performing their tasks. Despite your efforts at hazard

mitigation via engineering and work practice

controls, some body hazards may continue to exist,

including impacts from tools, machinery, and

materials; abrasions, lacerations, and allergic

dermatitis; splash exposures to hazardous chemicals; and lower back strain. The types of protective

garments available to address these hazards include

vests, jackets, aprons, overalls, back supports, and

full-body suits.

As with gloves, protective clothing for workers

operating powered cutting, shaping, and boring

equipment should not pose a greater risk than the

one being addressed. Avoid loose clothing that

could snag in moving parts and pull a worker into

harm. Also avoid excessive clothing that could

result in reduced mobility or heat exhaustion. Use

common sense in your decisionmaking.

Personal Protective Equipment

5 Some workers may have or may develop an allergic

reaction to latex gloves.

Personal Protective Equipment
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

38 Personal Protective Equipment

OSHA offers the following suggestions for

selecting appropriate body protection:

• For general impact, abrasion, and laceration

protection, heavy leather and/or padded

aprons should provide the maximum

protection without unnecessarily

compromising mobility or ventilation.

• Full-body overalls made of cotton or

synthetic fiber should provide adequate

protection when engineering controls or

worker reassignment cannot prevent

allergic reactions to wood dust. The overalls should be snug-fitting to keep out wood

dust and other materials that could work

their way underneath the fabric and to

prevent the fabric from snagging in moving

machine parts.

• For chemical splash protection—whether

from paints, finishes, adhesives, solvents,

or other material—use aprons or full-body

suits constructed of suitable barrier material. Rubberized cotton twill aprons or

overalls resistant to organic and inorganic

chemicals such as high-density

polyethylene.

Hearing Protection

You must institute an effective hearing conservation program at your workplace if the engineering

controls that you utilize do not lower your employees’ daily 8-hour averaged noise exposure to less

than 85 dBA. (The section of this guide entitled

“What Are My Options for Noise Control?” describes some engineering control options. Note that

you must provide hearing protection while such

engineering improvements are being made.)

OSHA’s Occupational Noise Exposure standard,

29 CFR 1910.95, describes the specific procedures

that must be included in a hearing conservation

program. These include:

• Develop and implement a monitoring program

to sample noise levels within the workplace,

identify employees for inclusion in the hearing

conservation program, and enable the proper

selection of hearing protectors.

• Establish and maintain an audiometric testing

program in which qualified professionals

periodically test the hearing of all workers

whose noise exposures equal or exceed a daily

8-hour average of 85 dBA.

• Provide hearing protection, at no charge, to all

employees exposed to such levels of noise.

You will likely find that hearing protection will

be necessary for most, if not all, of your production

employees, as most power woodworking equipment

will produce between 100 and 110 dBA of noise at

the point of operation, despite any control steps you

implement.

The level of protection needed will vary widely

for different workers, depending on the duration of

their exposure to different noise levels. For example, a full-time band saw operator will probably

require more rigorous protection than a general

floor worker moving materials between storage,

production, and shipping areas. If you employ only

a few workers in a small operation, each employee

may perform every conceivable task at some point

during the work day—a situation which greatly

complicates the process of calculating your

workers’ daily average exposure to noise.

The chapter on noise measurement in the OSHA

Technical Manual provides specific details on

determining your employees’ exposure to noise.

Appendix B of 29 CFR 1910.95 describes how to

determine the level of hearing protection provided

by different devices, and how to make appropriate

selections based on their noise reduction ratings

(NRRs).
Personal Protective Equipment 39

The general steps to determining the need for

hearing PPE for a given worker include

• Measuring the noise level (dBA) at each

work location with a sound level meter and

recording the hours per day spent there.

• Determining the allowable exposure duration

limit for the noise level encountered at each

location (see Table 4 on page 32).

• Dividing the amount of time the worker

actually spends at each location by the

allowable exposure duration limit.

• Adding the resulting fractions together to

compute the equivalent noise factor. Alternately, a noise dosimeter may be used.

If the equivalent noise factor is equal to or

greater than 1, you must provide hearing protection.

If any one of the factors from an individual location

is greater than 1, you must provide protection for

that particular task.

Once you have determined the hearing protection

needs of your employees, you will have to select

appropriate devices. This is a highly important

process. Inappropriate hearing protection can

isolate individual employees by interfering with

effective communication and general workplace

awareness. Muffled hearing can cause accidents,

render workers unaware of imminent physical

hazards, and interfere with coordinated action in the

event of an emergency.

Common hearing protection devices include selfforming foam earplugs (disposable or durable),

individualized molded earplugs, and earmuffs.

Within each category, a variety of products are

available, providing varying degrees of noise

reduction as measured by their NRRs. You must

provide reasonably convenient and comfortable

hearing protection to each affected employee so

that his or her daily equivalent noise factor is kept

below 1. As part of your hearing conservation

program, you must also provide training in the use

and care of all hearing protection distributed to

your employees.

Respiratory Protection

OSHA has specific requirements governing the

need for and use of respiratory protection. This

guide does not attempt to cover the many detailed

topics involved with respiratory protection, such as

methods for determining the need for respiratory

protection, selecting and purchasing appropriate

equipment, training affected workers to use the

equipment, and fulfilling the record keeping and

medical monitoring requirements.

Respiratory protection may be necessary if any

of your employees:

• Suffer from problems associated with wood

dust inhalation.

• Routinely handle wood finishes, adhesives,

solvents, or other chemical compounds in

containers open to the air they breath.

• Work in paint spray booths (or booths where

other chemicals are sprayed).

Begin by consulting OSHA Instruction CPL 2-

2.546

 on respiratory protection or contact the

nearest OSHA office for assistance.

Once I Have Provided My Employees

with the Necessary PPE, Is My Job

Done?

No. An effective PPE program means more than

simply providing your employees with protective

equipment. You should work to create an environment at your facility where the proper and conscientious use of PPE is valued as a vital part of your

company’s overall commitment to health and

safety. In other words, to reap the rewards of your

up-front capital investment in PPE, you should be

willing to invest your employees’ time and effort

on a daily basis. Key elements of this ongoing

commitment will include training, maintenance

(cleaning, repairs, and replacement), and bookkeeping. Consult the OSHA pamphlet Assessing

the Need for Personal Protective Equipment

(PPE): A Guide for Small Business Employers

(OSHA 3151) for more discussion on PPE

programs.

6 CPL.2-2.54 is available on OSHA Web page at

http://www.osha.gov

Personal Protective Equipment
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

40 Finishing Operations

What Are the Hazards of the Chemicals

Used in Finishing?

Finishing operations pose a wide range of health

and safety hazards due to the volume and physical

properties of the chemicals involved. A complete

discussion of this topic is beyond the scope of this

guide; however, a general discussion of common

hazards and related control measures is provided

below. To best protect your employees from the

chemical hazards related to your finishing operations, you should identify the specific chemicals in

use in your facilities and consult the appropriate

OSHA standards to determine required controls.

See Table 7 at the end of this section for a list of

some of the OSHA standards likely to apply to your

finishing operations.

Health Hazards

A wide range of adhesives and coating agents are

used in finishing wood products. Many of these are

hazardous to the health of employees. Chemicals

can enter the body in three ways: through inhalation

(breathing), ingestion (eating), or contact with the

skin. The skin readily absorbs many chemicals,

such as solvents, allowing them to enter the bloodstream. Woodworkers are generally exposed to

chemicals through inhalation and contact with the

skin.

Both nitrocellulose topcoats (lacquers) and acidcatalyzed coatings (conversion varnishes) contain

solvents that are toxic to humans. The solvents

most commonly used in these coatings include

toluene, xylenes, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK),

methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and methanol. The

acid-catalyzed coatings contain formaldehyde. All

of these solvents have short-term effects, such as

irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, and headaches, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, and nausea.

The longer-term effects include reproductive

problems, central nervous system disorders, and

damage to the lungs, liver, and kidneys. Toluene

exposure increases the risk of miscarriage. Developmental effects have been noted in children born

to mothers who were exposed to toluene and

xylenes. Studies have shown that formaldehyde can

cause lung and nasal cancer.

