Going to use a respirator!

[Paul Downes]

Just wanted to pass on a saftey note. I had been in and out of the wood shop turning mostly cedar for a customer and didn't put two-and-two together until later. I was at work the next day and got real dizzy with a weird vertigo feeling. Enough to make me wonder if I could drive home. I made it home and spent the next two days in bed with weird body tewperature fluctuations and that persistant vertigo. I thought it was the flu. A week or so after recovering mostly, but still having some vertgo, I went back out to turn a cedar bowl for a guy who gave me some nice Arkansaw pink colored cedar. The next day, the vertigo was back with a vengence. It finally occured to me.....maybe I'm allergic to cedar oil. Something to consider given that some woods have some really bad toxic oils in them. Going to use a respirator whenever I turn cocobolo, cedar, and some of those other woods. Somewhere out there is a web site that lists wood toxicities. BE SAFE.

[Don Baer]

Paul,
OSHA has seperate PEL's (Permissible Exposure Levels) for Ceder dust then then for any other wood. It is much lower. The respirator is an excellent idea for anyone working with Ceder

[Andy Hoyt]

Cedar does that to me as well Paul. Dizziness, tight chest, and a huge sense of apprension. I gave away a whole mess of aromatic cedar last spring because of this very issue. Was so bad that I now don't even want to tempt fate with full protection. Some of the rosewoods do the same, but not rearly as severe.

[Keith Christopher]

Haven't had any issues with cocobolo or rosewood, but man Cedar messes me up. I can't even turn the stuff. And drilling it. WOW tears me up.

[Bill Boehme]

I have taken two classes in which someone has chucked up a hunk of cedar and in both cases, I got a severe headache and sinus congestion in short order. Fortunately, in both situations, the instructor made the student stop turning the cedar. It is probably standard practice with most instructors to not allow woods that may cause reactions to some of the participants. This brings up a good point -- if you are taking a class, don't carry along a piece of wood that may present a problem to other turners. BTW, I love cedar, just not its dust.

My favorite turning wood is mesquite and fortunately it is abundant here. Unfortunately, I have figured out that it is the reason for my headaches and sinus congestion. Fortunately, I had some dust masks -- unfortunately, they were not good enough. Fortunately, I now have an Airstream PAPR and it has been wonderful. I can't even smell the wood that I am turning now. No more congestion, no more headaches, it is comfortable, and it makes me look like an Imperial Storm Trooper, except I don't think that they were woodturners.

Bill

[George Conklin]

Google "toxic woods" and you'll find a few.

I think I may get a skin reaction from walnut. After a week or so, I get blisters and then a mean rash on the top of my hand:eek: . The only thing I have turned had been walnut, so that's my guess.

I'm going to try those white cotton inspector gloves. Hopefully that will help.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Paul.......My wife bought me a Trend Airshield recently. I could not believe how well it works. The forced filtered air blowing across my forehead kept me cool enough in the summer heat in my shop that I didn't sweat and therefore didn't get sweat on my glasses when turning. I even used it recently when using a sawsall to cut the fiberglass roof off of my patio. My neighbor said he could see a cloud of dust from that roof that went all the way across my property and into his backyard. When I was finished cutting the roof off, I brought the air hose from my shop outside and blew the fiberglass dust off me before I removed my Airshield and went into the house! You might take a little time getting comfortable wearing one but later you won't want to be without it!

[Jonathon Spafford]

Respirators are really essential for working with any wood. It isn't always the woods that you are allergic to that hurt you the most. I think they are finding out that the minute particles possibly lead to lung cancer and other lung problems. The little white dust masks aren't good enough for blocking out the really small stuff! Respirators are really important!

[Dennis Peacock]

Respirators are really essential for working with any wood. It isn't always the woods that you are allergic to that hurt you the most. I think they are finding out that the minute particles possibly lead to lung cancer and other lung problems. The little white dust masks aren't good enough for blocking out the really small stuff! Respirators are really important!

I agree completely. Some people have even experienced sinus cancer of some type due to wood dust particulate. My doctor always tells me to wear a respirator of sorts to keep the fine dust out of the respratory track. I agree and feel good even after a busy night of sanding.

[Mark Pruitt]

Paul,

I appreciate you bringing this up, as I have several cedar logs that I will soon be cutting turning blanks from. I did not know about cedar being of greater concern when it comes to respiratory protection. I'll take proper precautions.

Thanks again.

Mark

[Frank Kobilsek]

While wood dust certainly can be atributed to several respritory problems a recent study released by Tulane University determined that wood dust does not cause cancer. The study was sponsored by several industrial trade associations, one of which I actively participate in as part of my 'real job'.

