OSHA 3157 - A Guide for Protecting Workers From Woodworking Hazards

Small Business Safety Management Series

U.S. Department of LaborOccupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA 31571999

A Guide for Protecting Workersfrom Woodworking Hazards

A Guide for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards

This informational booklet is intended to provide ageneric, nonexhaustive overview of a particularstandards-related topic. This publication does notitself alter or detemine compliance responsibilities,which are set forth in OSHA standards themselves,and the Occupational Safety and Health Act.Moreover, because interpretations and enforcementpolicy may change over time, for additional guid-ance on OSHA compliance requirements, the readershould consult current administrative interpreta-tions and decisions by the Occupational Safety andHealth Review Commission and the courts.

Material contained in this publication is in thepublic domain and may be reproduced, fully orpartially, with out the permission of the FederalGovernment. Source credit is requested but notrequired.

This information will be made available to sensoryimpaired individuals upon request. Voice phone(202) 693-2300; Telecommunications Device forthe Deaf (TDD) message referral phone:1-800 326-2577.

Small Business Safety Management Series

U.S. Department of LaborOccupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA 31571999

A Guide for Protecting Workersfrom Woodworking Hazards

Contents iii

Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................................1Who Should Read This Guide? ............................................................................................................... 1How Will This Guide Help Protect My Employees? ................................................................................. 1What Standards Cover Woodworking? ................................................................................................... 1What Are the Main Types of Hazards Associated with Woodworking Operations? ................................ 2

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control ................................................ 3How Can My Employees Recognize the Hazards of Woodworking Equipment? ................................... 3What Controls Are Available to Help Protect My Employees from Machine Hazards? ........................... 5What Engineering Controls Are Available to Help Protect My Employees from Machine Hazards? ....... 6What Procedural and Administrative Controls Are Needed to Protect Employees from

Equipment Hazards?......................................................................................................................... 10

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls .............................................................. 12Circular/Crosscut/Ripsaws .................................................................................................................... 12Overhead Swing and Straight Line Pull Cutoff Saws ............................................................................ 13Radial Saws .......................................................................................................................................... 14Band Saws ............................................................................................................................................ 15Jig Saws ................................................................................................................................................ 17Jointers .................................................................................................................................................. 17Shapers ................................................................................................................................................. 18Power-Feed Planers/Moulders .............................................................................................................. 19Lathes ................................................................................................................................................... 20Sanders ................................................................................................................................................. 22Routers .................................................................................................................................................. 23Tenoning Machine ................................................................................................................................. 24Boring/Mortising Machine ...................................................................................................................... 24

Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking ............................................................................................. 26What Are Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking? ............................................................................... 26What Are the Electrical Hazards? ......................................................................................................... 26How Can I Protect My Employees from Electrical Hazards? ................................................................ 26What Are the Machine Maintenance Hazards? ..................................................................................... 26How Can I Protect My Employees from Machine Maintenance Hazards?............................................ 26How Can I Develop an Effective Lockout and Tagout Program? .......................................................... 27Is My Facility Susceptible to Fire and Explosion? ................................................................................. 27How Can I Protect My Employees and Facility from Fires and Explosions........................................... 27What Other Fire Protection Measures Should Be Taken? .................................................................... 28What Should You Do to Protect Your Workers in the Event of a Fire? .................................................. 28

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control .............................................................. 29What Are the Health Hazards of Wood Dust? ....................................................................................... 29How Can I Protect My Employees from Wood Dust? ........................................................................... 29What Are My Options for Noise Control? .............................................................................................. 32What Are the Health Hazards of Vibration? .......................................................................................... 33How Can I Protect My Workers from Vibration?.................................................................................... 33

Contents


Contents (continued)iv

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE ) .............................................................................................. 35What Is PPE? ........................................................................................................................................ 35Once I Have Provided My Employees with the Necessary PPE, Is My Job Done? .............................. 39

Finishing Operations .......................................................................................................................... 40What Are the Hazards of the Chemicals Used in Finishing? ................................................................. 40How Can I Protect My Employees from the Chemicals Used in Finishing? .......................................... 40

Appendix A: References and Standards ........................................................................................... 43

Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls ................................................................................................ 45

Appendix C: Sources of OSHA Assistance ...................................................................................... 53

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory .................................................................................................. 56

List of TablesTable 1: How Do Injuries Occur at the Point of Operation?..................................................................... 3Table 2: Types of Machine Guards.......................................................................................................... 8Table 3: Other Methods of Safeguarding Machines ................................................................................ 9Table 4: Allowable Daily Noise Exposure Limits—Unprotected ............................................................ 32Table 5: PPE Items Typically Used in the Woodworking Industry ......................................................... 35Table 6: Minimum Criteria for Selecting ANSI-Approved Eye Protection .............................................. 36Table 7: OSHA Standards Relevant to Finishing Operations ................................................................ 42

List of FiguresFigure 1: Reciprocating Movement ......................................................................................................... 4Figure 2: In-Running Nip Points .............................................................................................................. 4Figure 3: Push Stick Work Practice Control ............................................................................................ 5Figure 4: Fixed Guard on Belt and Pulley ............................................................................................... 6Figure 5: Fixed Guard on Planer ............................................................................................................. 6Figure 6: Adjustable Guard on Table Saw ............................................................................................... 7Figure 7: Adjustable Guard on Horizontal Band Saw.............................................................................. 7Figure 8: Self-Adjusting Guard on Table Saw ......................................................................................... 7Figure 9: Self-Adjusting Guard on Jointer ............................................................................................... 7Figure 10: Push Stick and Push Block .................................................................................................. 10Figure 11: Enclose the Saw Blade with a Self-Adjusting Guard ............................................................ 13Figure 12: Overhead Swing Saw .......................................................................................................... 13Figure 13: Radial Saw with Self-Adjusting Guard ................................................................................. 15Figure 14: Adjustable Guard on Band Saw ........................................................................................... 16Figure 15: Jig Saw ................................................................................................................................ 17Figure 16: Jointer with Self-Adjusting Guard......................................................................................... 18Figure 17: Shaper with Adjustable Guard ............................................................................................. 19Figure 18: Planer................................................................................................................................... 20Figure 19: Plexiglass Guard on Lathe Protects Operator from Flying Chips ........................................ 21Figure 20: Drum Sander........................................................................................................................ 22Figure 21: Belt and Disc Sander ........................................................................................................... 22Figure 22: Router with Adjustable Tool Guard....................................................................................... 23Figure 23: Single-End Tenoning Machine ............................................................................................. 24

Contents (continued) v

Figure 24: Chain Mortising Machine ..................................................................................................... 25Figure 25: Auxiliary Ventilation System for Horizontal Belt Sanders ..................................................... 46Figure 26: Improved Head Configuration for Shapers .......................................................................... 47Figure 27: Computer Controlled Jet Stripper System for Controlling Emmisssions from

Automated Routers ........................................................................................................................... 48Figure 28: Jet Stripper System for Improving Dust Control from Disc Sanders .................................... 49Figure 29: Dust Control System for Random Orbital Hand Sanders ..................................................... 50Figure 30: Dust Control Plenum for Orbital Hand Sanders ................................................................... 51Figure 31: Local Exhaust Head for Table Saws .................................................................................... 52

Contents (continued)

1Introduction

Machines used in woodworking are dangerous,particularly when used improperly or withoutproper safeguards. Workers operating woodworkingequipment suffer the following common injuries:laceration, amputation, severed fingers, and blind-ness. Wood dust and the chemicals used in finishingare health hazards, and workers in this industry cansuffer from skin and respiratory diseases.

The purpose of this guide is to help employersprovide a safe and healthful workplace. The guidedescribes the principal hazards of woodworkingand the methods for controlling these hazards. Theguide is not a substitute for Occupational Safetyand Health Administration (OSHA) standardsrelated to woodworking, but can help clarify theregulatory language and technical informationcovered in those standards. For more comprehen-sive information, consult the General IndustryStandards, Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations(CFR), Part 1910. In particular, Subpart O of theGeneral Industry Standards establishes specificmachinery and machine guarding requirements formuch of the equipment discussed in this guide.Specific OSHA standards for woodworking arelisted in Appendix A of this guide.

Who Should Read This Guide?

If you employ one or more persons to operatewoodworking equipment, you should read thisguide. This includes employers in industries mak-ing wood furniture (household, office, public, andrestaurant); wood office and store fixtures; kitchencabinets and bathroom vanities; industrial patterns;wood containers; wooden musical instruments andtoys; and other wood products. Employers atfabricated wood millwork establishments (e.g.,establishments that produce doors, windows,porches, and shutters) are also included. This guidedoes not cover logging operations or the productionof lumber and basic wood materials at pulp, paper,or saw mills.

There are many safety and health hazards associ-ated with the above industries. This guide focusesprimarily on the safety hazards associated withwoodworking machinery and the health hazards ofwood dust.

How Will This Guide Help Protect MyEmployees?

This guide will familiarize you with the hazardsof woodworking and the control options for protect-ing your employees from these hazards. Employingthe recommended controls can help you preventworkplace injuries.

This guide also will help you comply withOSHA standards related to woodworking. OSHAregulations require you to protect your employeesfrom workplace hazards caused by machines andhazards associated with the processed material(wood).

What Standards Cover Woodworking?

OSHA has specific standards covering wood-working equipment plus other general regulationsthat address hazards common to woodworkingfacilities. This publication primarily covers theregulations for woodworking equipment. A list ofthe general OSHA regulations covering hazardscommon to woodworking facilities is included inAppendix A.

Standards for Woodworking Machinery

• General Requirements for All Machines,29 CFR 1910.212

• Woodworking Machinery Requirements,29 CFR 1910.213

• Mechanical Power Transmission Apparatus,29 CFR 1910.219

• Standard for the Prevention of Fires andExplosions in Wood Processing andWoodworking Facilities, NFPA 644-1993

• Woodworking Machinery—SafetyRequirements, ANSI O1.1-1992

For a detailed list of other OSHA standards thatmay apply to the woodworking industry, seeAppendix A.

Indroduction


2

In this document, “shall” and “must” are used toindicate when a control device or other safeguard isrequired by OSHA; “should” is used to indicaterecommended safe work practices.

What Are the Main Types of HazardsAssociated with WoodworkingOperations?

The principal hazards of woodworking can beclassified as either safety or health hazards. Safetyhazards can cause immediate injury to a worker.For example, if not properly grounded, the metalframework of a circular saw could become ener-gized and possibly electrocute an employee. Or, if aworker’s hands were to contact a saw blade, he orshe could have one or more fingers cut off.

Safety Hazards

• Machine hazards

– Point of operation

– Rotary and reciprocating movements

– In-running nip points (pinch points)

• Kickbacks

• Flying chips, material

• Tool projection

• Fire and explosion hazards

• Electrical hazards

Health Hazards

• Noise

• Vibration

• Wood dust—carcinogens

• Chemical hazards—from exposure to coatings,finishings, adhesives, solvent vapors

This manual primarily focuses on machineguarding (safety) and wood dust (health) hazardsand their controls; however, all of the safety andhealth topics listed above are addressed.

Introduction

Most health hazards are associated with long-term exposure to certain substances or to excessivenoise levels or vibrations. Certain types of wooddust, for example, can cause allergic reactions, andsaw dust has been determined to be a group Acarcinogen by the International Agency for Re-search on Cancer (IARC). Likewise, some finishesand coatings used in finishing processes containchemicals that can affect the central nervoussystem, causing headaches, nausea, and dizziness.Health hazards can cause both immediate (acute)and longer-term (chronic) health effects. Forexample, exposure to turpentine, a chemical used insome furniture waxes and finishes, can result in arange of health effects, from temporary irritation ofthe eyes and skin to kidney and bladder damage.