Many of the adhesives used in finishing wood

products also contain toxic chemicals. The most

hazardous are the solvent-based, epoxy resin, and

urea-formaldehyde resin adhesives. Many of the

solvents used in the coating agents are used in the

adhesives. The epoxy resin adhesives are particularly toxic. Methylene chloride, which has been

shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, is

often the base for these adhesives. Some of the

components of the epoxy resins may also be cancercausing. Epoxy resin adhesives can also cause

dermatitis and a sensitization reaction.

Safety Hazards

In addition to the health hazards posed by the

chemicals used in finishing operations, many of the

solvents, lacquers, varnishes, and coatings used in

these operations are extremely flammable. These

materials can pose significant fire and explosion

hazards if used in large quantities, in unventilated

or enclosed areas, or in processes such as spray

finishing operations that can lead to significant

airborne concentrations of the material.

How Can I Protect My Employees from

the Chemicals Used in Finishing?

Engineering Controls

• When feasible, use automated systems for

applying coatings and adhesives. Automated

systems should be ventilated.

• Substitute the traditional solvent-based coatings

and adhesives with coatings and adhesives that

are less toxic. Hot melt, heat seal, aqueousbased, and polyvinyl acetate adhesives are good,

less-toxic alternatives to solvent-based adhesives. Higher-solids nitrocellulose, aqueousbased, ultraviolet-cured, and polyester/polyurethane coatings are also less toxic than solventbased coatings.

• Provide adequate local exhaust ventilation for

all coating and gluing processes. This includes

manual spray, rolling, and brushing operations,

automated coating processes, and dip coating.

Manual spray operations should be performed in

a spray booth or a separate, ventilated spray
41

area. Dip coating should be ventilated with an

enclosure or capture hood. Consult the OSHA

standard on dip coating (open surface tanks), 29

CFR 1910.108, for detailed requirements on

dipping operations.

• The OSHA standard for spray finishing operations, 29 CFR 1910.107, provides detailed

requirements for the design and construction of

spray booths and rooms, air filters, velocity and

air flow requirements, and the (make-up) air

supplied to the booth. It is important to maintain

the proper air flow in a spray booth. Excessive

air pressure decreases the efficiency of the

operation, wastes material, and may cause a

backlash of vapors and overspray into adjacent

work areas. Dirty air filters can decrease the air

flow in the booth. Ensure that filters are cleaned

and replaced as needed. Although these provisions are designed to prevent the occurrence of a

fire or explosion in spray finishing operations,

they also assist in protecting workers from the

health hazards of the chemicals used in the

operation by removing the chemicals from the

atmosphere.

Controls designed to prevent fire and explosion

resulting from the use of flammable and combustible materials in woodworking operations are

discussed in the section of this guide entitled, “Is

My Facility Susceptible to Fire and Explosion,” on

page 27. The controls discussed in this section are

also generally applicable to your finishing operations. In addition to these controls, however, you

should refer to the applicable OSHA standards

listed in Table 7 at the end of this section for

detailed information on required controls specific to

the use of flammable and combustible materials in

your finishing operations.

Develop a Hazard Communication or “Right-toKnow” Program

• OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard, 29

CFR 1910.1200, requires employers to inform

their employees about the hazardous substances

they handle. Hazard communication programs

have three important components: material

safety data sheets (MSDSs), training, and

labeling requirements.

Finishing Operations

MSDSs contain information on the health and

safety hazards of chemicals, and recommend

appropriate controls. All chemical suppliers must

send an MSDS for each chemical a company

orders. Employers must make these MSDSs

available to employees at all times.

The Hazard Communication standard requires

employers to train their employees about the

hazards of the chemicals they handle. Employers

must train employees upon initial hire, after a

transfer, and when new hazardous substances are

introduced into the workplace. Employers must

keep a written record of the training they provide.

Employers must ensure that all containers are

labeled with information about their contents and

about the health hazards of the substance.

Personal Protective Equipment

• Provide respirators and gloves for workers

performing manual spray operations. Consult

the MSDS to determine what type of glove to

use. Operators working downstream of the

objects being sprayed inside the booth must be

provided with an air-supplying respirator.

Provide dip-coat operators with gloves, boots,

aprons, and jackets, sleeves, or coats to protect

them from possible splashes. Consult the MSDS

to determine the appropriate material of protective clothing to provide. The “Personal Protective Equipment” section of this guide provides

detailed information on PPE requirements.

Other Applicable OSHA Standards

In addition to the Hazard Communication standard discussed above, OSHA has published several

standards that may be directly relevant to finishing

operations. To determine which of these standards

apply to your specific operations, you should

consider both the type of chemicals that you will

use and how you will use the chemicals. Once you

have done this, you should refer to the applicable

OSHA standards to determine how to best protect

your workers. See Table 7 for OSHA standards

particularly relevant to finishing operations.

Finishing Operations
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

42

Table 7. OSHA Standards Relevant

to Finishing Operations

• Ventilation, 29 CFR 1910.94(c) and (d).

These subsections of the standard establish

ventilation design requirements for spray

finishing and open surface tanks.

• Flammable and Combustible Liquids, 29

CFR 1910.106. This standard establishes

provisions for the safe handling, storage,

and use of flammable and combustible

liquids.

• Spray Finishing Using Flammable and

Combustible Materials, 29 CFR 1910.107.

This standard establishes provisions for spray

finishing operations using flammable and

combustible materials.

• Dip Tanks Containing Flammable and

Combustible Liquids, 29 CFR 1910.108.

This standard establishes provisions for the

use of flammable and combustible liquids in

dip-tank operations.

• Respiratory Protection, 29 CFR 1910.134.

This standard establishes minimum requirements for the proper selection, fitting, use,

care, storage, and maintenance of respiratory

protective equipment.

Finishing Operations

• The Air Contaminants standards, 29 CFR

1910.1000. This standard establishes permissible exposure limits (limits to the airborne

concentrations of a specific chemical that

workers can be exposed to over a specified

period of time) for many of the chemicals used

in finishing operations. The standard further

establishes general requirements for the use

of engineering and administrative controls

and personal protective clothing to ensure that

workers are not exposed above the established

permissible exposure limit.

• The Methylene Chloride standard, 29 CFR

1910.1052. This standard establishes specific

provisions to protect your workers from exposure to methylene chloride. In addition

to establishing permissible exposure limits

for methylene chloride, this standard also

requires the use of exposure monitoring, regulated areas, engineering and work practice

controls, respiratory protection, and medical

evaluations.
Appendix A: References and Standards 43

References

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). 1996. Threshold Limit

Values for Chemical Substances and Physical

Agents— Biological Exposure Indices. 6th ed.

ACGIH. Industrial Ventilation: a Manual of

Recommended Practice. ACGIH Committee on

Industrial Ventilation.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1995. Fatal Workplace Injuries in 1993: A Collection of Data and

Analysis. U.S. Department of Labor.

Hampl, V. 1982. Development of Criteria for

Control of Woodworking Operation. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. July.

Firenze, R. J., and J. B. Walters. 1981. Safety and

Health for Industrial/Vocational Education. U.s.

Department of Health and Human Services. July.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

1997. Woodworker dies when struck by tool knife

launched from overarm router. Occupational Health

Surveillance Program. Fatality investigation report

2:2. February.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and

Health (NIOSH). 1997. Questions and Answers:

Methylene Chloride Control in Furniture Stripping

(Niosh Publication No. 93-133). U.S. Department

of Health and Human Services.

NIOSH. 1975a. Health and Safety Guide for

Wooden Furniture Manufacturing (NIOSH Publication No. 75-167). U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services.

NIOSH. 1975b. Machine guarding—Assessment

of need. U.S. Department of Health and Human

Services. June.

National Safety Council. 1988. Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial Operations: Engineering

and Technology. 9th Ed. Itasca, IL: National Safety

Council.

National Safety Council. 1993. Safeguarding

Concepts Illustrated. 6th ed.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

(OSHA). 1997. Assessing the Need for Personal

Protective Equipment (PPE): a Guide for Small

Business Employers (OSHA Publication No. 3151).

U.S. Department of Labor.

OSHA. 1992. Concepts and Techniques of

Machine Safeguarding (OSHA Publication No.

