Wood dust and dust extraction for a home workshop

Sawdust looks harmless. HSE disagrees: wood dust can cause serious health problems, and the finest particles — the ones you can’t see — are the ones most likely to damage your lungs.

What HSE says about wood dust

• Wood dust can cause asthma. HSE says carpenters and joiners are four times more likely to get asthma than other UK workers.
• Hardwood dust can cause cancer, particularly of the nose.
• Settled dust contains the fine particles most likely to damage the lungs.

At work, the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations apply, and HSE sets Workplace Exposure Limits (8-hour averages): 3 mg/m³ for hardwood dust and 5 mg/m³ for softwood dust. For mixtures, the hardwood limit of 3 mg/m³ applies to all of the dust.

Capture it at the machine

HSE’s main control is extraction — also called local exhaust ventilation (LEV) — at woodworking machines, to capture dust before it spreads. HSE says a system should be designed around the machines connected to it, which ones are used together, and the airflow each machine’s maker says it needs. At work, HSE says extraction must be examined by a competent person at least every 14 months.

Don’t sweep, don’t blow

One of HSE’s clearest instructions: never sweep up or use compressed air lines to clean wood dust, because that stirs the fine dust back into the air where it is breathed in. HSE says to use a suitable industrial vacuum cleaner that at least meets the Class M classification.

Dust classes: L, M and H

Makers and HSE refer to dust classes for extractors and vacuums — Makita lists class L, for example, and HSE’s wood dust guidance asks for at least Class M for cleaning up wood dust at work. Check what class a machine is before relying on it:

• The Makita VC2512L is listed by Makita as dust class L.
• Kärcher’s WD 6 P S and WD 3 P wet and dry vacuums don’t have a dust class on their product pages.

If you want a Class M machine, look for “M class” in the maker’s specification itself, not just a listing title. Search Amazon for M class dust extractors.

Three kinds of extraction

The machines in this guide fall into three groups, each described by its maker:

• Tool-triggered extractors and vacuums. The Makita VC2512L and both Kärcher WD models have a socket that starts the vacuum when the plugged-in power tool starts. Makita lists a 32 mm hose and a socket for tools up to 2,600 W; Kärcher lists adapters for connecting power tools. These suit sanders, saws and routers.
• Chip and dust collectors for machines. The SIP 50 litre dust & chip extractor has a 100 mm inlet, a 2 m hose with step adaptors down to 35 mm, and filtration to 0.5 µm. SIP describes it for sanding, planing, thicknessing, sawing and turning, and for bench-top woodworking machines.
• High-pressure, low-volume (HPLV) extractors. Record Power’s CamVac CGV286-3 is a 36 litre, 1 kW machine with a 100 mm inlet and three-stage filtration using two washable cloth filters and a paper filter. Record Power says CamVac machines can be as quiet as 74 dB on single-motor models.

Add a mask for dusty jobs

HSE says that for very dusty jobs such as sanding, a suitable face mask should be worn as well as using extraction, and that masks need to be face-fitted and worn by someone clean-shaven. See eye, face and breathing protection for the FFP classes.

Health checks at work

Because wood dust can cause asthma, HSE recommends health surveillance for workers who may breathe it in, with a baseline check before or soon after exposure starts and regular checks after that, usually annually. If you employ anyone in woodworking, HSE’s wood dust page is the place to start.

Quick checklist for a home workshop

1. Connect extraction to every machine and power tool that makes dust.
2. Clean up with a vacuum — ideally Class M — never a brush or an air line.
3. Wear an FFP2 or FFP3 mask for sanding and other very dusty jobs.
4. Empty and maintain filters as the maker says.
5. Be especially careful with hardwoods.