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How Can My Employees Recognize theHazards of Woodworking Equipment?

It is important to train/teach your employees howto identify hazards related to their assigned jobtasks. This section provides an overview of themajor safety hazards associated with woodworkingequipment. The section “Specific WoodworkingEquipment Hazards and Controls” covers in moredetail each of these hazards and discusses recom-mended controls for specific types of machinerytypically used in woodworking operations.

Point of Operation

The point of operation is the place where work isperformed on the material. This is where the stockis cut, shaped, bored, or formed. Most woodwork-ing machines use a cutting and/or shearing action.Table 1 lists examples of how injuries can occur atthe point of operation.

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworkingand Methods of Control

Table 1.How Do Injuries Occur at the Point of Operation?

Rotating and Reciprocating Movements

All machines operate by rotating or reciprocatingmotion or by a combination of these motions. Forexample, rotary cutting and shearing mechanisms,rotating wood stock, flywheels, shaft ends, andspindles all rotate. Rotating action is hazardousregardless of the speed, size, or surface finish of themoving part. Rotating parts and shafts, such asstock projecting from the chuck of a lathe, cancatch hair or clothing and draw the operator in. Thiscan seriously mangle or crush the operator. Rotat-ing parts and stock can also force an arm or handinto a dangerous position, breaking bones andlacerating or severing a hand or other parts of alimb. Bolts, projecting keys, or screws on rotatingparts increase the danger of getting caught by therotary part. Operators can also be struck by aprojecting bolt or key.

• Employees can be injured if their hands get too close to the blade, particularly when working onsmall pieces of stock. The size of the piece dictates that the operator’s hand be close to the blade.Accidents can occur when stock unexpectedly moves or when a worker’s hand slips.

• Stock can get stuck in a blade and actually pull the operator’s hands into the machine.

• Employees can be injured if the machine or its guard is not properly adjusted or maintained. Animproperly adjusted radial saw, for example, might not return to its starting position after making acut.

• If the machine has controls that are not recessed or remote, and the equipment is accidentally started,a worker’s hands may be caught at the point of operation.

• Contact also can occur during machine repair or cleaning if care is not taken to de-energize themachine—that is, if lockout/tagout procedures are not followed.

• An employee may be injured if he or she reaches in to clean a saw or remove a piece of wood afterthe saw has been turned off, but is still coasting or idling. Also, saw blades often move so fast that itcan be difficult to determine whether they are moving. This is especially a problem under fluorescentlighting.

Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control


Source: Concepts and Techniques of MachineSafeguarding, OSHA

4

Reciprocating movement is back-and-forth orup-and-down motion. Operators can be caught andcrushed by reciprocating movement when themoving part approaches or crosses a fixed part ofthe machine. (See Figure 1.)

Figure 1. Reciprocating Movement

In-Running Nip Points

In-running nip points (or pinch points) are aspecial danger arising from rotating or reciprocat-ing parts. They occur whenever machine partsmove toward each other or when one part movespast a stationary object. Parts of the body may becaught between or drawn into the nip point andcrushed, mangled, or severed. Figure 2 shows somein-running nip points that may be encountered inthe woodworking industry. The nip points in thisfigure are located where the belts or chains ap-proach the pulleys or gears, or where the rotatingparts approach the stationary components.

Kickbacks

Kickbacks occur when a saw seizes the stock andhurls it back at the operator. This can happen whenthe stock twists and binds against the side of theblades or is caught in the teeth. A blade that is notsharpened, or that is set at an incorrect height, cancause kickbacks. Poor-quality lumber (in otherwords, frozen lumber or lumber with many knots orforeign objects such as nails) can also result inkickbacks. Hazards due to kickbacks are mostlikely when there is a lack of safeguards, such asspreaders, anti-kickback fingers, and gauge or rip



Table

Bed(stationary)

C

Nip Point

Nip point

Nip point

Nippoint

Nippoint

NippointNip

point

Nip point

Typical nip points

A

B

Figure 2. In-Running Nip Points

fences. Kickbacks occur more often when cuttingparallel to the wood grain (ripping) than whencross-cutting.

Flying Chips

Employees may be exposed to splinters andchips that are flung by the cutting action ofwoodworking equipment.

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Tool Projection (Unbalanced Cutter Heads)

Many pieces of woodworking equipment—suchas routers, shapers, and molders—employ rotatingcutter heads with multiple knives. Cutter heads thatare not properly adjusted, or that are poorlymounted or have broken knives, can becomeunbalanced. Balance is critical for keeping knivessecured to a rapidly moving cutter head. Thecentrifugal forces on an unbalanced cutter head canfling the knives from the tool and severely or fatallyinjure the operator or other nearby personnel. Usingthe wrong tool on a cutter head or using a tool at ahigher speed than it was designed to operate at alsocan cause tool breakage and projection.

What Controls Are Available to HelpProtect My Employees from MachineHazards?

The preferred way to control hazards is throughengineering or work practice controls. When these


controls are not possible or do not provide adequateprotection, personal protective equipment (PPE)must be provided as a supplement. Employers mustinstitute all feasible engineering and work practicecontrols to eliminate or reduce hazards before usingPPE to protect employees.

Engineering controls involve physically chang-ing the machine or work environment to preventemployee exposure to the potential hazard. Ex-amples are using a guard on a machine, or usinglocal exhaust ventilation to remove dust and othercontaminants at the source.

Work practice controls involve removing youremployees from exposure to the potential hazard bychanging the way they do their jobs. For example,workers should always use push sticks to guideshort or narrow pieces of stock through saws. Usinga push stick allows saw operators to keep theirhands at a safe distance from the saw blades. (SeeFigure 3.)

Router Operator Killedby Flying Tool

A 32-year-old experienced woodworkerwas fatally injured at work while operatingan overarm router. The worker was makingcustom rosettes when a steel tool knife waspropelled from the rosette cutter. The knifepenetrated a Plexiglas shield, and thenpenetrated and exited his chest. The knifericocheted off a wall before landing.

The knife, measuring approximately 1 5/8inches square, was part of a cutter-headassembly that had been previously used on adrill press at much lower cutting speeds. Itwas custom designed for the drill press, notfor the router, which is run at much higherspeeds. The knife was held in the cutter headby flat shims and set screws; the screwscould not counteract the centrifugal forcesgenerated by the high-speed rotation.

Fatality Investigation Report 2:2, Febru-ary 1997, Occupational Health SurveillanceProgram, Massachusetts Department ofPublic Health.

Source: Accident Prevention Manual forIndustrial Operations, National Safety Council

Figure 3. Push Stick Work Practice Control

Personal protective equipment encompasses awide variety of devices and garments designed toprotect workers from injuries. Examples includerespirators, goggles, safety shields, hard hats,gloves, earmuffs, and earplugs.



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What Engineering Controls Are Availableto Help Protect My Employees fromMachine Hazards?

Machine Guarding

Guards are now standard equipment on mostwoodworking machines. If you purchase a machinethat does not come equipped with a guard, installone. Contact the manufacturer of the machine to seeif appropriate guard(s) are available for the equip-ment. If not, use this guide to help you determinethe appropriate guard to install. Because wood-working equipment is dangerous, guards shouldalways be designed and installed by technicallycompetent and qualified persons. In addition, it isalways a good idea to have the equipment manufac-turer review proposed guard designs to ensure thatthe guard will adequately protect employees andallow safe operation of the equipment.

There are many ways to guard machines. Thetype of operation, size or shape of stock, workbeing performed on the material, method of han-dling, and production requirements are some of thefactors that help determine the appropriate safe-guarding method for an individual machine. Allmoving machine parts that may cause injury mustbe safeguarded. This includes the point of opera-tion, the power transmission apparatus, and rotaryor reciprocating parts. Table 2 describes three typesof machine guards commonly used on woodwork-ing machinery: fixed, adjustable, and self-adjusting.

To be effective, a guard should prevent employ-ees from contacting the dangerous parts of themachines, and it should be secure. This is notalways possible, as in the case of the radial armsaw. Regardless, workers should not be able toeasily bypass, remove, or otherwise tamper with theguard. In protecting the worker, however, the guardmust not create additional hazards, nor prevent theworker from performing the job.

Make sure that guards are in working order andthat they are appropriate and practical for themachinery. Guards must have adequate strength toresist blows and strains and should be constructedto protect operators from flying splinters and


machine parts such as broken saw teeth, cuttingheads, and tools.

For more information on methods of machineguarding (including construction of guards), consultAppendix A of this guide. The section “SpecificWoodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls”provides more detailed information on guard typesfor specific woodworking machines.

Source: Health and Safety Guide for Wooden FurnitureManufacturing, NIOSH

Figure 5. Fixed Guard on Planer

Planer guard

Figure 4. Fixed Guard on Belt and Pulley


InspectionPanel

7Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworkingand Methods of Control


Figure 6. Adjustable Guard on Table Saw

Guard

Saw blade

Handle for extendingor retracting guardover blade

Crank forheightadjustment

Figure 8. Self-Adjusting Guard on Table Saw


First guard

Second guard

Figure 9. Self-Adjusting Guard on Jointer


Guard

Stock

Figure 7. Adjustable Guard on HorizontalBand Saw



Adjustment knob

Blade

Guard


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Table 2. Types of Machine Guards

Types of Machine Guards

ExamplesType SafeguardingAction

Advantages Limitations

Fixed Provides a barrierand is a permanentpart of machine.

• Can be constructedto suit many spe-cific applications.

• Can providemaximumprotection.

• Usually requireslittle maintenance.

• Suitable to highproduction, repeti-tive operations.

• May interfere withvisibility.

• Machine adjust-ment and repairoften requireremoval of guard.

• Other means ofprotecting mainte-nance personneloften required(i.e., lockout).

Use on:• In-running rolls.• Belts and pulleys(see Figure 4).

• Power transmis-sion apparatus.

• Cutting heads ofplaners and otherautomatic-feedequipment (seeFigure 5).

Provides a barrierthat may be ad-justed to facilitate avariety of produc-tion operations.

• Can be constructedto suit manyspecific applica-tions.

• Can be adjusted toadmit varying sizesof stock.

• Hands may enterdanger areaprotection maynot be complete atall times.

• May requirefrequent mainte-nance oradjustment.

• Operator maymake guardineffective.

• May interferewith visibility.

Used on woodwork-ing machinery, suchas:

• Table saws (seeFigure 6).

• Routers.• Shapers.• Band saws (seeFigure 7).

Adjustable

Self-adjusting Provides a barrierthat moves accord-ing to the size of thestock entering thepoint of operation.Guard is in placewhen machine is atrest. Guard pushesaway when workermoves stock intopoint of operation.

• Off-the-shelf guardsare often commer-cially available.

• Do not requiremanual adjustments.

• Does not providemaximumprotection.

• May interferewith visibility.

• May requirefrequent mainte-nance andadjustment.

Used on woodwork-ing machinery, suchas:

• Table saws(see Figure 8).

• Radial saws.• Band saws.• Jointers (see Figure 16).

Source: Adapted from Concepts and Techniques of Machine Safeguarding, U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA.


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Other Means of Safeguarding Machines

Additional methods for safeguarding machines include guarding by location or distance, feeding methods,and appropriate placement of controls. None of these methods should replace machine guards, however. It isalways important to provide a guard or barrier that prevents access to the danger area. Table 3 describes theseother safeguarding methods.

Table 3. Other Methods of Safeguarding Machines

Location/distance

Other Methods of Safeguarding Machines

Method Safeguarding Principle Examples Comments

Dangerous parts ofmachinery positioned sothat they are not acces-sible to workers duringnormal operation.

• Placement ofmachine’s powerapparatus againstwall.

• Fencing off access toautomatic machines.

• Feeding long stockinto machine.

Not always feasible,particularly on non-automatic machines.