3067). U.S. Department of Labor. See Index on

OSHA’s Website at http://www.osha.gov.

OSHA Standards

Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),

Part 1910

Subpart D—Walking and Working Surfaces

Subpart E—Means of Egress

Subpart G—Occupational Health and

Environmental Control

1910.94—Ventilation

1910.95—Noise control

Subpart H—Hazardous Materials

1910.107—Spray finishing using flammable and

combustible materials

1910.108—Dip tanks containing flammable and

combustible materials

Subpart I—Personal Protective Equipment (Covers

eye and face, head, foot, hand, and respiratory

protection)

Subpart J—General Environmental Controls

1910.147—Control of hazardous energy (“Lockout Tagout”)

Subpart L—Fire Protection

Subpart N—Materials Handling and Storage

1910.178—Powered industrial trucks

Subpart O—Machinery and Machine Guarding

1910.212—General requirements for all

machines

Appendix A: References and Standards
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

44

1910.213—Woodworking machinery

requirements

1910.219—Mechanical power transmission

apparatus

Subpart S—Electrical

Subpart Z—Toxic and Hazardous Substances

1910.1200—Hazard communication

Other Standards

National Fire Protection Association:

NFPA 10 Installation of Portable Fire

Extinguishers

NFPA 33 Standard for Spray

Finishing Using Flammable

and Combustible Materials

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code

NFPA 644-1993 Standard for the Prevention

of Fires and Explosions in

Wood Processing and

Woodworking Facilities

American National Standards Institute:

ANSI Z9.2 Fundamentals Governing

the Design and Operation of

Local Exhaust Systems

ANSI O1.1-1992 Woodworking Machinery -

Safety Requirements

Appendix A: References and Standards
Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls 45

The National Institute for Occupational safety

and Health (NIOSH) has published a series of

seven Hazard Controls fact sheets concerning wood

dust control techniques. In this Appendix, NIOSH

articles on controlling dust from woodworking

machineries are consolidated for use as applicable.

NIOSH is the federal agency responsible for

conducting research and making recommendations

for preventing work-related illness and injuries.

Hazard Controls are based on research studies that

show reduced worker exposure to hazardous agents

or activities. Copies of the Hazard Controls fact

sheets and additional information about hazard

control can be obtained by calling NIOSH at

1-800-35-NIOSH or visiting NIOSH’s website at

www.cdc.gov/niosh/publistd.html. The following is

a list of NIOSH’s Hazard Controls covered in this

Appendix.

Control of Wood Dust from Horizontal Belt

Sanders, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication

No. 96-121.

Control of Wood Dust from Shapers, DHHS

(NIOSH) Publication No. 96-122.

Control of Wood Dust from Automated

Routers, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-123.

Control of Wood Dust from Large Diameter Disc

Sanders, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-124.

Control of Wood Dust from Random Orbital

Hand Sanders, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication

No. 96-125.

Control of Wood Dust from Orbital Hand Sanders, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-126.

Control of Wood Dust from Table Saws, DHHS

(NIOSH) Publication No. 96-127.

Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

46 Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls

Auxiliary hood Jet stripper

Main exhaust

hood

Work table Work piece

Figure 25. Auxiliary Ventilation System for Horizontal Belt Sanders

Control of Wood Dust from Horizontal

Belt Sanders

Hazard

The use of horizontal belt sanders in woodworking creates significant amounts of wood dust.

Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a

variety of adverse health effects such as eye and

skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function,

asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore,

recommends limiting wood dust exposures to

prevent these health problems.

Controls

Surveys by NIOSH researchers indicated that

wood dust from the horizontal belt sanders used in

woodworking was not effectively controlled. As a

result, researchers developed an inexpensive

auxiliary ventilation system for the horizontal belt

sanders that significantly reduced wood dust

emissions into the workroom.

• Auxiliary Ventilation System

Typically, belt sander emissions are controlled

only by an exhaust hood covering the drive pulley.

The new ventilation system reduced wood dust

emitted into the workroom by more than 75% and

can easily be built into new belt sanders or added

to existing ones. The system consists of two

devices: a narrow Auxiliary Hood and an Air Jet

Stripper (see Figure 25). The Auxiliary Hood is

located between the belt surface and the worktable

downstream from the sanding operation. The Air

Jet Stripper is located inside the main exhaust

hood. These two devices, in combination with the

main exhaust hood, decrease wood dust in the

workroom without affecting the sanding operations. In addition, the Jet Stripper cleans the belt,

reducing the frequency of belt changes. This dust

control device is not currently commercially

available.
Control of Wood Dust from Shapers

Hazard

Wood shapers are a major source of wood dust

emissions. Workers exposed to wood dusts have

experienced a variety of adverse health effects such

as eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung

function, asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH,

therefore, recommends limiting wood dust

exposures to prevent these health problems.

Controls

Surveys by NIOSH researchers found that the

dust from wood shapers tends to be poorly controlled. The amount of wood dust emitted was

found to depend on the sharpness of the cutter, the

depth of the cut, the rate at which the wood is fed

into the shaper, and the location of the exhaust

hood. After studying the usual hood exhaust placement, researchers developed an improved hood

configuration that significantly reduced wood dust

emissions.

• Modified Exhaust Hood

Wood shaper emissions are usually controlled by

an exhaust hood located at the back edge of the

work table which allows the operator to freely

move the workpiece over the table. Placing the

exhaust hood nearer the cutting head would maximize dust collection, however, this would restrict

the operator’s freedom to move the workpiece. To

overcome this problem, a hood extension with a

flexible face opening is added (see Figure 26). The

flexible face opening consists of cloth-covered

chains that allow the wood to pass through, but

stops the wood dust particles. The extension also

increases the hood face velocity by minimizing the

open face area. This dust control device is not

currently commercially available.

Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls 47

Exhaust

Cloth covered

chain

Hood extension

Cutting head

Work piece

Work table

Figure 26. Improved Hood Configuration for Shapers

Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

Router bit

Jets

Brush

Pressurized air

Pressurized air

Exhaust

Work piece

Figure 27. Computer-Controlled Jet Stripper System for Controlling Emissions from Automated

Routers

48 Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls

Control of Wood Dust from Automated

Routers

Hazard

Automated routers have been found to create

significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed

to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation,

allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal

cancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limiting

wood dust exposures to prevent these health problems.

Controls

NIOSH researchers found that the wood dust

generated by automated routers is generally not

adequately controlled. To address this problem,

researchers designed and tested a new control

system that substantially reduced dust emissions.

• Jet Stripper System

Automated routers, consisting of a moving router

head and table, are capable of routing in any

direction. These high speed machines generate

substantial amounts of wood dust. Generally, the

wood dust is controlled by a local exhaust system

located at the router head. Despite this control,

significant amounts of wood dust are emitted into

the workroom. A computer controlled Jet Stripper

System was developed to control these emissions

(see Figure 27). This system consists of 24 jets

combined into 8 operational units uniformly located

around the inside periphery of the brush holder. The

Jet Stripper and brush surround the router bit. The

jets are supplied with pressurized air and are

activated by pneumatic valves as needed. The air

slows down the dust particles so they can be collected by the local exhaust hood. Testing shows that

this system reduces wood dust emissions by 90

percent. The Jet Stripper does not interfere with the

operator, requires minimal maintenance and is

inexpensive to install and operate. This control can

also be used with conventional, one-dimensional

routers with some modification. This dust control

device is not currently commercially available.
Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls 49

Control of Wood Dust from Large

Diameter Disc Sanders

Hazard

The use of large diameter disc sanders creates

significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed

to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation,

allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal

cancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limiting

wood dust exposures to prevent these health

problems.

Controls

Surveys by NIOSH researchers found that wood

dust created by large diameter disc sanders is often

not effectively controlled. To address this problem,

researchers designed a ventilation control system

that significantly reduced wood dust emissions into

the workroom.

