Industrial Dust and Wood Dust

Wood dust has become an issue that is at the forefront of today’s public policy rule makers.

New! 2010 January UPDATE - WOOD DUST EXPOSURE LAWSUITS (Note that the Alabama litigation that is discussed has been settled with no liability to the named remaining parties.)

Combustibility
First, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) initiated rulemaking on combustible dust in October 2009. Stakeholders are currently providing feedback.

In addition, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has two standards currently in review cycle: NFPA 654, the Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions for the Manufacturing, Processing and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids, and NFPA 664, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities.

Health Impact
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently made a causal link between wood dust and sinonasal and nasopharyngeal cancer. As a start of the regulatory activity, the State of California, which has been looking at wood dust a potential item that would require labeling, is considering whether to lower permissible exposure limits.

Resources
Below are some links to materials that would be helpful in understanding the issues.

• Report on the OSHA stakeholder meeting on December 14, 2009, "Manufacturers voice concerns at OSHA combustible dust meetings"
  

• Combustible Dust: Regulatory and Legal Challenges
  Presentation by Adele L. Abrams at the Small Business Legislative Counsel roundtable, Washington, DC, November 2009

• Combustible Dust…An Explosive Issue
  Presentation by Jamie Scott, Air Handling Systems, at The Dollars and Sense of Going Green conference, Schaumburg, IL, November 2009

• Combustible Dust Update: OSHA's Preliminary Rulemaking on Dust is Underway
  A November 2009 article by legal consultant Keller and Heckman LLP

• OSHA’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, October 21, 2009

• NFPA 654, Standard for the Prevention of Fire and Dust Explosions for the Manufacturing, Processing and Handling of Combustible Particulate Solids

• NFPA 664, Standard for the Prevention of Fires and Explosions in Wood Processing and Woodworking Facilities

• IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans, IARC Monograph, Vol 62

WMMA has formed an Industrial Dust Task Force to monitor the situation. In addition, WMMA is a member of the Inter-Industry Wood Dust Coordinating Committee (IWDCC), organized by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) to help ensure that the woodworking equipment and the wood processing industry and related industries are represented in these public policy discussions and decisions.