ODTS Poisioned from woodchips

[Gerbutt]

It's strange that you can have been in the same position many times in the past and then all of a sudden it gets you! One of the chaps I work for has the chip getting stuck on his truck more often than not. The week after I got this I saw him using his feet getting the chip off in clouds of spores, it made me cringe, but he was fine!?

[Haironyourchest]

Interesting thread. Seems like the menace to us is the fungal spores rather than the wood dust itself. Our chippers and saws would not be producing particles fine enough to be called dust anyway, so its definitely the spore side of things to watch out for. Fresh chip should be pretty safe.

 

Those disposable dust masks don't work, false security, get a real mask and shave or cut your beards so it seals properly.

[wicklamulla]

wow interesting reading as i've only just bought a transit tipper and i have been shovelling chip out of my non tipping pickup chip box and non tipping ifor williams trailer for 18 months now, i rarely leave it in there overnoight but i have left it in the trailer for 2 or tree days on the odd occasion and i have seen the dreaded misty plume of spores wafting around but i have been lucky not to get ill from it. Take heed peoples as my ignorance cud have lead to me being very ill.

[Vespasian]

wow interesting reading as i've only just bought a transit tipper and i have been shovelling chip out of my non tipping pickup chip box and non tipping ifor williams trailer for 18 months now, i rarely leave it in there overnoight but i have left it in the trailer for 2 or tree days on the odd occasion and i have seen the dreaded misty plume of spores wafting around but i have been lucky not to get ill from it. Take heed peoples as my ignorance cud have lead to me being very ill.

 

 

 

I don't know, for all we know these spore thingy's might effect different people in different ways.

Might be that you can shovel up woodchip an spores for a month and never be effected..

 

I've disturbed all kinds of crap in my time, spores flinging this way an that.

the only effect they had on me was not being able to breath for a minute till it cleared up...

 

Sort of look at it like a bee sting, some can go into analytic shock, most everyone else just curses their luck and moves on...

[Gerbutt]

I don't know, for all we know these spore thingy's might effect different people in different ways.

 

Might be that you can shovel up woodchip an spores for a month and never be effected..

 

 

 

I've disturbed all kinds of crap in my time, spores flinging this way an that.

 

the only effect they had on me was not being able to breath for a minute till it cleared up...

 

 

 

Sort of look at it like a bee sting, some can go into analytic shock, most everyone else just curses their luck and moves on...

 

 

I've been fine shovelling tonnes in the past with clouds of spores and then the time it got me it was only about tonne. I think if you shovel stuff that's started to go, it'll get you sooner or later

[cornish wood burner]

Lot of talk about the spores but don't forget the carbon monoxide.

Oxidation increases with heat so your fermenting pine could be busy producing CO in the back of your van or chip store. I would expect the clouds of steam and spores seen rising from disturbed wood chip to also contain CO.

[openspaceman]

Lot of talk about the spores but don't forget the carbon monoxide.

Oxidation increases with heat so your fermenting pine could be busy producing CO in the back of your van or chip store. I would expect the clouds of steam and spores seen rising from disturbed wood chip to also contain CO.

 

I have often forked chip out of failed bottom unloaded silos ( curse of the devil) and walking floors without immediately obvious problems. I do get out of breath very easily but at my age...

 

I always had someone keep an eye on me in the silo because of risks of CO or simple low oxygen. From what I understand CO is a problem with very dry wood, people having been killed by it in ships holds.

 

Have you ever sat a logging CO detector on top of your chips?

[cornish wood burner]

I have often forked chip out of failed bottom unloaded silos ( curse of the devil) and walking floors without immediately obvious problems. I do get out of breath very easily but at my age...

 

I always had someone keep an eye on me in the silo because of risks of CO or simple low oxygen. From what I understand CO is a problem with very dry wood, people having been killed by it in ships holds.

 

Have you ever sat a logging CO detector on top of your chips?

Not sure if its restricted to dry wood but certainly the danger from pellet silos is well known.

I think any enclosed area containing wood can be a danger.

This is not really my field, but apparently oxidation of the fatty acids in the wood is believed to be the cause, so presumably fresh wood or pellets could produce CO until the reaction is complete.The reaction increases with temperature so a warmer load of chip will be producing more CO.

Symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea or shortage of breath, some of which have been described on this thread.

Never logged the CO from our chip pile but I think it might be an interesting exercise.

[stickstalker54]

I use the disposable masks with the valve on the front but will be looking for something better as well as installing a decent air filter, Pete

[SteveA]

About a month ago I had an awful cough for more than a week.... I'm pretty sure it was from shovelling woodchip with grey mouldy dust.

The chip pile wasn't very old; think it was only about 7 days old.

 

I'd also been handling a fair amount of damp/ mouldy hay around the same time.

 

Never did see the Doctor because it seems you have to make an appointment unless it's first thing in the morning, or use accident & emergency at the local NHS hospital.

 

Needless to say I coughed my way through it all.... but it wasn't nice.

I resorted to grabbing my sons inhaler for a few days (I'm not asthmatic) and had trouble sleeping due to shortness of breath.

 

 

I'm very, very wary of dusty stuff now and am wearing a mask if there is any risk.

 

Cheers, Steve

 

p.s.... good subject to post & try to raise awareness.

Edited November 8, 2015 by SteveA