• Jetstripper System

The standard dust control arrangement for disc

sanders usually consists of an exhaust hood under

the worktable that covers the lower half of the disc

and a cover around the back of the sanding disc

above the worktable. Even with this control, significant amounts of wood dust are emitted into the

workroom. A Jet Stripper System was designed to

improve dust control (see Figure 28). The Jet

Stripper supplies pressurized air to the disc inside

the hood. The jet of high speed air blows the dust

particles out of the disc air layer so they can be

captured by the exhaust hood. Also, the jet removes

the dust particles embedded in the sanding disc. The

Jet Stripper System reduced wood dust emissions

by an average of 60 percent in laboratory studies.

The advantages of this control are that it does not

interfere with the operator, requires minimal maintenance and is inexpensive to operate. The Jet

Stripper may also extend the life of the sanding

discs by dislodging the wood dust from the sanding

surface. This dust control device is not currently

commercially available.

Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls

Exhaust

Jets

Work table

Disc sander

Exhaust

hood

Jet stripper

location

Pressurized air

Figure 28. Jet Stripper System for Improving Dust Control from Disc Sanders
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

Curved slots

Sander

Vacuum holes

To exhaust

To exhaust

Additional exhaust

Figure 29. Dust Control System for Random Orbital Hand Sanders

50 Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls

Control of Wood Dust from Random

Orbital Hand Sanders

Hazard

Random orbital (rotating) hand sanders have

been found to create significant amounts of wood

dust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye

and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function,

asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore,

recommends limiting wood dust exposures to

prevent these health problems.

Controls

NIOSH researchers found that wood dust created

by random orbital hand sanders is often poorly

controlled. To address this problem, researchers

designed and tested a new control system for these

hand sanders that significantly reduced dust

emissions.

• Additional Exhaust System

Random orbital hand sanders are widely used in

woodworking applications. The dust generated by

these tools is sometimes controlled by an aspirator

in combination with a perforated sanding pad. The

aspirator creates a vacuum to draw wood dust up

through holes in the sanding pad. It was found that,

in spite of this control, large amounts of wood dust

were still emitted into the workroom. A new control

system that uses Additional Exhaust and a Slotted

Sanding Pad was implemented to increase dust

control (see Figure 29). The increased suction of

the additional exhaust alone causes the sanding pad

to be pulled to the work surface making the tool

difficult to use. To alleviate this problem, curved

slots are cut into the sanding pad. This relieves the

pressure caused by the extra suction and provides

additional dust control at the pad periphery. The

new dust control system reduces dust emissions by

approximately 90 percent compared with the

currently used aspirator controlled sander. The new

sander does not interfere with the operator, requires

no special maintenance and is inexpensive to

operate. This dust control device is not currently

commercially available.
Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls 51

Control of Wood Dust from Orbital Hand

Sanders

Hazard

Orbital hand sanders have been found to create

significant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed

to wood dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health effects such as eye and skin irritation,

allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal

cancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limiting

wood dust exposures to prevent these health problems.

Controls

NIOSH researchers found that the wood dust

generated by orbital hand sanders is often poorly

controlled. To address this problem, researchers

designed and tested a new control system for these

hand sanders that significantly reduced dust

emissions.

• Dust Control System

Orbital hand sanders are extensively used in

woodworking processes. The dust from these

sanders is generally not controlled although some

are equipped with dust removal capabilities. However, even the sanders having dust removal do not

effectively control the wood dust generated by the

sanding operation. Therefore, a new control approach was developed. A Dust Control Plenum was

designed and tested on an orbital sander (see Figure

30). The plenum fits between the sanding pad and

the sander body and has a series of exhaust slots

along its edges. An exhaust connection on the top

of the sander pad connects the plenum with a

vacuum source. Laboratory tests show that the

plenum reduces wood dust emissions by approximately 90 percent. The plenum does not interfere

with the operator’s activities, requires no special

maintenance, is inexpensive to operate, and can be

used on any sander, pneumatically or electrically

powered. This dust control device is not currently

commercially available. Call NIOSH for more

information.

Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls

Figure 30. Dust Control Plenum for Orbital Hand Sanders

Sander air supply

Exhaust

Plenum Sander pad

Sandpaper clip

Exhaust opening

Exhaust plenum
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

Moving table

and fence

Divider

plate

Saw

rotation

Exhaust

Exhaust

Side view

Figure 31. Local Exhaust Hood for Table Saws

52 Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls

Control of Wood Dust from Table Saws

Hazard

Table saws have been found to create significant

amounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wood

dusts have experienced a variety of adverse health

effects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy,

reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer.

NIOSH recommends limiting wood dust exposures

to prevent these health

problems.

Controls

NIOSH researchers found that the wood dust

generated by table saws is often poorly controlled.

To address this problem, researchers designed and

tested a control system for table saws that

significantly reduced wood dust emissions.

• Local Exhaust Hood

Table saws are widely used in many types of

woodworking operations. Although they are sometimes used only sporadically, they are found to

generate significant amounts of dust. The traditional method of dust control for table saws is

exhaust through the bottom of the table. This is

often not adequate to control the large amounts of

high speed dust that are generated by the saw blade.

To better control the dust, NIOSH researchers

added a Local Exhaust Hood to the table saw (see

Figure 31). Another modification involved the

addition of a divider plate in the table base to

increase the exhaust velocity and aid clean out. The

table exhaust location was also relocated. The

exhaust hood, when placed over the top of the blade

saw, contains the dust as it is thrown from the saw

blade. Laboratory testing indicates that the exhaust

hood reduces wood dust emissions by greater than

90 percent when it is installed on a typical table

saw. The hood is designed so that it will not interfere with the operator’s activities, is easy to install

and maintain, and is inexpensive to operate. This

dust control device is not currently commercially

available.
53

State and Local Government Resources

Several states have developed relevant requirements, guidelines, or recommendations. These

include California OSHA, CAL/OSHA Guidelines

for Workplace Security, and Model Injury and

Illness Prevention Program for Workplace Security;

the State of Florida, Convenience Business Security

Act, and Study of Safety and Security Requirements

for “At-Risk” Businesses; the State of Virginia,

Report to the Virginia State Crime Commission on

Violent Crime and Workers’ Safety in Virginia

Convenience Stores; and Violent Crimes in Convenient Stores: Analysis of Crimes, Criminals, and

Costs; and the State of Washington Department of

Labor and Industries, Violence in Washington

Workplaces, and Late Night Retail Workers’ Crime

Protection. Information is available from these and

other agencies to assist employers who are trying to

implement an effective workplace violence prevention program. (See also Selected Bibliography.)

Sources of OSHA Assistance

OSHA has a variety of products and programs

available to help employers comply with its regulations and improve workplace safety and health.

These include numerous publications on regulatory

topics, such as hazard communication, asbestos,

bloodborne pathogens, and on programs such as

consultation, voluntary protection, grants, and

training and education to name a few.

Publications are available either as a single free

copy per request or for sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Lists of publications are

available from the OSHA Publications Office, P.O.

Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535, (202)

693-1888 (phone); (202) 693-2498 (fax). OSHA

also has several videos available on loan or for sale

by National Technical Information Service (http://

www.ntis.gov) and its National Audiovisual Service

(see OSHA publication 2019).

OSHA also offers a variety of programs and

initiatives to help employers comply with the

agency’s standards or guidelines, as discussed in

the following paragraphs.

Appendix C: Sources of OSHA Assistance

Safety and Health Program Management

Guidelines

A single free copy of the guidelines can be

obtained from the OSHA Publications Office, P.O.

Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535 by

sending a self-addressed label with your request or

by calling (202) 219-4667. The guidelines are also

available on OSHA’s web site at http://

www.osha.gov/under Federal Register Notices.

State Programs

Many states have their own OSHA-approved

safety and health regulations covering workplaces

in their jurisdiction. The Occupational Safety and

Health Act of 1970 encourages states to develop

and operate their own job safety and health plans.

States with plans approved under section 18(b) of

the OSH Act must adopt standards and enforce

requirements that are at least as effective as federal

requirements.

There are currently 25 state plan states: 23

covering private and public (state and local government) sectors and two covering public sector only.

Plan states must adopt standards comparable to the

federal within 6 months of a federal standard’s

promulgation. Until such time as a state standard is

promulgated, Federal OSHA provides interim

enforcement assistance, as appropriate, in these

states.