Just science, I am not discouraging personal protective gear only sharing facts related to the topic.

Frank

PS: Don't get me going on 'Global Warming'.

[James Duxbury]

I can’t work with cedar or redwood. I turned a beautiful piece of quilted redwood and ended up wearing a heart monitor for a month. That super fine sanding dust generated by sanding on a wood lathe is not good no mater what kind of wood it is. Also I wore the respirator through all the turning and then took it off when I was done and it was in that few minutes that I got the exposure.

Wear your respirator until you get out of the shop or the air has completely cleared. Don’t turn the lathe off and take off the respirator.

I use the Resp-O-Rator. It has HEPA filters, costs under $50.00 and works great with a face shield. Many of these power face shield things have pre filters and fine dust filters that are expensive and who knows what they actually filter out. What is fine dust? HEPA is the best particulate filter made.

Not too sure what to say about these studies about causing cancer. I can remember when studies proved cigaretts did not cause cancer. Not sure about cancer but my whole family died in there sixties from smoking.

[Bernie Weishapl]

After 3 sinus infections in the past 5 months and after reading this I am going to order a Trend and a PSI air cleaner. Hopefully with these and the DC the shop will be cleaner and I will feel better. Those paper respirator filter mask just don't cut it.

[Bill Boehme]

While wood dust certainly can be atributed to several respritory problems a recent study released by Tulane University determined that wood dust does not cause cancer.

A study can't prove a negative (that is, something does not cause cancer) -- the best that it could do is to report that it did not identify a link to cancer based upon the specific parameters of the test. Any condition that results in chronic respiratory problems should be considered as a potential source for respiratory cancer. Several European countries and Australia have all identified wood dust (or extra fine particulate matter, in general) as a carcinogen. Can you provide a link to the Executive Summary and Abstract of the report that you alluded to?

Bill

[Bill Boehme]

I found the information concerning the Tulane study. The study was not geared towards looking for a link between wood dust and cancer. The purpose of the study basically amounted to determining whether wood dust collection methods along with personal respiratory protection gear used in the industry were adequate to provide sufficient protection for employees health. The study followed the health of 1100 workers at 10 facilities involved in various aspect of the wood industry (such as plywood manufacturing and furniture manufacturing, etc.) over a period of six years. The results of the study was that the methods used by the industry for dust control appear to be adequate for employee protection. This was not a cancer research project to determine whether there is a correlation between wood dust exposure and respiratory cancer. If some people in the industry are making that claim, then they are misrepresenting the study.

Bill

[Frank Kobilsek]

Bill,
I'll stand down. Later in the month I will be at my committee meeting and will follow up my understanding of the study.
Frank

[Mark Pruitt]

I found the information concerning the Tulane study. The study was not geared towards looking for a link between wood dust and cancer. The purpose of the study basically amounted to determining whether wood dust collection methods along with personal respiratory protection gear used in the industry were adequate to provide sufficient protection for employees health. The study followed the health of 1100 workers at 10 facilities involved in various aspect of the wood industry (such as plywood manufacturing and furniture manufacturing, etc.) over a period of six years. The results of the study was that the methods used by the industry for dust control appear to be adequate for employee protection. This was not a cancer research project to determine whether there is a correlation between wood dust exposure and respiratory cancer. If some people in the industry are making that claim, then they are misrepresenting the study.

Bill
Bill, I was about to walk down the hall and get into a conversation with a pulmonologist about this, but it looks like you did the investigation and found what I was wanting to know. Thanks for helping to clear this up.

I am always a bit leary of claims that "X" has been proven not to cause "Y", whether those claims are the results of scientific research or not.

[Bill Boehme]

I should note that the National Toxicology Program lists wood dust as a “known human carcinogen.” It is also very important to note that the Tulane study’s focus was on non-cancer respiratory health. It is also possible that the 10 facilities participating in the study made improvements in their dust collection methods over the course of the study and they may not necessarily be fully representative of the industry norm.

Bill

[Paul Downes]

Frank, and Bill. Just a comment on scientific studies. My Dad was a scientist and he told me once that as much as 80% of the work being done on various subjects was corrupted. Something about "good reserch methods piled on top of false premises, and too much money involved".
Wood is far too varied in chemical and structural makeup for us poor humans to know imperically that it does or does not, cause cancer. I bet there are all kinds of chemical compounds in wood that can cause or cure about everything but stupidity. :D

Thanks for the replies everyone. It helps to know I wasn't imagineing or falsely accusing cedar for the illness. Ain't this forum great!!