Sensitivity to wood dust

[k4wils]

Hi all,
I have been woodworking for 30years but recently have found that even the smallest exposure to dust causes my airways and lungs to become inflamed and my asthma to flare up.
I have good dust extraction with ducting and Felders polyester class M filter coupled with a workshop ambient air filter, I use a cartridge half face mask when routing etc.
Has anyone suffered similarly?
I am seriously considering giving up on woodwork!
Any suggestions gratefully received.

Keith

 

[CHJ]

Hi all,
I have been woodworking for 30years but recently have found that even the smallest exposure to dust causes my airways and lungs to become inflamed and my asthma to flare up.
I have good dust extraction with ducting and Felders polyester class M filter coupled with a workshop ambient air filter, I use a cartridge half face mask when routing etc.
Has anyone suffered similarly?
I am seriously considering giving up on woodwork!
Any suggestions gratefully received.

Keith

Sounds as though These Notes are a bit too late or of limited use now but I think something such as the 3M Versaflow is the only thing that is likely to keep it at bay, also a strict regime on reducing body contact of the wood dust.

 

[k4wils]

Thanks for your response, the notes really confirm what I had thought and determined through my own research.
I am considering a Versaflow helmet, but would probably have to spend all my time in the workshop wearing it as slight exposure seems to trigger a response which progressively worsens over a few days. I think I am clutching at straws as it is hard to come to terms with the prospect of giving up.

 

[CHJ]

You don't handle a lot of Iroko by any chance, think that's about the most obnoxious of the bunch.

 

[Chris152]

From the very little I know, it's possible to develop allergic reactions even after many years with no problems - in which case, the solution could be pretty simple. Might be worth a trip to see what the doctor thinks?

 

[k4wils]

Hi CHJ, I’ve been working with both Iroko and Sapele, though not consistently. I do take particular care with them as they do trigger an immediate reaction.
Chris152, have seen my GP who prescribed anti histamine tablets and spray. It’s hard to know if they were effective as I suspended work in the workshop for a few weeks and the symptoms settled. As you say, I think the solution is simple, I think I may be using this forum as a means of talking it through with others who understand the situation.
Hope no one minds!

 

[CHJ]

I'm only a hobbyist wood worker but am highly sensitive to wood dusts/old building dust, although having reacted to an old thatched timber framed building refurbish initially it was Iroko that almost put me in hospital, saw me with emergency medication stored in the 'fridge for a couple of years.

I daren't touch stacks of freshly cut Iroko in timber yards.
Only time, wearing of expensive breathing protection and care with dust transfer by washing etc. has made my hobby pleasurable most of the time.
I often suffer for 48 hrs. if I've spent a day in a wood show where dust is being produced without wearing breathing protection.

Does not need to be exotic timbers, good old English Beech or Yew can hit hard.

 

[Ttrees]

Hello I think I was having reactions with my timber a while back...
I have stocks of iroko mainly but also some meranti exclusively
I think I got a quicker reaction to the meranti ...I've heard it gives some folk blisters.

I was having tingly lips and irritation around my mouth near instantly
I took a break from the timber for about 2 or 3 months and haven't got a reaction since then the same.

I have bad psoriasis (a so called autoimmune disease) and have mouth ulcers sometimes/at that time...
I believe my body went into overdrive because of the possible path of infection through the ulcer...
Something related to my waffling, whatever opinion one has.

I have been planning to make a diy powered respirator
I have compiled a list of basic stuff to make one for cheap somewhere in this forum
or look it up on youtube.
I will dig up some more on the subject when I have time

Good luck
Tom

 

[dickm]

Probably doesn't work, but have seen mention of techniques for desensitisation. SWMBO used to have really severe reaction to some insect bites and we were going to follow up on this stuff, but since we moved to Scotland, the sensitivity has almost completely disappeared, for no obvious reason.

 

[k4wils]

Thanks again for the responses.
I have noticed with Sapele that the smell lingers in the workshop for quite a while after the job is finished, it seems to impregnate the filters and then using the extractor brings it out again. It would be easy enough if it were only the more exotic species which did it, I could just stop working with them, but like Chas it seems to be a general reaction to wood dust.
Tom, I bet you would find a lot of people interested if you could devise a cheap DIY powered respirator, the commercial ones certainly aren’t cheap!

 

[CHJ]

Hello I think I was having reactions with my timber a while back...
I have stocks of iroko mainly but also some meranti exclusively
I think I got a quicker reaction to the meranti ...I've heard it gives some folk blisters.

I was having tingly lips and irritation around my mouth near instantly
I took a break from the timber for about 2 or 3 months and haven't got a reaction since then the same.