A listing of the state plan states appears on the

Home Page at http://www.osha.gov/under Office

Directory; an explanation appears under Programs

and Services. See also the enclosed list of States

with Approved Plans at the end of this appendix.

Consultation Program

Another way OSHA helps employers, especially

small employers, is through its consultation program. Free onsite safety and health consultation

services are available to employers in all states who

want help in establishing and maintaining a safe

and healthful workplace. Largely funded by OSHA

and primarily developed for smaller employers with

Appendix C: Sources of Assistance
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

54 Appendix C: Sources of OSHA Assistance

more hazardous operations, state governments

employing professional safety and health consultants provide the consultation service, on request, to

those employers who ask for help. These consultants offer employers comprehensive assistance that

includes an appraisal of all mechanical systems,

physical work practices, and environmental hazards

of the workplace and all aspects of the employer’s

present job safety and health program.

This program is completely separate from the

OSHA inspection efforts. No penalties are proposed

or citations issued for any safety or health problems

identified by the consultant. The service is

confidential.

Another incentive program, SHARP (Safety and

Health Achievement Recognition Program), recognizes employers with comprehensive, effective

safety and health programs. SHARP is open to

small high-hazard employers to do the following:

• request full-service consultation assistance;

• involve their employees in the development,

operation, and improvement of all elements of

the program;

• work with project consultants for at least one

year to improve worker protection at the site;

and

• meet other program requirements.

In return, employers receive public recognition

for exemplary efforts and achievement, reap the

benefits of extensive professional assistance, and

may be eligible to receive a 1-year exemption from

OSHA general scheduled inspections.

For more information concerning consultation

services, see Programs and Services and the list of

consultation projects under Office Directory on

OSHA’s Home Page, or the Consultation Project

Directory in Appendix D.

Voluntary Protection Programs

OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP)

also help employers and employees recognize and

promote effective safety and health program

management. In the VPP, management, labor, and

OSHA establish cooperative relationships at workplaces that have implemented strong programs.

Sites approved for VPP’s Star, Merit, and Demonstration programs have met—and must continue

meeting—rigorous participation standards. Benefits

of VPP participation include improved employee

motivation to work safely, leading to better quality

and productivity; lost-workday case rates that

generally are 60 to 80 percent below industry

averages; reduced workers’ compensation and other

injury- and illness-related costs; positive community recognition and interaction; further improvement and revitalization for already good safety and

health programs; and partnership with OSHA.

For additional information about the VPP,

contact the VPP Manager in your nearest OSHA

regional office listed under Office Directory on

OSHA’s Home Page or see the lists of OSHA

Regional and Area Offices at the end of this

appendix.

Training and Education

OSHA’s area offices offer a variety of information services, such as publications, audiovisual aids,

technical advice, and speakers for special engagements. OSHA’s Training Institute in Des Plaines,

IL, provides basic and advanced courses in safety

and health for federal and state compliance officers,

state consultants, federal agency personnel, and

private sector employers, employees, and their

representatives. To meet the demand for these

courses, OSHA also has 12 Training Institute

Education Centers nationwide. These centers—

comprised of nonprofit colleges, universities, and

other organizations— offer a variety of OSHA

courses for private and federal sectors.

OSHA also provides funds to nonprofit organizations, through grants, to conduct workplace training

and education in subjects where OSHA believes

there is a lack of workplace training. Grants are

awarded annually. Grant recipients are expected to

contribute 20 percent of the total grant cost.
55

For more information on grants, training, and

education, contact the OSHA Training Institute,

Office of Training and Education, 1555 Times

Drive, Des Plaines, IL 60018, phone (847)

297-4810 or fax (847) 297-4874. See also Programs and Services, Training and Education, on

OSHA’s Home Page.

Electronic Information

Internet—OSHA standards, interpretations,

directives, publications, and additional information

are available or can be ordered online from OSHA’s

Home Page at http://www.osha.gov/.

For example, to search for OSHA standards, go

to the OSHA Home Page and select Standards, or

Federal Register Notices. For information on

specific chemicals or substances, go to Technical

Information. See also categories on Compliance

Assistance, Programs and Services, and OSHA

Software/Advisors. All categories allow search

functions to help you locate the information you

need.

CD-ROM—A wide variety of OSHA materials

including standards, interpretations, directives, and

more can be purchased on CD-ROM from the

Government Printing Office. To order, write to

Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954,

Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Specify OSHA Regulations, Documents, and Technical Information on

CD-ROM, (ORDT); S/N 729-013-00000-5. The

price is $38 per year (4 discs quarterly); single copy

$15. (Foreign costs: $47.50 annually; $18.75 single

copy.)

In addition, OSHA has interactive compliance

assistance software, OSHA Expert Systems, or

Advisors, to help responde to individual compliance

questions. These deal with confined spaces, asbestos, and cadmium. A new test version on fire safety

also is available. These can be downloaded from

OSHA’s Home Page under OSHA Software/

Advisors.

Emergencies

To report life-threatening situations, catastrophes, or fatalities, call (800) 321-OSHA. Complaints will go immediately to the nearest OSHA

area or state office for help.

You can also contact your nearest OSHA area or

regional office listed in Appendix D or online under

Office Directory on OSHA’s Home Page.

Appendix C: Sources of OSHA Assistance

Appendix C: Sources of Assistance
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

56 Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory

Commissioner

Iowa Division of Labor Services

1000 E. Grand Avenue

Des Moines, IA 50319

(515) 281-3447

Secretary

Kentucky Labor Cabinet

1047 U.S. Highway, 127 South

Suite 2, Frankfort, KY 40601

(502) 564-3070

Commissioner

Maryland Division of Labor and Industry

Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation

1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 613

Baltimore, MD 21201-2206

(410) 767-2292

Director

Michigan Department of Consumer

 and Industry Services

4th Floor, Law Building

P.O. Box 30004

Lansing, MI 48909

(517) 373-7230

Commissioner

Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry

443 Lafayette Road

St. Paul, MN 55155

(612) 296-2342

Director

Nevada Division of Industrial Relations

400 West King Street

Carson City, NV 89703

(702) 687-3032

Secretary

New Mexico Environment Department

1190 St. Francis Drive

P.O. Box 26110

Santa Fe, NM 87502

(505) 827-2850

Sates with Approved Plans

Commissioner

Alaska Department of Labor

1111 West 8th Street

P.O. Box 24119

Room 306

Juneau, AK 99802-1149

(907) 465-2700

Director

Industrial Commissioner of Arizona

800 W. Washington

Phoenix, AZ 85007

(602) 542-5795

Director

California Department of Industrial Relations

45 Fremont Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 972-8835

Commissioner

Connecticut Department of Labor

200 Folly Brook Boulevard

Wethersfield, CT 06109

(860) 566-5123

Director

Connecticut Department of Labor

38 Wolcott Hill Road

Wethersfield, CT 06109

(860) 566-4550

Director

Hawaii Department of Labor

and Industrial Relations

830 Punchbowl Street

Honolulu, HI 96813

(808) 586-8844

Commissioner

Indiana Department of Labor

State Office Building

402 West Washington Street

Room W195

Indianapolis, IN 46204

(317) 232-2378
Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory 57

Commissioner

New York Department of Labor

W. Averell Harriman State Office

Building - 12, Room 500

Albany, NY 12240

(518) 457-2741

Commissioner

North Carolina Department of Labor

4 West Edenton Street

Raleigh, NC 27601-1092

(919) 807-2900

Administrator

Department of Consumer and Business Services

Occupational Safety and Health

 Division (OR-OSHA)