Automatic Feedingand EjectionMethods

Operator not required toplace his or her hands inthe danger area.

• Self-feeder planers.• Sanders.

• Lathes.

Malfunctioning cancreate hazard. Controlsshould be set at adistance.

Prevent Acciden-tal Startup

Controls shrouded orrecessed.

Standard on manymachines.

Off switch should beeasily accessible, andoperator should be ableto operate machine withease.

Miscellaneous Hazardous part of ma-chine automaticallyretracted after operationis complete.

Counterweight/strokingmechanisms that returnblade to rest after stockhas been cut on over-head swing and radialsaws.

Improperly adjustedcounterweights can createhazard. Blade may travelin wrong direction ormay fail to retract.

Placement ofControls

Place controls sufficientlyfar from point of opera-tion to prevent reachinginto point of operation.

Two hand controls sit ata distance from the pointof operation.

Stopping time ofmachine is a factor incalculating the distance.


Source: Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial Operations, National Safety Council



10Principal Safety Hazards of Woodworkingand Methods of Control

What Procedural and AdministrativeControls Are Needed to ProtectEmployees from Equipment Hazards?

• Use appropriate equipment for the job.Workers can be seriously injured if they do notuse the correct equipment for a job. Use ma-chines only for work within the rated capacityspecified by the machine manufacturer. Use thecorrect tools on a given machine. For example,when using a circular saw, use the correct bladefor the required cutting action. Similarly, youmust only mount blades, cutter heads, or collarson machine arbors that have been accuratelysized and shaped to fit these parts.

• Train workers on machine use and allow onlytrained and authorized workers to operateand maintain the equipment. Workers shouldunderstand the purpose and function of allcontrols on the machine, should know how tostop the equipment in an emergency, and shouldbe trained on the safety procedures for specialset-ups.

Operator training should include hazards associ-ated with the machine, how the safeguards protectthe worker from these hazards, under what circum-stances the guard may be removed (usually just formaintenance), and what to do if the guard isdamaged or not functioning properly.

Employees should be able to demonstrate theirability to run the machine with all safetyprecautions and mechanisms in place.

• Frequently inspect equipment and guards.Ensure that: (1) the operator and machine areequipped with the safety accessories suitable forthe hazards of the job, (2) the machine andsafety equipment are in proper working condi-tion, and (3) the machine operator is properlytrained. Document the inspections and keep therecords. Documentation should identify themachine, inspection date, problems noted, andcorrective action taken. Noting problems helpsto ensure that corrective action will be taken,that operators on all shifts will be made aware of

any potential danger, and that any pattern ofrepeat problems on a particular machine can bedetected and resolved as early as possible.

• Use equipment only when guards are in placeand in working order . A worker should not beallowed to operate a piece of woodworkingequipment if the guard or any other safetydevice, return device, spreader, anti-kickbackfingers apparatus, guard on in-running rolls, orgauge or rip fence is not functioning properly.When guards cannot be used (during rabbetingor dadoing, for instance), you must providecombs, featherboards, or suitable jigs forholding the stock.

• You must provide your employees with pushsticks or other hand tools so that their handsare away from the point of operation whenthey work on small pieces of stock. A pushstick is a strip of wood or block with a notch cutinto one end that is used to push short or narrowlengths of material through saws. (See Figure10.) Using push sticks keeps stock from tippingand prevents the operator’s fingers from comingin contact with blades.


Push stick Push block

Stock

Figure 10. Push Stick and Push Block

• Use a brush or stick to clean sawdust andscrap from a machine. Never allow youremployees to clean a saw with their hands orwhile the machine is running.

• Provide regular preventive maintenance.Regularly clean and maintain woodworkingequipment and guards. Ensure that blades are ingood condition. Knives and cutting heads must

11

be kept sharp, properly adjusted, and secured.Sharpening blades prevents kickback. You mustalso remove any cracked or damaged bladesfrom service. Keep circular saw blades roundand balanced. You must remove dull, badly set,improperly filed or improperly tensioned sawsfrom service, and immediately clean saws towhich gum has adhered.

• Never leave a machine unattended in the“on” position . Make sure that workers knownever to leave a machine that has been turnedoff but is still coasting.

• Maintain proper housekeeping. Workers havebeen injured by tripping and then falling ontothe blades of saws. You must keep floors andaisles in good repair and free from debris, dust,protruding nails, unevenness, or other trippinghazards. Do not use compressed air to blowaway chips and debris. Make sure you have anon-slip floor.

• Do not allow workers to wear loose clothingor long hair. Loose clothing or long hair can beeasily caught up in rotating parts.

• Never saw freehand. Always hold the stockagainst a gauge or fence. Freehand sawingincreases the likelihood of an operator’s handscoming in contact with the blade.

• See the “Personal Protective Equipment”section, located near the end of this guide, for adiscussion of PPE.

• Use appropriate personal protective equipment.See the “Personal Protective Equipment”section of this guide for additional information.




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This section covers the major safety hazards ofspecific woodworking machinery, and discusses theengineering controls and work procedures forminimizing employee exposure to these hazards.References to applicable OSHA standards areprovided in the text of this section in cases wherethe engineering controls or work practices arerequired by a specific OSHA standard. Note thatnot all OSHA requirements are covered in thissection. Consult OSHA’s woodworking machinerystandard [29 CFR 1910.213] to ensure that you arein compliance with all requirements.

Personal protective equipment is not covered inthis section because the same recommendationsdiscussed in the “Personal Protective Equipment”section of this guide apply to all machinery.1

Similarly, work practices that apply to all wood-working equipment (such as using a brush forcleaning saws) are not covered here.

Circular/Crosscut/Ripsaws

These table saws are used for straight sawing.Depending on the blade, they cut either across(crosscut) or with (ripsaw) the grain of the wood.With the hand-fed saws, the operator adjusts theheight and angle of the blade. Then, holding thestock, the operator pushes it into the blade. A guideis used to maintain a straight cut at the desiredwidth. At the end of the cutting stroke, the operatoreither changes positions or pushes the stock past theblade. Self-feed or power table saws are equippedwith rollers or a conveyor system to hold thelumber and force-feed it into the saw blade.

Injuries can occur if an operator’s hands slip ashe or she is feeding the stock into the saw or if theoperator holds his or her hands too close to theblades while cutting. Employees can also be injuredwhen removing scrap or finished pieces from thetable. Kickbacks (that is, when the blade catchesthe stock and throws it back toward the operator)are another major cause of injury. Kickbacks canresult if the blade height is not correct or if theblade is not properly maintained. Kickbacks aremore likely to occur when ripping, rather thancrosscutting. Kickbacks also can occur if safe-guards are not used or if poor-quality lumber is cut.

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazardsand Controls

1 For further information on personal protective equipment,please consult OSHA publication #3151, entitled Assessingthe Need for Personal Protective Equipment: A Guide forSmall Business Employers.

Safety Hazards of Circular/Crosscut/Ripsaws

• Point of operation—Contact with theturning blade may occur.

• Other moving parts—Contact with theblade under the table, or with the powertransmission apparatus (if not enclosed),may occur.

• Kickbacks—Stock caught by the blade maybe thrown back at the operator.

• Flying particles—Wood chips, splinters,and broken saw teeth may be thrown by thecutting action of the blade.

• Nip points from automatic feed—Clothing,hair, or hands may be caught by and pulledinto the in-running rolls.

Engineering Controls

• Ripsaws and crosscut saws. Enclose the portionof the saw above the table with a self- adjustingguard, as shown in Figure 11. The guard mustadjust to the thickness of the material being cutand remain in contact with it [29 CFR 1910.213(c)(1) and (d)(1)]. Hinge the guard so that theblades can be easily changed.

• For ripsaws, use a spreader to prevent materialfrom squeezing the saw or kicking back duringripping [29 CFR 1910.213(c)(2)]. Use anti-kickback fingers to hold the stock down in theevent that the saw kicks back the material[29 CFR 1910.213(c)(3)].

• Guard all belts and in-running nip points[29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1), 1910.219(d) and (e)].

• Always guard the portion of the blade below thetable. Operators must be protected from possiblecontact when reaching under the table [29 CFR1910.213(a)(12)].

13

• Attach a brake to the motor’s arbor to stop thesaw from coasting after it has been cut off, orhave the operator remain at the saw station oncethe motor is shut off until the blade stopsturning.

• Guard feed rolls on self feed circular saws by ahood or guard to prevent hands from cominginto contact with in-running rip points[1910.213(f)(1)].

Work Procedures

• Keep hands out of the line of the cut.

• Use proper blade for cutting action (for ex-ample, don’t use crosscut blade for ripping).

• Operate saw at speed specified by themanufacturer.

• Maintain and sharpen blade [1910.213(s)(2)].

• Leave sufficient clearance for stock.

• Remove cracked saws from service[29 CFR 1910.213(s)(7)].

• Stand to side of the saw blade to avoid injurydue to kickback.

• Guide stock parallel to the rip fence to minimizethe potential for kickback.

• Use a push stick for small pieces of wood andfor pushing stock past the blade.[1910.213(s)(9)]

• Avoid crosscutting long boards on table saws.Considerable hand pressure is required close tothe saw blade, and the boards create a safetyhazard to other people.

• Use a filler piece between the fence and the sawblade when necessary (e.g., when there is littleclearance on the fence side).

• Properly support all pieces of stock, includingthe cut and uncut ends, scrap, and finishedproduct.

Overhead Swing and Straight Line PullCutoff Saws

These are special types of circular saws, whichare also used for straight cutting. They are preferredfor cutting long pieces of stock. The overheadswing saw is suspended from the ceiling, as shownin Figure 12; the saw is generally attached directlyto the motor shaft. To run the saw the operator pullsit forward like a pendulum.


Source: Accident Prevention Manual for IndustrialOperations, National Safety Council

Figure 11. Saw Blade with aSelf-Adjusting Guard

Figure 12. Overhead Swing Saw

Source: Health and Safety Guide for Wooden FurnitureManufacturing, NIOSH

Swing sawhood

Swing saw

Limitchain

Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazards and Controls


14

Injuries can occur if the operator reaches toremove a section of board while the blade is coast-ing or idling, or if the operator tries to measure aboard or position it while the saw is still running.Injuries can also occur if an improperly adjustedsaw swings beyond its safe limits.


Safety Hazards of Overhead Swingand Straight Line Pull Cutoff Saws

•Point of operation—Contact with the blademay occur during operation, when the sawis idling; if the return device fails, or if thesaw bounces forward from a retractedposition.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, orhands may be caught by and pulled into thein- running rolls of automatic feed.

• Kickback—Stock caught by the blade maybe thrown back at the operator.

• Flying particles—Wood chips, splinters, andbroken saw teeth may be thrown by thecutting action of the blade.


• Enclose upper half of saw and arbor end with afixed guard; enclose the point of operation (thelower part of the blade) with a self-adjustinghood. The hood must drop on top of and remainin contact with the table or stock. When the sawreturns to the back of the table, the hood mustcover the lower portion of the blade[29 CFR 1910.213(g)(1)].

• Ensure that the saw contains an automaticdevice (for example, a counterweight) to returnthe saw to the back of the table after the cut hasbeen made [29 CFR 1910.213(g)(2)].

• Install a latch with a rachet release on thehandle, nonrecoil spring, bumper, or otherdevice to keep the saw from rebounding from itsidle position.

• Use limit chains or other means to keep sawfrom moving beyond the front or back edge ofthe table [29 CFR 1910.213(g)(3)].(See Figure 12.)

• Enclose overhead drive with a fixed guard[29 CFR 1910.219].

Work Practices

• Position the piece to be cut before starting thesaw.

•Stand at the side of the saw blade when the sawis running, and use the hand nearest the handleto operate the saw. (This keeps the operator’sbody out of the line of the saw.)

