Full face or dust mask when milling?

[Woodworks]

21 hours ago, trigger_andy said:

And how many of her respiratory patients where in with sawdust related illnesses? 

 

I understand its a far more serious issue for Chippies working in an enclosed environment and dealing with the fine particulates sanding and planing generates but just dont see bandsaw sawdust being that much of an issue outside in the fresh air. 

 

I guess we can come back to this in 30 years time and see.

 

 

To fair it was mainly smoking related but then there are not many folk exposed to sawdust in comparison with the amount exposed to smoking. Sawdust especially hardwood dust is a known carcinogen regardless 

 

I think the problem for chippies is more the chipboard and MDF dust which are especially bad. Having done both milling and kitchen fitting I get far more dust on my mask from the later as you are making dust pretty much constantly were as working on kitchens you spend far less time making dust even though the dust is probably far more un-healthy. Chippies in a workshop environment should be using good quality dust extraction with fine grade filters in this day and age.

 

The upside to milling is as I understand it, softwoods are less bad as is wet wood. But you could well be milling dry hardwood some of the time.

 

We all choose our own levels of risk but as an asthmatic I take mask use seriously 

[trigger_andy]

1 minute ago, Woodworks said:

To fair it was mainly smoking related but then there are not many folk exposed to sawdust in comparison with the amount exposed to smoking. Sawdust especially hardwood dust is a known carcinogen regardless 

 

I think the problem for chippies is more the chipboard and MDF dust which are especially bad. Having done both milling and kitchen fitting I get far more dust on my mask from the later as you are making dust pretty much constantly were as working on kitchens you spend far less time making dust even though the dust is probably far more un-healthy. Chippies in a workshop environment should be using good quality dust extraction with fine grade filters in this day and age.

 

The upside to milling is as I understand it, softwoods are less bad as is wet wood. But you could well be milling dry hardwood some of the time.

 

We all choose our own levels of risk but as an asthmatic I take mask use seriously 

Fair enough. I dont have asthma. My mill expels the sawdust at the other side to me. Occasionally the wind will lift the dust/chips and blow them in my eye but that very occasionally and its not happened since I fitted a downward pipe. 

 

I agree, its all about managing risk. For example my brother lived in central London and developed asthma and nose polyps from the pollution. He'd have been better off wearing a mask than I'll ever be Milling outdoors.