350 Winter Street, NE, Room 430

Salem, OR 97310-0220

(503) 378-3272

Secretary

Puerto Rico Department of Labor

 and Human Resources

Prudencio Rivera Martinez Building

505 Munoz Rivera Avenue

Hato Rey, PR 00918

(787) 754-2119

Commissioner

South Carolina Department of Labor

Licensing and Regulation

110 Centerview Drive

P.O. Box 11329

Columbia, SC 29210

(803) 896-4300

Commissioner

Tennessee Department of Labor

710 James Robertson Parkway

Nashville, TN 37243-0659

(615) 741-2582

Commissioner

Labor Commission of Utah

160 East 300 South, 3rd Floor

P.O. Box 146600

Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6650

(801) 530-6880

Commissioner

Vermont Department of Labor and Industry

National Life Building - Drawer 20

120 State Street

Montpelier, VT 05620-3401

(802) 828-2288

Commissioner

Virginia Department of Labor and Industry

Powers-Taylor Building

13 South 13th Street

Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 786-2377

Commissioner

Virgin Islands Department of Labor

16-AB Church Street

St. Croix, VI 00820-4666

(340) 773-1994

Director

Washington Department of Labor and Industries

General Administrative Building

P.O. Box 44001

Olympia, WA 98504-4001

(360) 902-4200

Administrator

Worker’s Safety and Compensation

 Division (WSC)

Wyoming Department of Employment

Herschler Building, 2nd Floor East

122 West 25th Street

Cheyenne, WY 82002

(307) 777-7786

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

58 Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory

Connecticut

Division of Occupational Safety and Health

Connecticut Department of Labor

38 Wolcott Hill Road

Wethersfield, CT 06109

(860) 566-4550

Delaware

Occupational Safety and Health

Division of Industrial Affairs

Delaware Department of Labor

4425 Market Street

Wilmington, DE 19802

(302) 761-8219

District of Columbia

Office of Occupational Safety and Health

D. C. Department of Employment Services

950 Upshur Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20011

(202) 576-6339

Florida

7(c)(1) Onsite Consultation Program

Division of Safety

Florida Department of Labor and Employment

 Security

2002 St. Augustine Road

Building E, Suite 45

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0663

(904) 488-3044

Georgia

7(c)(1) Onsite Consultation Program

Georgia Institute of Technology

O’Keefe Building, Room 22

Atlanta, GA 30332

(404) 894-2643

Guam

OSHA Onsite Consultation

Department of Labor, Government of Guam

P. O. Box 9970

Tamuning, Guam 96931

(671) 475-0136

OSHA Consultation Project Directory

Alabama

Safety State Program University of Alabama

425 Martha Parham West

P.O. Box 870388

Tuscaloosa, AL 35487

(205) 348-7136

Alaska

Division of Consultation and Training

ADOL/OSHA

3301 Eagle Street, Suite 305

P.O. Box 107022

Anchorage, AK 99510

(907) 269-4957

Arizona

Consultation and Training

Division of Occupational Safety and Health

Industrial Commission of Arizona

800 West Washington

Phoenix, AZ 85007-9070

(602) 542-5795

Arkansas

OSHA Consultation

Arkansas Department of Labor

10421 West Markham

Little Rock, AK 72205

(501) 682-4522

California

CAL/OSHA Consultation Service

Department of Industrial Relations

45 Freemont Street, Room 5346

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 972-8515

Colorado

Occupational Safety and Health Section

Colorado State University

115 Environmental Health Building

Fort Collins, CO 80523

(970) 491-6151
Hawaii

Consultation and Training Branch

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

830 Punchbowl Street

Honolulu, HI 96831

(808) 586-9100

Idaho

Safety and Health Consultation Program

Boise State University

Department of Health Studies

1910 University Drive, ET-338A

Boise, ID 83752

(208) 385-3283

Illinois

Illinois Onsite Consultation

Industrial Service Division

Department of Commerce and Community Affairs

State of Illinois Center

100 West Randolph Street, Suite 3-400

Chicago, IL 60601

(312) 814-2337

Indiana

Division of Labor

Bureau of Safety, Education, and Training

402 West Washington, Room W195

Indianapolia, IN 46204-2287

(317) 232-2688

Iowa

7(c)(1) Consultation Program

Iowa Bureau of Labor

1000 East Grand Avenue

Des Moines, IA 50319

(515) 965-7162

Kansas

Kansas 7(c)(1) Consultation Program

Kansas Department of Human Resources

512 South West 6th Street

Topeka, KS 66603-3150

(913) 296-7476

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory 59

Kentucky

Division of Education and Training

Kentucky Labor Cabinet

1047 U.S. Highway 127, South

Frankfort, KY 40601

(502) 564-6895

Louisiana

7(c)(1) Consultation Program

Louisiana Department of Labor

P.O. Box 94094

Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9094

(504) 342-9601

Maine

Division of Industrial Safety

Maine Bureau of Labor Standards

Workplace Safety and Health Division

State House Station #82

Augusta, ME 04333

(207) 624-6460

Maryland

Division of Labor and Industry

312 Marshall Avenue, Room 600

Laurel, MD 20707

(410) 880-4970

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Department of Labor and Industries

1001 Watertown Street

West Newton, MA 02165

(617) 727-3982

Michigan (Health)

Department of Consumer and Industry Services

Divison of Occupational Health

3423 North Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard

Lansing, MI 48909

(517) 322-1817 (H)

Michigan (Safety)

Department of Consumer and Industry Services

Bureau of Safety and Regulation

7150 Harris Drive

Lansing, MI 48909

(517) 322-1809 (S)

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory
60 Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory

Minnesota

Department of Labor and Industry

Conultation Divison

433 LaFayette Road

Saint Paul, MN 55155

(612) 297-2393

Mississippi

Mississippi State University

Center for Safety and Health

2906 North State Street

Sutie 201

Jackson, MS 39216

(601) 987-3981

Missouri

Onsite Consultation Program

Division of Labor Standards

Department of Labor and Industrial Relations

3315 West Truman Boulevard

P.O. Box 449

Jefferson City, MO 65109

(573) 751-3403

Montana

Department of Labor and Industry

Bureau of Safety

P.O. Box 1728

Helena, MT 59624-1728

(406) 444-6418

Nebraska

Division of Safety Labor and Safety Standards

Nebraska Department of Labor

State Office Building, Lower level

301 Centennial Mall, South

Lincoln, NE 68509-5024

(402) 471-4717

Nevada

Division of Preventive Safety

Department of Industrial Relations

2500 West Washington, Suite 106

Las Vegas, NV 89106

(702) 486-5016

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Department of Health

Divison of Public Health Services

6 Hazen Drive

Concord, NH 03301-6527

(603) 271-2024

New Jersey

Divison of Public Safety and Occupational

 Safety and Health

New Jersey Department of Labor

225 East State Street, 8th Floor West

P.O. Box 953

Trenton, NJ 08625-0953

(609) 292-3923

New Mexico

New Mexico Environment Department

Occupational Health and Safety Bureau

525 Camino de los Marquez, Suite 3

P.O. Box 26110

Santa Fe, NM 87501

(505) 827-4230

New York

Division of Safety and Health

State Office Campus

Building 12, Room 130

Albany, NY 12240

(518) 457-1169

North Carolina

Bureau of Consultative Services

North Carolina Department of Labor-OSHA

319 Chapanoke Road, Suite 105

Raleigh, NC 27603-3432

(919) 662-4644

North Dakota

Division of Environmental Engineering

1200 Missouri Avenue, Room 304

Bismarck, ND 58504

(701) 328-5188
Ohio

Division of Onsite Consultation

Bureau of Employment Services

145 S. Front Street

Columbus, OH 43216-1618

(614) 644-2246

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Department of Labor

OSHA Division

4001 North Lincoln Boulevard

Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5212

(405) 528-1500

Oregon

Department of Insurance and Finance

Occupational Safety and Health Division

Labor and Industries Building

350 Winter Street, N.E., Room 430

Salem, OR 97310

(503) 378-3272

Pennsylvania

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Safety Sciences Department

205 Uhler Hall

Indiana, PA 15705-1087

(412) 357-2561

Puerto Rico

Occupational Safety and Health Office

Department of Labor and Human Resources

505 Munoz Rivera Avenue, 21st Floor

Hato Rey, PR 00918

(787) 754-2188

Rhode Island

Division of Occupational Health

3 Capital Hill

Providence, RI 02908

(401) 277-2438

South Carolina

South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing

 and Regulation

3600 Forest Drive

P.O. Box 11329

Columbia, SC 29204

(803) 896-4300

South Dakota

Engineering Extension

Onsite Technical Division

South Dakota State University, West Hall

907 Harvey Dunn Street

P.O. Box 510

Brookings, SD 57007

(605) 688-4101

Tennessee

OSHA Consultative Services Division

Tennessee Department of Labor

710 James Robertson Parkway, 3rd Floor

Nashville, TN 37243-0659

(615) 741-7036

Texas

Workers’ Health and Safety Division

Workers’ Compensation Commission

Southfield Building

4000 South I H 35

Austin, TX 78704

(512) 440-3834

Utah

State of Utah Labor Commission Workplace

 Safety and Health

Consultation Services

160 East 300 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6650

(801) 530-7606

Vermont

Division of Occupational Safety and Health

Vermont Department of Labor and Industry

National Life Building, Drawer #20

Montpelier, VT 05602-3401

(802) 828-2765

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory 61

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

62 Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory

Virginia

Virginia Department of Labor and Industry

Occupational Safety and Health Training

 and Consultation

13 South 13th Street

Richmond, VA 23219

(804) 786-6359

Virgin Islands

Division of Occupational Safety and Health

Virgin Islands Department of Labor

3021 Golden Rock

Christiansted

St. Croix, VI 00840

(809) 772-1315

Washington

Washington Department of Labor and Industries

Division of Industrial Safety and Health

P.O. Box 44643

Olympia, WA 98504

(360) 902-5638

West Virginia

West Virginia Department of Labor

Capitol Complex Building #3

1800 East Washington Street, Room 319

Charleston, WV 25305

(304) 558-7890

Wisconsin (Health)

Wisconsin Department of Health

 and Human Services

Division of Health

Section of Occupational Health

1414 East Washington Avenue, Room 112

Madison, WI 53703

(608) 266-8579

Wisconsin (Safety)

Wisconsin Department of Industry Labor

 and Human Relations

Bureau of Safety Inspections

401 Pilot Court, Suite C

Waukesha, WI 53188

(414) 521-5063

Wyoming

Wyoming Department of Employment

Workers’ Safety and Compensation Division

Herschler Building, 2 East

122 West 25th Street, 2nd Floor

Cheyenne, WY 82002

(307) 777-7786

Other Relevant Addresses

Consultation Training Coordinator

OSHA Training Institute

1555 Training Institute

Des Plaines, IL 60018

(847) 297-4810

Laboratory Services Agreement

Wisconsin Occupational Health Lab

979 Jonathan Drive

Madison, WI 53713

(608) 263-8807

New York Public Sector Consultation Project

New York State Department of Labor

Building #12

State Building Campus

Albany, NY 12240

(518) 457-3518

Director of Consultation Support Services

University of Alabama

College of Continuing Studies

425 Martha Parham West

P.O. Box 870388

Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0388

(205) 348-4585
OSHA Area Offices

US Department of Labor - OSHA

2047 Canyon Road - Todd Mall

Birmingham, AL 35216-1981

Telephone: (205) 731-1534

US Department of Labor - OSHA

3737 Government Boulevard, Suite 100

Mobile, AL 36693-4309

Telephone: (334) 441-6131

US Department of Labor - OSHA

301 W. Northern Lights Boulevard

Suite 407

Anchorage, AK 99503-7571

Telephone: (907) 271-5152

US Department of Labor - OSHA

3221 North 16th Street, Suite 100

Phoenix, AZ 85016

Telephone: (602) 640-2007

US Department of Labor - OSHA

425 West Capitol Avenue

Suite 450

Little Rock, AR 72201

Telephone: (501) 324-6291

US Department of Labor - OSHA

5675 Ruffin Road, Suite 330

San Diego, CA 92123

Telephone: (619) 557-2909

US Department of Labor - OSHA

1391 North Speer Boulevard

Suite 210

Denver, CO 80204-2552

Telephone: (303) 844-5285

US Department of Labor - OSHA

7935 E. Prentice Avenue, Suite 209

Englewood, CO 80111-2714

Telephone: (303) 843-4515

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory 63

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Clark Building

Bridgeport, CT 06604

Telephone: (203) 579-5581

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Federal Office Building

450 Main Street, Room 613

Hartford, CT 06103

Telephone: (860) 240-3152

US Department of Labor - OSHA

1 Rodney Square, Suite 402

920 King Street

Wilmington, DE 19801

Telephone: (302) 573-6115

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Jacaranda Executive Court

8040 Peters Road

Building H-100

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324

Telephone: (954) 424-0242

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Ribault Building

1851 Executive Center Drive

Suite 227

Jacksonville, FL 32207

Telephone: (904) 232-2895

US Department of Labor - OSHA

5807 Breckenridge Parkway

Suite A

Tampa, FL 33610-4249

Telephone: (813) 626-1177

US Department of Labor - OSHA

450 Mall Boulevard, Suite J

Savannah, GA 31406

Telephone: (912) 652-4393

US Department of Labor - OSHA

2400 Herodian Way, Suite 250

Smyrna, GA 30080-2968

Telephone: (770) 984-8700

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

64 Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory

US Department of Labor - OSHA

La Vista Perimeter Office Park

Building 7, Suite 110

Tucker, GA 30084-4154

Telephone: (770) 493-6644

US Department of Labor - OSHA

300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 5-146

Honolulu, HI 96850

Telephone: (808) 541-2685

US Department of Labor - OSHA

1150 North Curtis Road

Suite 201

Boise, ID 83706-1234

Telephone: (208) 321-2960

US Department of Labor - OSHA

1600 167th Street, Suite 9

Calumet City, IL 60409

Telephone: (708) 891-3800

US Department of Labor - OSHA

2360 E. Devon Avenue

Suite 1010

Des Plaines, IL 60018

Telephone: (847) 803-4800

US Department of Labor - OSHA

344 Smoke Tree Business Park

North Aurora, IL 60542

Telephone: (630) 896-8700

US Department of Labor - OSHA

2918 West Willow Knolls Road

Peoria, IL 61614

Telephone: (309) 671-7033

US Department of Labor - OSHA

46 East Ohio Street, Room 422

Indianapolis, IN 46204

Telephone: (317) 226-7290

US Department of Labor - OSHA

210 Walnut Street, Room 815

Des Moines, IA 50309

Telephone: (515) 284-4794

US Department of Labor - OSHA

300 Epic Center

301 N. Main

Wichita, KS 67202

Telephone: (316) 269-6644

US Department of Labor - OSHA

John C. Watts Federal Building, Room 108

330 W. Broadway

Frankfort, KY 40601-7024

Telephone: (502) 227-2348

US Department of Labor - OSHA

9100 Bluebonnet Center Boulevard

Suite 201

Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Telephone: (504) 389-0474

US Department of Labor - OSHA

U.S. Federal Building

202 Harlow Street,

Room 211

Bangor, ME 04401

Telephone: (207) 941-8177

US Department of Labor - OSHA

300 West Pratt Street

Room 1110

Baltimore, MD 21201

Telephone: (410) 962-2840

US Department of Labor - OSHA

639 Granite Street, 4th Floor

Braintree, MA 02184

Telephone: (617) 565-6924

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Valley Office Park

13 Branch Street

Methuen, MA 01844

Telephone: (617) 565-8110

US Department of Labor - OSHA

1145 Main Street, Room 108

Springfield, MA 01103-1493

Telephone: (413) 785-0123
US Department of Labor - OSHA

801 South Waverly Road

Suite 306

Lansing, MI 48917-4200

Telephone: (517) 377-1892

US Department of Labor - OSHA

300 South 4th Street, Suite 1205

Minneapolis, MN 55401

Telephone: (612) 664-5460

US Department of Labor - OSHA

3780 I-55 North

Suite 210

Jackson, MS 39211-6323

Telephone: (601) 965-4606

US Department of Labor - OSHA

6200 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 100

Kansas City, MO 64120

Telephone: (816) 483-9531

US Department of Labor - OSHA

911 Washington Avenue

Room 420

St. Louis, MO 63101

Telephone: (314) 425-4249

US Department of Labor - OSHA

2900 4th Avenue North, Suite 303

Billings, MT 59101

Telephone: (406) 247-7494

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Overland Wolf Building, Room 100