• Remove cracked and defective saw blades fromservice [29 CFR 1910.213(s)(7)].

• Keep hands out of the line of the cut.

• Make sure guards and counterweights areproperly adjusted at all times. Take improperlyadjusted saws out of service [29 CFR 1910.213(s)(1)].

Radial Saws

Radial saws are circular saws that cut downward,either with or against the wood grain (rip or cross-cut). For crosscutting, the wood is pushed awayfrom the operator and against a fence. For rip cuts,the blade is set parallel to the fence, and the stock ispushed through. The saw blade rotates upwardtoward the operator; who feeds the stock in theopposite direction of the blade movement.

Radial saws have features that make them moreversatile than table saws. The saw arm can be raisedand lowered and swung from side to side to adjustthe depth and horizontal angle of the cut; the bladecan be replaced with shaping cutters, disk or drumsanders, and other accessories.

The principal types of injury from radial saws arecuts to the arms and hands, or amputation offingers, from contact with the blade or flying woodchips. Workers can also be injured from kickback.Employees working nearby can be seriously injuredif stock that is fed in the wrong direction is flungout of the saw.

15

Safety Hazards of Radial Saws

• Point of operation—Contact with theturning blade may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, orhands may be caught by and pulled into thein- running rolls of the automatic feed.

• Kickback—Stock caught in the blade or fedin the wrong direction may be thrown backat the operator.

• Flying particles—Wood chips, splinters,and broken saw teeth may be thrown by thecutting action of the blade.


• Enclose the upper half of the saw (from theblade down to the end of the saw arbor) with afixed hood. Guard the lower half with a self-adjusting, floating guard that rises and falls andautomatically adjusts to the thickness of thestock [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(1)]. Figure 13shows a radial saw with a self-adjusting guardcovering the lower half of the blade.

• Make sure the saw has a return device. The frontend of the unit must be slightly higher than therear, so that the cutting head will return to itsoriginal position when released by the operator.This should also prevent the cutting head fromrolling or moving the arm due to gravity orvibration [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(4)].

• Install an adjustable stop to limit forward traveldistance of the blade during repeat cuts[1910.213(h)(3)].

• Guard feed rolls [29 CFR 1910.213(b)(7)].

• For ripping, install non-kickback fingers on bothsides of the saw blade [29 CFR 1910.213(h)(2)].

• Use a spreader in ripping operations to preventthe cut in the wood from immediately closingand binding the blade.

Work Practices

• During crosscutting, operate the saw on the sideof table with the handle.

• Make sure that stock is fed in the correct direc-tion. Post a warning label on the hood showingthe direction of saw rotation[29 CFR 1910.213(h)(5)].

• Measure boards against a stop gauge, or turn offthe saw if measuring by rule. (Wait for the bladeto stop before moving materials or makingmeasurements.)

Band Saws

Band saws are used for both straight sawing andfor cutting curved pieces. The band saw uses a thin,flexible, continuous steel strip with cutting teeth onone edge. The blade runs on two pulleys, drivenand idler, through a hole in the work table on whichstock is fed. The operator hand-feeds and manipu-lates the stock against the blade to saw along apredetermined line.

Although workers are not injured as frequentlyor as severely on band saws as on circular saws,injuries do occur. The most common injury iscaused by contact with the blade. Contact with theblade at the point of operation occurs because the



Figure 13. Radial Saw with Self-AdjustingGuard

Guard

Blade

Handle

Anti-kickbackdevice



16

operator’s hands may come close to the bladeduring cutting, and band saws cannot becompletely guarded.


Safety Hazards of Band Saws

• Point of operation—Contact with themoving blade may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, orhands may be caught by and pulled intofeed rolls or the pulley mechanism.

• Kickbacks—Stock caught by the blademay be thrown back at the operator.

• Flying Chips—Wood chips and splintersmay be thrown by the cutting action of theblade.


• Guard the blade entirely except at the point ofoperation (the working portion of the bladebetween the bottom of the guide rolls and thetable) [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(1)]. (See Figure 14.)

• Use a self-adjusting guard for the portion of theblade between the sliding guide and the uppersaw so that it raises and lowers with the guide[29 CFR 1910.213(i)(1)].

• Properly adjust the blade guide post to fit thethickness of the stock and to provide additionalguarding.

• Fully enclose the pulley mechanism[29 CFR 1910.219(d)].

• Guard feed rolls [29 CFR 1910.213(i)(3)].

• Install a brake on one or both wheels to mini-mize the potential for coasting after the saw hasbeen shut off; or do not retrieve material untilthe blade has stopped.

• Make sure the saw includes a tension controldevice to indicate proper blade tension[29 CFR 1910.213(i)(2)].

Work Procedures

• Use a blade of an appropriate size and type (forexample, do not force a wide saw to cut on asmall radius).

• Never stop the saw too quickly or thrust a pieceof wood against the cutting edge of the teethafter the power has been shut off.

• Periodically examine blades; remove cracked ordefective blades immediately[29 CFR.1910.213(s)(7)].

• Make cuts only when the power is on and notwhile the saw is coasting.

• Set the guard to just clear the stock being cut.

• Use a push stick to control the stock when it isnear the blade.

• Use a special jig or fixture when cutting smallpieces of stock.


Figure 14. Adjustable Guard on Band Saw

Stock

Blade

Saw table

Air hose

Transparentguard

Adjustableblade guard

17

Jig Saws

Jig saws are useful for precision-cutting intricatecurves and patterns on thin stock. They have thinblades that move rapidly up and down through theopening in the saw table. The blade is held in upperand lower chucks that pull it tight and keep it frombending. A hold-down adjusts to the thickness ofthe wood being cut.

Jig saws are generally not considered to be asdangerous as other saws; however, contact at thepoint of operation can cause hand and fingerinjuries. Contact with the blade can also occurbelow the table. All portions of the blade must beguarded.


Safety Hazards of Jig Saws

• Point of operation—Contact with themoving blade may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, orhands may be caught by and pulled into thein-running rolls.

• Flying chips—Wood chips and splintersmay be thrown by the cutting action.

• Kickback—Stock caught by the blade maybe thrown back at operator.


• Use a threshold rest (slotted foot) to hold thestock.

• Guard the blade with an adjustable orself-adjusting guard (see Figure 15).

• Guard drive belts and pulleys[29 CFR 1910.213(a)(9)].

• Guard the portion of the blade below the table.

Work Practices

• Make turns slowly; do not make sharp turnswith a wide blade; use a narrow blade for sharpturns.

• Make sure the blade is properly attached andsecured.

Jointers

Jointers face or flatten wood and are primarilyused to joint small pieces of material. The operatorpasses stock over a cylindrical, multiple-knifecutter head, while keeping the stock flush against aguide. The depth of the cut is achieved by adjustingthe front table. There are two types of jointers:hand-fed jointers with a horizontal cutting head,and wood jointers with a vertical head.

Hand-fed jointers are dangerous woodworkingmachines. Injuries can occur if the operator’s handsand fingers come in contact with the knives. Thiscan happen when the operator is jointing narrowlengths of stock, particularly if he or she does notuse a jig or other holding device. Injuries can occurwhen the operator allows his or her fingers to ridealong the surface of the jointer as the wood is fedthrough. Also, stock may be accidentally kickedaway, exposing the operator’s hands to the cutterhead.

Figure 15. Jig Saw


Blade

Safetyguard



18

Safety Hazards of Jointers

• Point of operation—Contact with the knivesmay occur, especially if a holding device isnot used.


• Kickbacks—Stock may be thrown back atthe operator after being caught by theknives; this may also expose the operator’shands to the knives.

• Flying chips—Wood chips and splinters maybe thrown by the cutting action of theknives.


For hand-fed jointers, horizontal head:

• Enclose cutter head with an automatic (spring-loaded, self-enclosing) guard that exposes thecutter head only when the stock is being fed.The guard must automatically adjust to coverthe unused portion of the head, and it mustremain in contact with the material at all times[29 CFR 1910.213(j)(3)]. Figure 16 shows theappropriate use of a self-adjusting guard.

• Adjust the cylindrical cutter head so that theknife projects no more than 1/8 inch beyond thecylindrical body of the head[29 CFR 1910.213(j)(1)].

• Adjust the cutter head so that the clearancebetween the path of the knife projection and therear table is no more than 1/8 inch[29 CFR 1910.213(j)(2)].

• Keep the clearance between the table and thehead as small as possible[29 CFR 1910.213(j)(2)].

For vertical head jointers:

• Completely enclose cutter head, except for slotto apply the material for jointing. This guard canbe part of the local exhaust system.

Work Practices

• Use hold-down push blocks when jointing woodnarrower than 3 inches.

• Avoid deep cuts; they increase the likelihood ofkickbacks and require a larger table opening.

• As a general rule, never joint pieces of materialthat are less than four times the width of the bedopening.

• Check knives regularly for proper setting andadjustment, but only when the power is shut off.

Shapers

Shapers are most commonly used to shape theedges of stock. The operator feeds the stock fromany direction against a vertical rotating cuttermounted on a spindle. The spindle rotates at a highspeed. Some machines have multiple spindles.Guidepins hold the stock for curved shaping andfences hold it for straight line shaping.

Injuries can occur when the operator’s hands orfingers contact the revolving knives. Workers canalso be seriously injured or killed by tool projectionfrom unbalanced cutter heads. Shapers are difficultto guard; however, a number of guards are availableto protect operators’ hands.


Guard


Figure 16. Jointer with Self-Adjusting Guard

Guard in restposition

Stock

19

Safety Hazards of Shapers

• Point of operation—Contact with the cutterhead may occur, particularly if holdingdevices are not used.

• Tool projection—Knives may be flung ifthe cutter head is unbalanced.

• Kickback—Stock may be thrown back atthe operator after being caught by the cutterhead.

• Flying chips—Wood chips and splintersmay be thrown by the cutting action of theknives.




• As shown in Figure 17, enclose the spindle withan adjustable guard or cage [29 CFR1910.213(m)(1)]. For straight-line shaping, thefence frame should include the guard. The fenceshould contain as small an opening as possiblefor the knives, and should extend at least 18inches on either side of the spindle. Split adjust-able fences are useful for guarding when theentire edge of the stock is to be shaped.

• Mount a ring guard around the cutting bit toreduce contact with the bit.

• Guard automatic feed rollers[29 CFR 1910.213(b)(7)].

• Ensure that double-spindle shapers have astarting and stopping device for each spindle[29 CFR 1910.213(m)(3)].

• Use a safety collar to minimize the potential fortool projection.

Work Practices

• Maintain the knives. Make sure they are preci-sion-ground to apply uniform pressure. Makesure the knives are balanced and fit properly[29 CFR 1910.213(s)(2)].

• Train operators to listen for “chatter,” whichindicates that knives are out of balance. To startthe machine, operators should apply the powerin a series of short starts and stops to slowlybring the spindle to operating speed.

• Use templates, jigs, and fixtures to distance theoperator’s hands from the point of operation.Featherboards may be clamped to the fence forstraight line shaping.

• Cut in the opposite direction of the spindle’srotations.

Power-Feed Planers/Moulders

Also called surfacers, planers are used to dressand size rough-sawed lumber on one or more sides.They plane boards to an even thickness. Stockpasses under or between cylindrical cutter headswith multiple knives. (See Figure 18.) Planers aresimilar to jointers except that the cutter head isabove, or above and below, the stock. The operatoradjusts for the cut and then feeds stock into the in-feed side of the machine. The surface board isretrieved from the out-running end.


