California Wood Dust Regulation Update

Cal/OSHA has extended the comment period for the proposed change to the rule for Airborne Contaminants for Wood Dust until May 19, 2016.

Primary wood products manufacturers in will be impacted but so will all the cabinet, furniture, distributors, etc. who saw or sand wood in the state.

The proposed rule would tighten the limits for wood dust exposure to 1 milligram per cubic meter and lower western red cedar dust limits to 0.5 milligrams per cubic meter. ‘

Downstream users will be impacted by the costs of the control technologies to achieve the levels the state finally decides upon.

To get wood dust down to the proposed level could include enclosed work stations with controlled environments and workers outside those places wearing personal protective equipment all the time.

The implementation costs will be the critical factor and industry association are referencing previous wood dust studies and a lack of clear correlation between this additional tightening of the standard wood dust levels and employee health outcomes.

Within this process, the American Forest and Paper Association [AF&PA] and Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association [HPVA] will provide exhaustive comments on the health impacts of wood dust.

For more information visit this link: https://www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/Airborne-Contaminants-Wood-Dust-and-Western-Red-Cedar.html