6910 Pacific Street

Omaha, NE 68106

Telephone: (402) 221-3182

US Department of Labor - OSHA

705 North Plaza, Room 204

Carson City, NV 89701

Telephone: (702) 885-6963

US Department of Labor - OSHA

279 Pleasant Street, Suite 201

Concord, NH 03301

Telephone: (603) 225-1629

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory 65

US Department of Labor - OSHA

1030 Saint Georges Avenue

Plaza 35, Suite 205

Avenel, NJ 07001

Telephone: (908) 750-3270

US Department of Labor - OSHA

500 Route 17 South, 2nd Floor

Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604

Telephone: (201) 288-1700

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Marlton Executive Park

701 Route 73 South, Suite 120

Marlton, NJ 08053

Telephone: (609) 757-5181

US Department of Labor - OSHA

299 Cherry Hill Road, Suite 304

Parsippany, NJ 07054

Telephone: (203) 263-1003

US Department of Labor - OSHA

505 Marquette Avenue, NW

Suite 820

Alburquerque, NM 87102

Telephone: (505) 248-5302

US Department of Labor - OSHA

401 New Karner Road

Suite 300

Albany, New York 12205-3809

Telephone: (518) 464-4338

US Department of Labor - OSHA

42-40 Bell Blvd. 5th Floor

Bayside, NY 11361

Telephone: (718) 279-9060

US Department of Labor - OSHA

5360 Genesee Street

Bowmansville, NY 14026

Telephone: (716) 684-3891

US Department of Labor - OSHA

6 World Trade Center, Room 881

New York, NY 10048

Telephone: (212) 466-2482

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

66 Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory

US Department of Labor - OSHA

3300 Vikery Road

Syracuse, NY 13212

Telephone: (315) 451-0808

US Department of Labor - OSHA

660 White Plaines Road

4th Floor

Tarrytown, NY 10591-5107

Telephone: (914) 524-7510

US Department of Labor - OSHA

990 Westbury Road

Westbury, NY 11590

Telephone: (516) 334-3344

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Century Station, Federal Building

300 Fayetteville Street Mall, Room 438

Raleigh, NC 27601-9998

Telephone: (919) 856-4770

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Federal Building, Room 348 3rd & Rosser

P.O. Box 2439

Bismarck, ND 58502

Telephone: (701) 250-4521

US Department of Labor - OSHA

36 Triangle Park Drive

Cincinnati, OH 45246

Telephone: (513) 841-4132

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Federal Office Building, Room 899

1240 East 9th Street

Cleveland, OH 44199

Telephone: (216) 522-3818

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Federal Office Building, Room 620

200 N. High Street

Columbus, OH 43215

Telephone: (614) 469-5582

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Federal Office Building, Room 734

234 North Summit Street

Toledo, OH 43604

Telephone: (419) 259-7542

US Department of Labor - OSHA

420 West Main, Suite 300

Oklahoma City, OK 73102

Telephone: (405) 231-5351

US Department of Labor - OSHA

1220 S.W. 3rd Avenue, Room 640

Portland, OR 97294

Telephone: (503) 326-2251

US Department of Labor - OSHA

850 N. 5th Street

Allentown, PA 18102

Telephone: (610) 776-0592

US Department of Labor - OSHA

3939 West Ridge Road

Suite B-12

Erie, PA 16506

Telephone: (814) 833-5758

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Progress Plaza

49 N. Progress Street

Harrisburg, PA 17109

Telephone: (717) 782-3902

US Department of Labor - OSHA

U.S. Custom House, Room 242

Second and Chestnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

Telephone: (215) 597-4955

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Federal Building, Room 1428

1000 Liberty Avenue

Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Telephone: (412) 395-4903

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Stegmaier Building

7 North Wilksbarre Boulevard, Suite 410

Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701-18702

Telephone: (717) 826-6538

US Department of Labor - OSHA

BBV Plaza Building

1510 F.D. Roosevelt Avenue

Guaynabo, PR 00968

Telephone: (787) 277-1560
US Department of Labor - OSHA

380 Westminster Mall, Room 543

Providence, RI 02903

Telephone: (401) 528-4669

US Department of Labor - OSHA

1835 Assembly Street, Room 1468

Columbia, SC 29201-2453

Telephone: (803) 765-5904

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Green Hills Office Park

2002 Richard Jones Road

Suite C-205

Nashville, TN 37215-2809

Telephone: (615) 781-5423

US Department of Labor - OSHA

903 San Jacinto Boulevard

Suite 319

Austin, TX 78701

Telephone: (512) 916-5783

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Wilson Plaza

606 N. Carancahua, Suite 700

Corpus Christi, TX 78476

Telephone: (512) 888-3420

US Department of Labor - OSHA

8344 East R.L. Thornton Freeway

Suite 420

Dallas, TX 75228

Telephone: (214) 320-2400

US Department of Labor - OSHA

North Star 2 Building

8713 Airport Freeway, Suite 302

Fort Worth, TX 76180-7604

Telephone: (281) 428-2470

US Department of Labor - OSHA

17625 El Camino Real, Suite 400

Houston, TX 77060

Telephone: (281) 286-0583

67

US Department of Labor - OSHA

350 North Sam Houston Parkway

Suite 120

Houston, TX 77060

Telephone: (281) 591-2438

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Strum Thurman Federal Building, Room 804

1205 Texas Avenue

Lubbock, TX 79401

Telephone: (806) 472-7681

US Department of Labor - OSHA

1781 South 300 West

Salt Lake City, UT 84115-1802

Telephone: (801) 487-0073

US Department of Labor - OSHA

AFOB, Room 835

200 Granby Mall

Norfolk, VA 23510

Telephone: (757) 441-3820

US Department of Labor - OSHA

505 16th Avenue, N.E., Suite 302

Bellevue, WA 98004

Telephone: (206) 553-7520

US Department of Labor - OSHA

405 Capitol Street, Room 407

Charleston, WV 25301

Telephone: (304) 347-5937

US Department of Labor - OSHA

2618 North Ballard Road

Appleton, WI 54915-8664

Telephone: (920) 734-4521

US Department of Labor - OSHA

4802 East Broadway

Madison, WI 53716

Telephone: (608) 264-5388

US Department of Labor - OSHA

Henry S. Reuss Building

310 West Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1180

Milwaukee, WI 53203

Telephone: (414) 297-3315

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory
A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

U.S. Department of Labor

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Regional Offices

Region I

(CT,* MA, ME, NH, RI, VT*)

JFK Federal Building

Room E-340

Boston, MA 02203

Telephone: (617) 565-9860

Region II

(NJ, NY,* PR,* VI*)

201 Varick Street

Room 670

New York, NY 10014

Telephone: (212) 337-2378

Region III

(DC, DE, MD,* PA, VA,* WV)

Gateway Building, Suite 2100

3535 Market Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Telephone: (215) 596-1201

Region IV

(AL, FL, GA, KY,* MS, NC,* SC,* TN*)

Atlanta Federal Center

61 Forsyth Street SW, Room 6T50

Atlanta, GA 30303

Telephone: (404) 562-2300

Region V

(IL, IN,* MI,* MN,* OH, WI)

230 South Dearborn Street

Room 3244

Chicago, IL 60604

Telephone: (312) 353-2220

Region VI

(AR, LA, NM,* OK, TX)

525 Griffin Street

Room 602

Dallas, TX 75202

Telephone: (214) 767-4731

Region VII

(IA,* KS, MO, NE)

City Center Square

1100 Main Street, Suite 800

Kansas City, MO 64105

Telephone: (816) 426-5861

Region VIII

(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT,* WY*)

1999 Broadway, Suite 1690

Denver, CO 80202-5716

Telephone: (303) 844-1600

Region IX

(American Samoa, AZ,* CA,* Guam,

HI,* NV,* Trust Territories of the Pacific)

71 Stevenson Street

Room 420

San Francisco, CA 94105

Telephone: (415) 975-4310

Region X

(AK,* ID, OR,* WA*)

1111 Third Avenue

Suite 715

Seattle, WA 98101-3212

Telephone: (206) 553-5930

Appendix D: OSHA Regional Offices

*These states and territories operate their own OSHA-approved job safety and health programs (Connecticut and New York

plans cover public employees only). States with approved programs must have a standard that is identical to, or at least as

effective as, the federal standard.

68