I have bad psoriasis (a so called autoimmune disease) and have mouth ulcers sometimes/at that time...
I believe my body went into overdrive because of the possible path of infection through the ulcer...
Something related to my waffling, whatever opinion one has.

I have been planning to make a diy powered respirator
I have compiled a list of basic stuff to make one for cheap somewhere in this forum
or look it up on youtube.
I will dig up some more on the subject when I have time

Good luck
Tom

Any form of breathing filtration is better than nothing but personally would seriously avise against DIY systems, even ignoring the inflated cost profile resulting from 'for commercial use' supply there is a very valid reason adequate PPE is in the 3-almost 4 figure range if it's to meet HSE recomended levels of protection.

If you are experiencing reactions then read the above linked Notes, especially if your livelyhood depends on wood handling.

 

[Ttrees]

Hi Chas
Thank you for those links that you gave me before.
I was going to make this respirator for the time being, more of a anti fogging solution, than
a filtered supply system.
I had suspicions these irritations were from direct contact with shavings from the hand plane,
rather than the dust from sawing of other machining ...
Not done at the time yet, as I was surfacing the timber face and edges.
Plan on having a 3 or 4HP cyclone, with decent filters Pentz recommendations ect
or just blow outside...and additional air filtration also, so its not a long term solution by any means.

I noticed the reaction mostly the times when I was working particularly curly examples,
which makes sense, as your shearing end grain, and that's where you expose/release the vapours/quinones
the most I guess, clearly noticeable with sapelle end grain.

I experienced this most notably, while making a species identification in sapele before
remembering the smell of a few ribbon stripe bits I got, from the local joinery shop before.
I think sapelle smells like carrots and parsnips, I had flu like symptoms...hot nose, ears and face
just from working with it for a week, and no wood exposure had previously.

 

[k4wils]

You are quite right Chas, health is more important than wealth!
It is not the cost of the commercial respirator that discourages me, I would certainly go down that route if I could be sure it would work for me, it is however a risk as I have been wearing a good quality half mask respirator up to this point.
The trouble with all of these things is human nature, they tend to be uncomfortable so they are taken off as soon as you think the dust has cleared, which is invariably too soon. I imagine that I would need to wear one 100% of the time when in the workshop.
Again, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion.

 

[timber]

You are quite right Chas, health is more important than wealth!
It is not the cost of the commercial respirator that discourages me, I would certainly go down that route if I could be sure it would work for me, it is however a risk as I have been wearing a good quality half mask respirator up to this point.
The trouble with all of these things is human nature, they tend to be uncomfortable so they are taken off as soon as you think the dust has cleared, which is invariably too soon. I imagine that I would need to wear one 100% of the time when in the workshop.
Again, thanks to everyone who has contributed to this discussion.

I too have a slight problem.
I too should, as you state ""I imagine that I would need to wear one 100% of the time when in the workshop.

 

[wallace]

I cannot tolerate any dust so have been using the versiflo for a couple of years now. You don't have to spend £1k, you can pick them up used for a couple of hundred and just give them a good clean, I got extra batteries so there on rotation, one ready charged one charging and being used. A charge will last 8hrs. The filters are expensive but if you use the prefilters they last a lot longer.
I use it as soon as I entre the workshop and you soon get used to it, you can get peltor ear defenders that fit onto the side so theirs no excuse not to quickly use them when needed. You have decent eye protection all of the time.
My routine when leaving the workshop is blow my clothes down with an air line and then get a shower, seems extreme but it works

 

[Geoff_S]

Have you considered something like this?

https://www.trenddirectuk.com/air-pro-a ... hr-battery

I have had the Record Power version for years and it has been very, very good. I can't locate the Record Power helmet on the net now, I have attached a picture.

I have never liked face mask type respirators, they either don't seem to fit properly so are useless, or they fit too tight and I like to breathe air in, not suck it!

Basically they suck air in through the top of the helmet through a filter and blow a clean downdraught over your face. Bonus on a hot day as well.

Also, you can pretend you're a Cyberman and scare the kids

 

[Bodgers]

I think pine (or SPF) is known for its ability to bring on intolerance/allergic reactions over long term exposure isn't it?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[CHJ]

 

[k4wils]

Thanks for the continued discussion.
Wallace - your comments give some reassurance that the use of the versaflo full time is an acceptable solution, thanks.
Geoff _s - I had the Trend respirator for a while but found the weight uncomfortable, I am hoping that the Versaflo, which is about 450 grammes lighter, might be OK.
CHJ , the wood toxicity table is something I have come across in the past. As with all things in life, familiarity breeds contempt ( well maybe not contempt but certainly a reduction in caution) and whilst things are going OK you assume that you have the correct procedures in place. It is not until it goes wrong that it becomes evident that you haven’t and by that time it is too late.
I thought that the control procedures I have in the workshop would be sufficient.