• Woodworking machines expose workers to safety hazards and health hazards that employers must control.

Safety hazards and health hazards

The main hazards woodworking poses to employees can be divided into safety hazards and health hazards. Safety hazards expose employees to the risk of immediate injury, such as electrocution from the energized metal framework of an improperly grounded circular saw or severed fingers from contact with a saw blade. Safety hazards include:

• Machine hazards,
• Point-of-operation hazards,
• Rotary and reciprocating motions,
• In-running nip points (pinch points),
• Kickbacks,
• Flying chips or other materials,
• Tool projection,
• Electrical hazards,
• Fire and explosion hazards, and
• Improper maintenance hazards.

Many health hazards are associated with long-term exposure to harmful substances and conditions, but health hazards can cause both immediate (acute) and long-term (chronic) health effects. Health hazards from woodworking machinery include the following.

• Excessive noise: Employees exposed to excessive noise may suffer temporary or permanent hearing loss. The risk of hearing loss increases as noise volume increases and duration to that loud noise increases.
• Excessive vibration: Frequent use of tools that transmit vibration to hands and arms can lead to Raynaud’s Syndrome or hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS).
• Wood dust and carcinogens: Certain types of wood dust can cause acute allergic reactions, while saw dust is considered a Group A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
• Chemical hazards: Exposure to coatings, finishes, adhesives, solvent vapors can affect the central nervous system, causing headaches, nausea, and dizziness. For example, employee exposure to turpentine, a chemical 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.

Hazard controls

Using engineering controls together with work practice controls is the preferred way to control woodworking hazards. When these controls are not possible or provide inadequate protection, employees must be provided with the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). 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 include using guards on a machine to protect employees from the point of operation and other moving components, and using local exhaust ventilation to remove dust and other contaminants at the source.
• Work practice controls minimize exposure to potential hazards by changing how employees do their jobs. For example, workers should always use push sticks to guide short or narrow stock through saws to keep their hands at a safe distance from the saw blades.
• 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.