Figure 17. Sharper with Adjustable Guard

Nut for heightadjustment

Guard

Base ofshaperblade



20

Automatic feeding mechanisms make thisequipment less hazardous. However, operators’hands may be pulled into the cutting area, and cancome in contact with the point of operation whileadjusting blades. Operators’ hands also may bepinched between the stock and in-running rolls, ifthe feed system is not properly guarded.


Safety Hazards of Power-Feed Planers orMoulders

• Point of Operation—Contact with thecutter head may occur during blade adjust-ment or other maintenance activities.

• In-running rolls—Clothing, hair, or handsmay be caught by and pulled into theautomatic feed mechanism.

• Kickbacks—Stock may be thrown back atthe operator after being caught by the cutterhead.

• Flying objects—Workpiece, wood chipsand splinters may be thrown by the cuttingaction.

• Vibration (and noise) may be produced ifthe machinery is not anchored to, andinsulated from, a solid foundation


• Completely enclose belts and pulleys of lineshaft with sheet metal or heavy mesh guards;guards must be used regardless of the location ofthe line shaft [29 CFR 1910.219(a)(1)].

• Cover cutting heads with a metal guard or cage.The exhaust system may be integrated with theguard [29 CFR 1910.213(n)(1)].

• Guard feed rolls with a wide metal strip or barthat will allow boards to pass but that will keepoperators’ fingers out [29 CFR 1910.213(n)(3)].

• Provide barriers at the loading and unloadingends to keep hands out of point of operation.

• Install anti-kickback fingers on the in-feed sideacross the width of the machine.

• Use a barrier or guardrail when the machine isrunning.

Work Practices

• Stand back once the boards have been putthrough to avoid injuries from kickback andflying splinters.

• Do not feed boards of different thicknesses.Thinner boards will be kicked back.

Lathes

Lathes are used for shaping round parts, such astable legs. Two types of lathes are used in thewoodworking industry: automatic-feed and manual-feed. In an automatic-feed lathe, the stock, mountedon a carriage, is moved into contact with a mul-tiple-knife cutter head that runs the entire length ofthe stock. The stock rotates at a low speed, whilethe cutter rotates faster. Using a feed lever, theoperator feeds the stock into the cutter head andmaintains the proper pressure for effective cutting.

In a hand-fed lathe, the stock, mounted betweentwo centers, rotates rapidly while the operatorapplies a single-point tool to the wood. The opera-tor holds the tool on a tool rest and advances italong the length of the tool rest to shape the stockas desired.

Source: Machine Guarding—Assessment of Need,NIOSH

Figure 18. Planer

Operating controls

Feed

Powertransmissionnormallyenclosed

Point ofoperationnormallyenclosed

21Specific Woodworking Equipment Hazardsand Controls

The primary hazards of lathes are contact withrotating parts and contact at the point of operation.Operators’ hands, clothing, or jewelry may becaught on the rotating parts and pulled into themachine. The danger is greater with hand-fedlathes, because the operator works in such closeproximity to the rotating stock and the cutting tool.With automatic lathes, the operator can contact therotating parts if he or she reaches into the work areato adjust components while the machine is running.Flying chips are also a hazard on lathes.

Safety Hazards of Lathes

• Point of operation—Contact with the toolor cutter head may occur.

• Rotating parts—Clothing, hair, or handsmay be caught by and pulled into the cutteror the rotating stock.

• Flying chips—Wood splinters and chipsmay be thrown by the cutting action.

• Kickback—The workpiece may be thrownout.


• For automatic wood-turning lathes with rotatingknives, cover the cutter head with a metal shieldor hood that completely covers the knives andmaterial, except at the contact points, when themachine is in operation [29 CFR 1910.213(o)(3)].A hinged shield permits adjustments whenneeded.

• For manual lathes, cover the cutter heads ascompletely as possible with a hood or shield[29 CFR 1910.213(o)(2)].

• Cover lathes used for turning long stock withlong curved guards extending over the top of thelathe [29 CFR 1910.213(o)(4)]. Such guardsprevent the stock from being thrown from themachine, should the stock come loose.

• Install a brake for bringing the stock to acomplete stop after the power is shut off.

• On hand-fed lathes, guard the tool and point ofoperation with a plexiglass tool guard, as shownin Figure 19.

• Enclose the power transmission with a fixedguard [29 CFR 1910.219].

Work Practices

• Never permit operators to wear looseclothing, long hair, jewelry, or gloves.

• Make sure tools are properly adjusted andused in a proper manner.

• Do not use stock that has checks, splits,cracks, or knots.

• Allow glued joints to dry before workingon stock.

• Hold tools firmly in both hands.

• Make sure the tool rest is set close to thestock. Work only in the area covered by thetool rest; do not attempt to support the toolwith your hands. Adjust the tool rest whenthe lathe is not running.


Figure 19. Plexiglass Guard on Lathe ProtectsOperator from Flying Chips



22

Sanders

Sanders finish stock by using a coated abrasivesurface to remove material. Figures 20 and 21 showthe three general types of sanders: drum, belt, anddisc. A belt sander uses a system of pulleys to movethe abrasive material across the stock. Either thewood is fed manually or automatically into themachine or the sanding belt is pressed toward thewood, which is located on a working table.


Sanders produce a considerable quantity of finewood dust. Wood dust hazards and controls arediscussed in detail in the section “How Can IProtect My Employees from Wood Dust?” Allsanders should be carefully ventilated. The primarysafety hazard of belt sanders is that workers maycatch their hands, clothing, or jewelry in the in-running rolls. Also, contact with an abrasive surfacecan cause abrasions and lacerations.

Safety Hazards of Sanders

• Point of operation—Contact with disc ordrum may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hands, orhair may get caught by and pulled into thein-running rolls on automatic sanders orsanding belts.

• Flying chips—Wood splinters and chips maybe thrown from the sanding action.


• Guard feed rolls with a semi-cylindrical guard toprevent the operator’s hands from coming incontact with the in-running rolls on automaticsanders. The guard design must allow foradjustment to any thickness of stock[29 CFR 1910.213(p)(1)].

• Guard the unused run of the sanding belt againstaccidental contact. These guards must preventthe operator’s hands or fingers from coming incontact with nip points [29 CFR 1910.219].

• Enclose drum and disc sanders with guards,except for the portion of the sander’s drumabove the table. The guard can consist of aprotective cover at the rear side of the wheel anda hinged cover around the wheel periphery[29 CFR 1910.213(p)(2) and (p)(3)].

• Enclose power transmission pulleys with a fixedguard [29 CFR 1910.219].

Figure 20. Drum Sander

Guard

Exhausthood

Sources: Health and Safety Guide for Wooden FurnitureManufacturing and Machine Guarding—Assessment ofNeed, NIOSH

Figure 21. Belt and Disc Sander

Feed

Feed

Feed

Point of operation

Power transmission

Start/stoppush buttoncontrol

Belt travel


Work Practices

• Replace torn, frayed, or excessively worn beltsor drums. A worn-out belt, disk, or drum cancause massive heat buildup, which can cause thebelt, disk, or drum to tear or break and pelt thesurrounding area with projected bits.

• Keep hands away from abrasive surfaces.

• Sand on the downward-moving side of the diskor belt.

Routers

Routers are used for such purposes as cutting andshaping decorative pieces, making frame and paneldoors, and milling moldings. Routers have spindlesthat spin variously shaped, small-diameter cuttingtools at high speeds. The tool is held in a colletchuck and protrudes through a flat, smooth basethat slides over the surface of the work. The tool-spindle axis is usually vertical, but it may be tilted.The operator lowers the head for machining, andthe head automatically returns to its original posi-tion after the cut is made. The spindle is driven bybelts and pulleys or by a high-speed motor.

Operators may be injured from inadvertentcontact with the rotating tool when handling thestock or removing scrap from the table. Kickback isanother common source of injury among routeroperators. Kickback may be caused by poor-qualitylumber (i.e., if the stock breaks) or incorrect workmethod, such as feeding the stock into the tool tooabruptly or in the wrong direction, or poorly fixingthe stock to the template.

Projection of tools can severely injure or killrouter operators. Tools can be flung from the cutterhead if they are poorly fastened in the tool holder, ifthe wrong tool is used, or if the tool speed is toohigh.

Safety Hazards of Routers

• Point of operation—Contact with the cutterhead may occur.

• Rotating parts—Clothing or hair may becaught on rotating cutter head.

• Tool projection—Knives may be thrownfrom unbalanced or improperly adjustedcutter heads, or from cutter heads operatedwith tools that were not designed for thecutter head.

• Flying chips—Wood chips or wood dust,and splinters may be thrown by the cuttingaction.


• Enclose the tool with an adjustable tool guard,as shown in Figure 22 [29 CFR1910.213(m)(1)].


Figure 22. Router with Adjustable Tool Guard

Guard

Stock

Base ofrouter blade

Adjustmentnuts




• Equip routers with a spindle braking system thatgradually engages.

• Guard feed rolls [29 CFR 1910.213(b)(7)].

Work Practices

• Properly attach and secure tools to the holder.

• Label cutting tools and holders with themaximum permissible spindle speed.

• Use tools only as intended.

Tenoning Machine

Tenoning machines use cutter heads and/or sawblades to form projections (tenons) on pieces ofstock. Each tenon can be inserted into a cavity(mortise) on another piece of wood to form amortise and tenon joint. Figure 23 shows a single-end tenoning machine.

Safety Hazards of Tenoning Machines

• Point of operation—Contact with cutterhead or saw blade may occur.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, orhands may be caught by and pulled into thein-running rolls of the automatic feed.

• Flying chips—Wood splinters and chipsmay be thrown by the cutting action.

• Kickbacks—Stock may be thrown back atthe operator after being caught by the cutterhead or saw blade.


• Enclose feed chains and sprockets of double endmachines, except for the portion of the chainconveying stock [29 CFR 1910.213(k)(1)].

• The cutting head and saws must be guarded withmetal guards. Cover the unused part of theperiphery of the cutting head. If an exhaustsystem is used, the guard must form part of theexhaust system [29 CFR 1910.213(k)(3)].

Boring/Mortising Machine

Boring and mortising machines use boring bits ormortising chains to cut cavities in pieces of stock.These cavities are often used in mortise and tenonjoints. Figure 24 shows a chain mortising machine.

Safety Hazards of Boring/Mortising Machines

• Point of operation—Contact with the boringbit or mortising chain may occur.

• Rotating parts—Clothing or hair may becaught on rotating boring bit or mortisingchain.

• In-running nip points—Clothing, hair, orhands may be caught by and pulled intoin- running rolls of automatic feed.

• Flying chips—Woods chips and splinters maybe thrown by the cutting action.

• Kickbacks—Stock may be thrown back atoperator.

Figure 23. Single-End Tenoning Machine

Wood clamp

Fence

Stocktable

Safetyshields

Fence


Figure 24. Chain Mortising Machine


• Use safety bit chucks with no projecting screws[29 CFR 1910.213(l)(1)].

• Enclose boring bits with a guard that enclosesthe bit and chuck above the material beingworked [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(2)].

• Enclose the top of the cutting chain and drivingmechanism [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(3)].

• If a counterweight is used, prevent it fromdropping by bolting it to the bar or attaching asafety chain to it [29 CFR 1910.213(l)(4)].

• Cover operating treadles with inverted U-shapedguard to prevent accidental tripping[29 CFR 1910.213(l)(6)].


Dust hood

Back fence

Stockclamp

Foottreadle

Elevationcrank

Mortisingchain


26

What Are Other Safety Hazardsof Woodworking?

Other safety hazards associated with woodwork-ing equipment include electrical hazards, fire andexplosion hazards, and hazards caused by poormachine maintenance.

What Are the Electrical Hazards?

Electrical hazards include electrocution, fire, orexplosions. Even slight shocks can lead to injury ordeath.

How Can I Protect My Employees fromElectrical Hazards?

