• Sawmill operations may include log and lumber handling, sawing, trimming, planing, operation of dry kilns, and more.
• Hazards associated with sawmill operations include those from woodworking machinery and power tools, as well as exposure to harmful substances like wood dust and turpentine.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards in Subpart R contain requirements that focus directly on various industry segments, and 1910.265 contains safety requirements for sawmill operations. Such operations include but are not limited to log and lumber handling, sawing, trimming, and planing; waste disposal; operation of dry kilns; finishing; shipping; storage; yard and yard equipment; and for power tools and related equipment used in connection with such operations.

Working in a sawmill poses numerous hazards. Massive weights and falling, rolling, and/or sliding logs can be very dangerous. The woodworking operations of a sawmill can also be hazardous, particularly when machines are used improperly or without proper safeguards. Woodworking employees often suffer from the following injuries: lacerations, amputations, severed fingers, and blindness. Wood dust and chemicals used for finishing products may cause skin and respiratory diseases. Sawmill hazards are even more dangerous when environmental conditions are factored in, such as uneven, unstable, or rough terrain; inclement weather; or isolated work sites where health care facilities are not immediately accessible.

The regulation contains extensive requirements for facilities and equipment, ranging from guarding to illumination. The rule also lists procedures for log handling, sorting, and storage. Further, specific provisions address dry kilns and facilities.

Exposure to wood dust

Acute exposure to wood dusts can result in eye and skin irritation, asthma, erythema, blistering, erosion and secondary infections of the skin, redness, scaling, itching, and vesicular dermatitis.

Chronic exposure to wood dusts can result in dermatitis reactions, asthma, pneumonitis, and coughing, wheezing, fever and the other signs and symptoms associated with chronic bronchitis. Chronic exposure may also result in nasal cancer.

Exposure to turpentine

The signs and symptoms of acute inhalation exposure to turpentine may include irritation of the skin, eyes, mucous membranes, and upper respiratory tract; salivation, cough, chest pain, and shortness of breath; confusion, headache, dizziness, nausea, anxiety, painful urination, bloody urination, or decreased urine output.

The signs and symptoms of turpentine ingestion include a burning sensation in the mouth and throat; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain; excitement, confusion, ataxia, stupor and seizures; fever; and increased heart rate. The signs and symptoms of chronic exposure to turpentine include dermatitis or eczema, with irritation, redness, swelling, and small or large fluid-filled blisters on the skin. Workers exposed to terpenes (a principal component of turpentine) for longer than five years may also be at greater risk of developing lung cancer.