Thread: What is your experience with wood dust?

Yup, kinda vague but I voted significant 'cos when I do strike something that I react to it blocks up my sinuses & I wake up with a head ache the next day.

I don't react to everything.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

Yup, kinda vague but I voted significant 'cos when I do strike something that I react to it blocks up my sinuses & I wake up with a head ache the next day.

I don't react to everything.

That's fine - I would just like a snap shot of our membership - to be able to say X% report no problems etc. Sure they might not be aware that they have a problem and those that have a problem may be over reacting - it's just a self reporting poll.

Can I encourage everyone to participate.
Thanks

I would be inclined to change the poll question to "How badly do you perceive you are you affected by wood dust?"

Because there is no way of actually knowing the specific impact, but you can say with a certain degree of accuracy, I perceive I am being effected this much.

+1 Voted

Wouldn't hurt to run a poll on what side effects people are experiencing... Can't hurt to know what side effects to keep an eye out for.

Originally Posted by HeadScratcher

I would be inclined to change the poll question to "How badly do you perceive you are you affected by wood dust?"

Because there is no way of actually knowing the specific impact, but you can say with a certain degree of accuracy, I perceive I am being effected this much.

+1 Voted

Wouldn't hurt to run a poll on what side effects people are experiencing... Can't hurt to know what side effects to keep an eye out for.

I am assuming these will be almost exclusively as a perception response. I wanted to keep the question as simple as possible.

For me I am affected ( I voted moderately) but it depends on the concentration of dust, the higher the concentration the more likely I am to start sneezing, but that goes for most other sources of dust/pollen, cats, dogs, horses, dry grass etc all set me off of the concentation is too high


Pete

I assumed you meant affected by acute respiratory/skin/eye symptoms. I voted mild (to some woods)

Originally Posted by mic-d

I assumed you meant affected by acute respiratory/skin/eye symptoms. I voted mild (to some woods)

That's fine - I'm not that worried about the how, just if does and if so roughly how much.

I voted 'mildly'; mahogany dust gives me red boogers.

And you can't eat the red ones.

Bobl

Like most, I am currently mildly affected by some materials, especially engineered products - eg sore eyes and cough from MDF.

However, the invisible dust problem may have an incubation period of 20, 30 or more years, with no effects in that period, and then suddenly one has emphasema, lung cancer, or whatever, and the effect could only be rated as extreme.

Fair Winds

Graeme

Originally Posted by GraemeCook

However, the invisible dust problem may have an incubation period of 20, 30 or more years, with no effects in that period, and then suddenly one has emphasema, lung cancer, or whatever, and the effect could only be rated as extreme.

Thanks for voting and, Yep - I agree the survey is full of holes. It is most likely that people that are highly sensitive to dust and sneeze at the first sign of it are less likely to get cancers because they the ones that will take appropriate precautions.

This survey is mainly to address the fact that I hear quite a few people claim - "I have never heard of anyone being affected by wood dust".
So far more than 50% are affected in some way even if it is mildly.

So please keep voting folks.

Thanks
Bob

A snotty nose is an effect and that is why I voted mildy... I don't think there would be too many people that don't suffer from at least that after a day on the tools (unless they have good filtering and it doesn't make their nose to start with).

Perhaps that could be a rough guide? if you have an increase in snot the next day, you need to step up your system until it stops

Originally Posted by HeadScratcher

A snotty nose is an effect and that is why I voted mildy... I don't think there would be too many people that don't suffer from at least that after a day on the tools (unless they have good filtering and it doesn't make their nose to start with).

Perhaps that could be a rough guide? if you have an increase in snot the next day, you need to step up your system until it stops

Thanks for voting.

Your suggestion is probably better than nothing but I reckon wood dust is probably like UV, some people are mildly exposed don't feel anything at all and still contract melanoma many years later.

Certainly wouldn't be a definitive test by any means, but any additional volume or change in regular pattern, i.e. goes hard or has blood in it, suggests that the body is trying to fight back against a foreign body.
A filtering system that works to the point whereby no change is recorded in the nasal cavity on a regular basis should be a minimum starting point, as that can be easily measured, you already have the test equipment provided by your parents.
As for the stuff that is smaller than that… it is very difficult for the average person to measure the manufacturers claim that their product is filtering to the level they are claiming. Again everyone’s nose will react different to dust, but at least it is a base line measurement for your own nose.