All electrical installations must comply withOSHA electrical standards. Among the manyprovisions included in the standards are thefollowing requirements:

• All of the metal framework on electricallydriven machines must be grounded, includingthe motor, motor casing, legs, and frame. Thisincludes other equipment such as lights that maybe mounted on the machine.

• All circuit breakers and fuse boxes must belabeled to indicate their purpose—that is, whatarea of the plant they power or protect. Appro-priately rated fuses must be used. All unusedholes in electric boxes must be covered.

• Electrical cords, cables, and plugs must be keptin good repair. Flexible cords and cables mustbe fastened so that there is no direct pull onjoints or terminal screws. Cords and cables mustbe free of splices and must not run throughwindows, doorways, or holes in the wall.

• Junction boxes, outlets, switches, and fittingsmust be covered.

• All electrical components must be approved bya Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory forthe specific location where the equipment willbe used.

• All machines must have a main powerdisconnect for lockout/tagout.

In addition, all machines should havethe following:

Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking

• A magnetic switch or other device to preventautomatic restarting of the machine after apower failure. Such an unexpected start-upcould expose the worker to moving parts.

• An emergency stop device (panic bar or dead-man switch) within reach of operators workingin the normal operating position.

• Clearly marked controls that are within easyreach of the operator and away from the hazardarea.

What Are the Machine MaintenanceHazards?

Each year, more than a hundred workers arekilled, and many more are injured, while repairingor maintaining machines.2 A coworker may start amachine that another employee is repairing. Some-times it is the worker who accidentally knocks aswitch and energizes the machine while clearing ajam or cleaning the equipment. Workers may becrushed at the point of operation, drawn intorotating parts, instantly electrocuted, or mangled byother moving parts. To prevent accidental energiz-ing of machines during maintenance, shut off andlock out all power sources. Under OSHA’s Lock-out/Tagout standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, tagout ispermitted if an energy-isolating device is notcapable of being locked out or if certain otherconditions apply.

How Can I Protect My Employees fromMachine Maintenance Hazards?

You can protect your workers by establishing a“lockout/tagout” program. Lockout/tagout refers tothe process of shutting down and locking outmachines before maintenance begins to preventaccidental start-up during machine maintenance,cleaning, or other similar operations. Locking outequipment provides a physical means (i.e., a lock)that ensures that power will not be restored to themachine and that the machine will not be starteduntil work on the machine has been completed.Tagging the equipment warns others that someoneis working on the machine and that power must not

2 From Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1995. Fatal WorkplaceInjuries in 1993: A Collection of Data and Analysis. U.S.Department of Labor, p.78.

27Other Safety Hazards of Woodworking

be restored to the machine until the work is com-pleted and the person performing the work removesthe tag.

All power sources—electrical, mechanical,pneumatic, hydraulic—must be shut off and lockedout during machine maintenance. This includespower that is stored in a machine, such as com-pressed air in a cylinder, after the machine is turnedoff. To achieve this, you must have a writtenlockout/tagout plan that, for each machine, de-scribes all power sources and the correct procedurefor shutting down, testing, and re-energizing theequipment. Your plan should describe how employ-ees will be notified when a lockout/tagout is neces-sary, and shall require your employees to alwayslock out or tag out equipment, using the appropriateprocedures, before performing work on theequipment.

How Can I Develop an Effective Lockoutand Tagout Program?

To develop your energy control program, inven-tory your equipment and identify all power sources.Identify the lockout devices that you will need foryour particular machines. There are many commer-cially available devices for locking out electricalswitches, circuit breakers, valves, compressed-airlines, hydraulic equipment, and other powersources. When feasible, affected employees must begiven their own lock to use during lockout proce-dures. If you use tagout devices in place of lockoutdevices, the tagout program must be as effective asthe lockout program. Train all affected employeesabout your company’s plan: your program will onlywork if your employees understand how to imple-ment the correct lockout/tagout procedures. See the“Resources” section of this guide for more informa-tion on lockout/tagout controls. OSHA’s standard,29 CFR 1910.147, establishes specific requirementsfor lockout/tagout programs. Refer to this standardfor more information on how to properly protectyour workers.

Is My Facility Susceptible to Fireand Explosion?

Yes. Woodworking facilities are inherently proneto fires and explosions, for the following reasons:

• They contain large quantities of fuel in the formof wood and wood products, sawdust, andflammable materials such as paints, oil finishes,adhesives, solvents, and liquid propane forinternal combustion engines. Woodworkingfacilities are especially at risk for fire due to theabundant production of sawdust, which willignite and burn far more easily than wholepieces of lumber. Sanders, routers, and shapersin particular produce large amounts of fine dust.Very fine wood dust is especially hazardous. Itcan accumulate on rafters and other buildingstructural components and in unexpected spotsall around your facility, far from the point ofgeneration.

• They contain ignition sources, such as poten-tially faulty electrical wiring, cutting and weld-ing operations, sparking tools, propellant-actuated tools, and employee smoking. There isalso the potential for static electrical dischargesand lightning.

Conduct at least an annual inspection of thelockout/tagout program to ensure that it is followed.

How Can I Protect My Employees andFacility from Fires and Explosions ?

Preventing the buildup of dust is one of the keymeans for controlling fire and explosion hazards.The principal engineering control technology forcontrol of dust is exhaust ventilation. The primarywork practice control is good housekeeping.

Dust collection is best accomplished at thesource—at the point of operation of the equipment,if feasible. For many pieces of equipment, well-designed ducts and vacuum hoods can collect mostof the dust generated before it even reaches theoperator. Very fine dust that manages to escapepoint-of-source collection can be captured fromabove by general exhaust points located along theceiling. These control technologies are effective formost equipment, excepting machines that com-monly produce the very finest dust or largequantities of dust.

Good housekeeping extends to periodic handcleaning of your entire facility, as some dust will



28

escape from even the best exhaust system and willeventually accumulate on rafters and other out-of-the-way spots. Also, it is extremely important toinspect and clean your exhaust ventilation systemon a regular basis to maintain maximum efficiency.

You must also:

• Ensure the proper use and storage of flammablematerials, such as paints, finishes, adhesives,and solvents.

• Segregate tasks particularly prone to fire andexplosion hazards, such as spray painting,welding, and use of powder-actuated nail guns.

• Train employees to recognize, avoid, and correctpotentially hazardous conditions and behaviors.Train employees so that they are acquaintedwith the special equipment and aspects ofbuilding design related to dealing with fires andexplosions.

• Control ignition sources. This involves usingelectrical systems rated for the projected use andprotected by appropriate circuit breakers,grounding all equipment prone to accumulatingstatic electrical charges, grounding entirebuildings against the possibility of lightningstrikes, and controlling and banning smoking inand around the workplace. Consult Subpart S ofOSHA’s General Industry Standards for moreinformation on electrical design requirements.

• Never permit blow-down of accumulated dustwith compressed air. Blowing dust with com-pressed air will create the very type of dustcloud that presents the greatest explosionhazard.

• Provide continuous local exhaust ventilation onall woodworking machines. The local exhaustsystems must have a suitable collector. Dustcollection systems must be located outside thebuilding, unless the exceptions described inNFPA standards are met.

• Segregate combustible and flammable materialssuch as lumber stock and chemical solventsfrom each other and from ignition sources.

• Ensure that you use equipment with a hazardclassification appropriately rated for your workenvironment.


What Other Fire Protection MeasuresShould Be Taken?

• Fire-resistant construction and/or fire-resistantmaterials (particularly fire doors that could beused to contain the spread of a fire).

• Explosion relief devices, such as blow-outpanels in walls, floors, and ceilings that protectstructural integrity in the event of an explosion.

• Multiple emergency exits that are well markedand easily accessible. These exits should leadpeople directly away from the areas of greatestlikely hazard.

• Emergency alarms and communications systemsto promote rapid evacuation and fire fightingresponse.

• Automatic sprinkler systems designed for aworst-case fire scenario.

• Readily accessible, portable fire extinguishersfully charged with fire retardants appropriate tothe types of fires likely to occur in that area.

What Should You Do to Protect YourWorkers in the Event of a Fire?

• Install an alarm system to warn for necessaryaction or safe escape [29 CFR 1910.165].

• Establish emergency plans and fire preventionplans [29 CFR 1910.38].

• Install battery-operated emergency lightingalong the floor to aid in the evacuation ofsmoke- filled buildings.

• Store fire-retardant blankets, clothing, andmasks in areas where workers could conceivablyneed them to pass through smoke and flames toreach exits.

• Maintain first-aid kits designed for the initialtreatment of burns and smoke inhalation. Thesekits should be stored outside the area of fire risk.

29Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methodsof Control

What Are the Health Hazards of WoodDust?

Exposure to wood dust has long been associatedwith a variety of adverse health effects, includingdermatitis, allergic respiratory effects, mucosal andnonallergic respiratory effects, and cancer. Contactwith the irritant compounds in wood sap can causedermatitis and other allergic reactions. The respira-tory effects of wood dust exposure include asthma,hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and chronicbronchitis.

Both the skin and respiratory system can becomesensitized to wood dust. When a worker becomessensitized to wood dust, he or she can suffer asevere allergic reaction (such as asthma) afterrepeated exposure or exposure to lowerconcentrations of the dust.

Other common symptoms associated with wooddust exposure include eye irritation, nasal drynessand obstruction, prolonged colds, and frequentheadaches.

Certain species of hardwood—such as oak,mahogany, beech, walnut, birch, elm, and ash—have been reported to cause nasal cancer in wood-workers. This is particularly true when exposuresare high. The American Conference of Governmen-tal Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) recognizes wooddust as a “confirmed” human carcinogen,3 andrecommends a limit of 1 milligram per cubic meter(mg/m3) for hardwoods and 5 mg/m3 for softwoods.At this time, OSHA regulates wood dust as anuisance dust; however, OSHA strongly encouragesemployers to keep exposures to a minimum and toadopt the ACGIH levels. The maximum permissibleexposure for nuisance dust is 15 mg/m3, total dust(5 mg/m3, respirable fraction).

How Can I Protect My Employees fromWood Dust?

Employers can protect workers from wood dustthrough a combination of engineering and work

practice controls. Where necessary, employers mustprovide PPE as a supplement to these controls.


Wood dust is emitted at high velocity by movingor spinning machine components. The primarymethod of controlling wood dust is with localexhaust ventilation (LEV), which removes dust ator near its source. LEV systems can often beintegrated with machine guards. Exhaust hoodsshould be located as close as possible to the emis-sion source, either on the woodworking machineryitself or near to the machine. The local exhaustsystems should have an efficient air cleaningdevice.

How Can I Maintain Local ExhaustVentilation?

For LEV systems to provide maximum protec-tion, they should be properly maintained. Checkand clean ducts and dust collectors at regularintervals. Inspect ducts to ensure that they are notloose, broken, or damaged. Check the V-belts onthe drive units of belt-driven exhaust fans forslippage or breakage. Make sure the duct velocity ismaintained at a minimum of 2,500 to 4,000 feet perminute to effectively remove light, dry saw dust,heavy wood chips, and green shavings, and toprevent these from plugging the system.

Sanders, shapers, and routers generally producethe greatest amount of dust. Conventional meansfor exhausting these machines are not very effec-tive. NIOSH has developed new, innovative meansfor controlling dust exposure from these machines,but these methods are not yet commercially avail-able. These methods either increase the exhaustvolume or velocity, or supply pressurized air to helpblow dust particles from the machine into anexhaust hood.

Work Practices

See the discussion for control of fire and explo-sion hazards (“How Can I Protect My Employeesand Facility from Fire and Explosion Hazards”) forinformation on work practices to control dustaccumulations.

3 ACGIH Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substancesand Physical Agents—Biological Exposure Indices, 1996.

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methods of Control


30

LEV Recommendations for IndividualMachines

Circular Saws• Exhaust the saw through the bottom of the table.Provide LEV under the blade slot. To decreasethe open area between the table and the lowerhood, attach a strip of flexible material to themachinery that will cover this area when thehood operates.

• For increased dust control, add a local exhausthood above the top of the saw blade. The hoodshould be integrated with the guard on the upperpart of the blade.

• For further information on control of wood dustfrom circular and other kinds of table saws,please consult the NIOSH Hazard ControlsHC10 (See Appendix B).

Band Saws• Provide LEV under the blade slot. To increasethe collection area of the hood, add holes(1/8 inch in diameter) in the table around theslot area.

• To collect wood dust from the saw teeth, place asuction nozzle above the table, at the rear of thesaw blade.

Jointers• Place a hood underneath the machine head.

Shapers• Control each head with an open-faced hood,located on the table behind the head. For addi-tional protection, use a combination of fixed andadjustable hoods. A fixed open-faced hood canbe attached to the rear of the table between theshaper heads. Movable open-faced hoods alsocan be used on the table. For further informationplease consult the NIOSH Hazard ControlsHC5: Wood Dust from Shapers(See Appendix B).

Planers/Moulders• Place open-faced hoods above the spinningheads of planers. Each head can be ventilated

separately, or one hood can be used to controlseveral heads.

• Place open-faced hoods around the spinningcomponents of moulders. Each head should beseparately controlled.

• For increased dust control, add a small open-faced hood along the side of the moulderbetween the main head and the worker.

Lathes• Place an open-faced hood attached to a movablemechanical arm at the point of operation.

SandersSanders produce a considerable amount of dust

and are difficult to control. Conventional methodsdo not effectively remove dust. New innovativesystems have been developed for controlling dustemissions from horizontal belt sanders, large-diameter disc sanders, random orbital hand sanders,and orbital hand sanders. Although these systemsare not yet commercially available, more informa-tion can be obtained from the National Institute forOccupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Thefollowing NIOSH Hazard Controls deal withhorizontal belt sanders, large diameter disc sanders,random orbital hand sanders and orbital handsanders respectively: HC4, HC 7, HC 8 and HC 9(See Appendix B). Some of these systems arediscussed below.

• Enclose disc sanders with an exhaust hood,installed below the table; cover the back of thesanding disc at points above the worktable. Asystem has been developed that supplies pres-surized air to the disc inside the hood. The jet ofhigh speed air blows dust particles out of thedisc air layer so that they can be captured by theexhaust hood.

• On random orbital sanders, use an aspirator incombination with a perforated sanding pad. Theaspirator creates a vacuum that draws wood dustup through the holes of the sanding pad. Aninnovative dust control system has been devel-oped that uses additional exhaust and a slottedsanding pad.

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methodsof Control


• A new dust control plenum has been designedfor orbital sanders. The plenum fits between thesanding pad and the sander body and has aseries of exhaust slots along its edges.

• Enclose horizontal belt sanders with exhausthoods covering each end of the belt. Thesehoods control the dust carried by the belt. Tofurther control dust emissions, install an addi-tional hood above the area where the wood isprocessed. To increase the effectiveness of thissystem, add a narrow hood and a stripper.

Routers• Place two open-faced hoods behind the heads ofthe router table. Connect the hoods to theexhaust ductwork via a flexible hose.

• Locate an open-faced or slot hood at the rearend of the router table.

• For further information please consult theNIOSH Hazard Controls HC6: Wood Dust fromAutomated Routers (See Appendix B).

What Are the Health Hazards of Noise?

Excessive noise can damage a person’s ability tohear—an effect that can be temporary or perma-nent. There also is mounting evidence that noisemay adversely affect other parts of the body—particularly the cardiovascular, endocrine, andmuscular systems—and may also lead to stress-related disorders, such as nervousness, chronicfatigue, increased blood pressure, and impairedconcentration and mental function. There are as yetno effective treatments for noise-induced healthproblems, beyond the body’s limited natural abilityto repair itself, over time, with rest and quiet.

NIOSH has published a series of “HazardControls” concerning wood dust controltechniques. For details see Appendix B.

Other Sources of Informationon Wood Dust Control

What Constitutes Dangerous Noise and Is It aProblem at My Business?

Two primary factors act together to make noisehazardous—volume (intensity) and duration. Thelouder the noise and the longer the duration ofexposure at that volume, the greater the potentialfor hearing loss. The risk of hearing impairment isalso cumulative over the course of a working day.

The frequency of a sound is measured in unitscalled hertz—one hertz equaling one vibrationcycle per second. The normal range of humanhearing encompasses sounds with frequencies from20 to 20,000 hertz. Sound pressure is commonlymeasured on the A-weighted decibel (dBA) scale,where zero decibels is the weakest sound that canbe heard by a person with very good hearing in anextremely quiet location.

Table 4 shows the accepted daily exposure limitsto various noise levels. For example, a circular sawoperator exposed to 105 dBA reaches the thresholdfor hearing damage in 1 hour, while a workeroperating a vacuum at 95 dBA can safely work for4 hours. Another worker could run the circular sawfor half an hour and then vacuum 2 hours beforereaching the limit for noise exposure. However,none of these workers could be exposed to occupa-tional noise in excess of 90 dBA for the rest of theday.

Decibel levels from two or more sounds cannotbe simply added. The combined effect of twosounds depends on the difference in their levels.When there is no difference in the sound levelsbetween two sources, the combined effect will bean increase of 3 dBA. For example, if two circularsaws are placed side by side, and each has a noiselevel of 105 dBA, the resulting noise level fromboth machines would be 108 dBA. Once thedifference in noise level between two sourcesreaches 10 dBA or more, however, the combinedsound level is essentially that of the louder source.Thus, if someone is vacuuming next to a circularsaw operator, both workers will only hear the saw.



32

What Are My Options for Noise Control?

You can reduce noise levels through the use ofsome or all of the simple and practical methodsdiscussed below. These methods focus on threebasic approaches to controlling noise: noise sourcecontrols, noise path controls, and hearing protec-tion. Noise source controls, which typically consistof engineering controls, provide the most effectivemeans of protection, since they actually reduce theamount of noise generated in the workplace. Forthis reason, it is best to exhaust source controloptions first, before moving on to path controls and,finally, to hearing protection devices.

Source Controls

Source control begins with a thorough analysisof each piece of noise-generating equipment. Youshould attempt to identify all noise sources within agiven piece of equipment, as well as the ways inwhich the sound is transmitted (and often amplifiedvia resonance or vibration) to the surroundingroom. Then every effort should be made to bothquiet the sources and dampen the resonant path-ways of transmission. Noise sources generallyinclude motors, gears, belts and pulleys, points ofoperation where blades touch wood, and any othermoving parts. Resonant transmitters generallyinclude the frames, footings, and housings of theequipment.

Health Hazards of Woodworking and Methodsof Control

Examples of source control steps include thefollowing:

• Maintaining motors and all moving parts intop operating condition. Maintenance in-volves lubricating and cleaning; replacingworn parts; maintaining proper belt tensionsand bolt torques; and properly balancingpulleys, blades, and other rotating parts.

• Reducing the speed of operation of theequipment to the slowest level consistentwith product quantity and quality goals.

• Moving power equipment operations out ofwooden or steel-frame buildings and intostone, cement, or brick structures, if at allpossible.

• Ensuring that equipment frames are as rigidas possible, that equipment is firmly seatedon a solid floor (preferably cement slab), andthat no piece of equipment is in contact withany other piece or with walls.

• Isolating noisy equipment with rubberfootings, springs, or other forms of dampingsuspension so as to reduce the radiation andamplification of noise via vibrations.

• Applying vibration-damping materials to allresonating surfaces, and constructing (wherepossible) sound absorbent hoods aroundpoints of operation.

Table 4. Allowable Daily Noise Exposure Limits—Unprotected

Exposure Duration (hours) Noise Level (dBA) Representative Source

8 90 electric ventilation fan

6 92 drill press

4 95 shop vacuum

3 97 drum sander

2 100 emergency siren

1.5 102 wood planer

1 105 circular saw

0.5 110 chain saw

0.25 115 jackhammer

No tolerance 140 power-driven nail gun


Path Controls

Effective path controls involve isolating,blocking, diverting, absorbing, or otherwisereducing noise intensity before it reaches youremployees’ ears.

Examples of path control steps include

• Segregating operations so as to limit, as faras possible, the number of employeesexposed to excessive equipment noise.

• Enclosing equipment within barriers de-signed to absorb noise and/or reflect it inharmless directions, such as toward ceilingscovered with sound absorbentmaterial.

• Moving or locating noise-producing equip-ment away from employees, since noiseintensity decreases significantly as youmove away from the source of the noise.Depending on the types of surfaces in yourworkplace, you can reduce the level of noisethat your workers are exposed to by up to 6dBA by doubling the distance between thesource of the noise and your workers. Thepresence of reflective surfaces (such as flatmetal surfaces) in the workplace will reducethe level of noise reduction achieved by thismethod.

Hearing Protection

Hearing protection devices isolate thehuman ear from harmful noises. They shouldbe worn by your employees as the final line ofdefense against noise hazards. Hearing protec-tion devices can be effective and, compared tosource and path control efforts, relativelyinexpensive. Their use, however, does demanda considerable level of ongoing effort andcommitment.

Given the nature of woodworking operations,your production floor employees will almostcertainly require hearing protection devices. Pleaserefer to the “Personal Protective Equipment”section of this guide for more information abouthearing protection devices and about selectingappropriate devices for your employees.

What Are the Health Hazardsof Vibration?

Both hand-held and stationary tools that transmitvibration through a work piece can cause vibration“white fingers” or hand-arm vibration syndrome(HAVS). White fingers, or Raynaud’s Syndrome, isa disease of the hands in which the blood vessels inthe fingers collapse due to repeated exposure tovibration. The skin and muscle tissue do not get theoxygen they need and eventually die. HAVS is amore advanced condition, and the entire hand orarm may be affected by exposure to vibration. Earlysigns of HAVS are infrequent feelings of numbnessand/or tingling in the fingers, hands, or arms, ornumbness and whiteness in the tip of the fingerwhen exposed to cold. As the disease progresses, aworker experiences more frequent attacks ofnumbness, tingling, and pain and finds it difficult touse his or her hands. A worker with advancedHAVS may be disabled for a long time.

How Can I Protect My Workers fromVibration?


Vibration isolators or damping techniques onequipment offer the most effective protection.Isolate machine vibrations from the surface if it ismounted or by use of vibration isolation mounts.Vibrating panels of machine housings and guardsmay be controlled by use of damping materialsapplied to the panels. Felts, liquid mastics, andelastomeric damping sheets are effective dampingmaterials. Determining the correct type and quan-tity of damping material to use for a particularmachine is a complicated process and should be leftto a knowledgeable person. The frequency emittedby the machine, the noise reduction level desired,and the weight and size of the machine are factors



34

to consider. A good rule of thumb, however, is thatthe damping layer should be the same thickness asthe surfaces being treated.

Work Practices

• Maintain machines in proper working order.Unbalanced rotating parts or unsharpenedcutting tools can give off excessive vibration.

• Arrange work tasks so that vibrating andnonvibrating tools can be used alternately.

• Restrict the number of hours a worker uses avibrating tool during the workday. Allow em-ployees to take 10 to 15 minute breaks from thesource of the vibration every hour.

• Train workers about the hazards of working withvibrating tools. Instruction should include: thesources of vibration exposure, early signs andsymptoms of hand-arm vibration syndrome, andwork practices for minimizing vibrationexposure.

• Instruct workers to keep their hands warm anddry, and to not grip a vibrating tool too tightly.Workers should allow the tool or machine to dothe work.

Health Hazards of Woodworking And Methodsof Control

35Personal Protective Equipment

The preceding sections of this guide discussways of recognizing and controlling health andsafety hazards at your facility. Once you haveimplemented all relevant engineering and work-practice controls, ask yourself (and your employ-ees) what potential hazards remain. If hazardscontinue to exist, you must provide your employeeswith the necessary personal protective equipment(PPE) to supplement engineering and work practicecontrols and thoroughly protect your employees.

What Is PPE?

The term “personal protective equipment” refersto any device or garment worn by a worker on thejob to safeguard against injuries and/or the harmfuleffects of hazardous substances. A wide variety ofeffective PPE can be readily obtained to protectworkers’ eyes, hearing, respiratory tracts, and bodyparts (for example, head, feet, hands, and arms).Table 5 lists some of the PPE items typicallyrequired in woodworking facilities.

The remaining hazards in your facility mayinclude:

• Blows to the head from stock and equipment atcertain locations within your manufacturing andshipping operations.

• Threats to the eyes and face from flying woodchips and splinters, dust, and machine parts.

• Cutting and tearing hazards, particularly to thehands and arms, during equipment operations.

• The threat of kickback blows to the body, groin,and legs during stock-cutting and shaping.

• Crushing and laceration threats to the feet,particularly around loading equipment (forexample, forklifts) and hand-held power tools(such as chain saws).

• Irritation of the skin, mouth, nose, throat, andlungs from dust, paint, adhesives, and otherchemicals.

• The constant threat to hearing from machinenoise.

PPE designed to protect against such hazardsmay range from hard hats and earplugs to chemi-cally resistant overalls and respirators. A descrip-tion of how PPE can protect against these wood-working hazards is provided below. For a moredetailed discussion on the proper selection and useof PPE, refer to OSHA’s pamphlet Assessing theNeed for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): AGuide for Small Business Employers (OSHA 3151).(See Appendix A for more information.)

Eye Protection

Where appropriate, you must provide eye protec-tion to guard against flying particles (for example,wood chips and dust), as well as the risk of paintsplashes and other chemical hazards. OSHA re-quires that all protective eyewear used in thewoodworking industry meet the specifications ofthe American National Standards Institute (ANSIZ87.1-1989).4 The eye protection that you choosemust meet the criteria listed in Table 6.

4 ANSI, 11 West 42nd St., New York, NY 10035

Table 5. PPE Items Typically Used in theWoodworking Industry

• Hard hats

• Safety glasses, goggles, and face shields

• Gloves (including chemically protectivegloves)

• Padded kickback aprons; vests; and arm,groin, and leg guards

• Lower-back supports

• Steel-shanked, steel-toed safety shoeswith slip-resistant soles

• Earplugs and earmuffs

• Particulate-resistant and/or chemically resis-tant overalls

• Respirators

Personal Protective Equipment


36

Table 6. Minimum Criteria forSelecting ANSI-Approved EyeProtection

• Provides adequate protection against thehazards of your workplace.

• Is reasonably comfortable for youremployees to wear.

• Does not restrict your employees’ field oracuity of vision, nor their freedom ofmovement, except as necessary to provideprotection.

• Is durable, and easy to clean and disinfect.

• Does not interfere with the function ofother required PPE, such as respirators.


Head Protection

You must provide protective helmets—hardhats—to employees exposed to overhead hazards.Such hazards occur in areas where:

• Equipment and/or materials are stored, operated,or in any way manipulated above shoulder level.

• Fixed objects, such as exposed pipes and beams,present low clearance.

Hard hats protect employees from objects thatcould fall on and/or strike their heads. Hard hatsused in the woodworking industry must complywith the ANSI Z89.1-1986 standard. OSHA recom-mends Class A hard hats, which are designed formining, construction, and manufacturing uses.

Foot and Leg Protection

You must provide foot and leg protection to youremployees if they are subject to hazards such as:

• Heavy objects (for example, tools, equipment,fork lifts, heavy-duty dollies, drums, woodstock) rolling over, falling onto, or striking themin the feet or legs.

• Sharp objects (for example, broken saw teeth,broken router blades, nails, spikes, or otherfasteners) piercing the soles or uppers of theirshoes.

• Slippery surfaces.

The type of foot and leg protection you purchasefor your employees should depend on the specifichazards in your facility, but the safety shoes must atleast meet the ANSI Z41-1991 standards. Standardsafety shoes or boots with slip-resistant soles,puncture-resistant shanks, and compression-resis-tant toes should suffice for your workers whorequire protection.

Your need for leg protection will probably beminimal and can be met, where necessary, withhard plastic shin/lower-leg guards for impact

Employees responsible for different tasks at yourfacility may require (or prefer) different types ofeye protection, including impact-resistant glasseswith side shields, goggles, and full-face shields.These items each provide a specific kind of protec-tion: safety glasses provide protection from impacteye injuries; goggles with limited venting provideprotection from impact eye injuries, dust, andchemical splashes; and full-face shields extend dustand splash protection to the neck (although theyshould be used in combination with safety glassesor goggles to protect against significant impacthazards).

Employees who wear corrective lenses willrequire eye protection that provides vision correc-tion. (Regular eyeglasses that do not meet the ANSIZ87.1 standards do not provide adequate protec-tion.) For these employees you should provide oneof the following:

• Prescription safety glasses,

• Goggles that fit well over their regulareyeglasses, or

• Goggles that incorporate corrective lensesmounted behind the protective lens.

37

resistance, and knee pads/guards where kneeling onhard surfaces is a regular part of the taskperformed.

Hand and Arm Protection

Your workers’ hands and arms will need protec-tion from burns, bruises, abrasions, cuts, andexposure to the chemicals used in finishing.

Protective gloves are the primary means avail-able for direct hand protection. Extra-long gauntletsor sleeves attached to the gloves can extend protec-tion up the arm. However, the appropriateness ofglove use in the woodworking workplace should becarefully reviewed on a task-by-task basis. Glovesshould not be worn when operating woodworkingequipment due to the potential for getting caught inmoving parts.

Heavy leather, metal mesh, or gloves mayprovide protection against cuts, abrasions, andlacerations, but they can also greatly reduce dexter-ity, possibly leading to a higher frequency of themishaps they are intended to protect against.Furthermore, no glove will stand up to directcontact with the cutting surfaces of most of yourpower equipment. For these reasons, engineeringand work-practice controls will be your best bet foraddressing the hand and arm hazards posed bycutting and shaping equipment.

When it comes to handling wood finishes,adhesives, equipment cleansing solvents, or anyother chemical compounds, you should provideappropriate gloves and make their use mandatory.Chemically resistant gloves are designed as imper-meable barriers to prevent absorption of hazardouscompounds through the skin of the hands. The mostcommon gloves designed for this purpose arecomposed of natural rubber or latex,5 butyl rubber,nitrile rubber, plastic, or rubber-like synthetics suchas neoprene.

Keep in mind that these gloves are not uniformlyeffective against all compounds. Nitrile gloves, forexample, are excellent for handling turpentinecompounds, which quickly pass through latexgloves.

Carefully review the chemical compositions ofthe finishes, adhesives, cleaning solvents, and othercompounds used at your facility, and provide anarray of gloves that offer the necessary protection.In some cases, workers handling multiple chemicalsat once may need to wear different gloves incombination.

Chemical resistance specifications for the vari-ous glove types are readily available from vendorsand manufacturers, as well as directly from OSHA.

Body Protection

You must provide body PPE to those of youremployees whose bodies are at risk while perform-ing their tasks. Despite your efforts at hazardmitigation via engineering and work practicecontrols, some body hazards may continue to exist,including impacts from tools, machinery, andmaterials; abrasions, lacerations, and allergicdermatitis; splash exposures to hazardous chemi-cals; and lower back strain. The types of protectivegarments available to address these hazards includevests, jackets, aprons, overalls, back supports, andfull-body suits.

As with gloves, protective clothing for workersoperating powered cutting, shaping, and boringequipment should not pose a greater risk than theone being addressed. Avoid loose clothing thatcould snag in moving parts and pull a worker intoharm. Also avoid excessive clothing that couldresult in reduced mobility or heat exhaustion. Usecommon sense in your decisionmaking.


5 Some workers may have or may develop an allergicreaction to latex gloves.



38 Personal Protective Equipment

OSHA offers the following suggestions forselecting appropriate body protection:

• For general impact, abrasion, and lacerationprotection, heavy leather and/or paddedaprons should provide the maximumprotection without unnecessarilycompromising mobility or ventilation.

• Full-body overalls made of cotton orsynthetic fiber should provide adequateprotection when engineering controls orworker reassignment cannot preventallergic reactions to wood dust. The over-alls should be snug-fitting to keep out wooddust and other materials that could worktheir way underneath the fabric and toprevent the fabric from snagging in movingmachine parts.

• For chemical splash protection—whetherfrom paints, finishes, adhesives, solvents,or other material—use aprons or full-bodysuits constructed of suitable barrier mate-rial. Rubberized cotton twill aprons oroveralls resistant to organic and inorganicchemicals such as high-densitypolyethylene.

Hearing Protection

You must institute an effective hearing conserva-tion program at your workplace if the engineeringcontrols that you utilize do not lower your employ-ees’ daily 8-hour averaged noise exposure to lessthan 85 dBA. (The section of this guide entitled“What Are My Options for Noise Control?” de-scribes some engineering control options. Note thatyou must provide hearing protection while suchengineering improvements are being made.)OSHA’s Occupational Noise Exposure standard,

29 CFR 1910.95, describes the specific proceduresthat must be included in a hearing conservationprogram. These include:

• Develop and implement a monitoring programto sample noise levels within the workplace,identify employees for inclusion in the hearingconservation program, and enable the properselection of hearing protectors.

• Establish and maintain an audiometric testingprogram in which qualified professionalsperiodically test the hearing of all workerswhose noise exposures equal or exceed a daily8-hour average of 85 dBA.

• Provide hearing protection, at no charge, to allemployees exposed to such levels of noise.

You will likely find that hearing protection willbe necessary for most, if not all, of your productionemployees, as most power woodworking equipmentwill produce between 100 and 110 dBA of noise atthe point of operation, despite any control steps youimplement.

The level of protection needed will vary widelyfor different workers, depending on the duration oftheir exposure to different noise levels. For ex-ample, a full-time band saw operator will probablyrequire more rigorous protection than a generalfloor worker moving materials between storage,production, and shipping areas. If you employ onlya few workers in a small operation, each employeemay perform every conceivable task at some pointduring the work day—a situation which greatlycomplicates the process of calculating yourworkers’ daily average exposure to noise.

The chapter on noise measurement in the OSHATechnical Manual provides specific details ondetermining your employees’ exposure to noise.Appendix B of 29 CFR 1910.95 describes how todetermine the level of hearing protection providedby different devices, and how to make appropriateselections based on their noise reduction ratings(NRRs).

39Personal Protective Equipment

The general steps to determining the need forhearing PPE for a given worker include

• Measuring the noise level (dBA) at eachwork location with a sound level meter andrecording the hours per day spent there.

• Determining the allowable exposure durationlimit for the noise level encountered at eachlocation (see Table 4 on page 32).

• Dividing the amount of time the workeractually spends at each location by theallowable exposure duration limit.

• Adding the resulting fractions together tocompute the equivalent noise factor. Alter-nately, a noise dosimeter may be used.

If the equivalent noise factor is equal to orgreater than 1, you must provide hearing protection.If any one of the factors from an individual locationis greater than 1, you must provide protection forthat particular task.

Once you have determined the hearing protectionneeds of your employees, you will have to selectappropriate devices. This is a highly importantprocess. Inappropriate hearing protection canisolate individual employees by interfering witheffective communication and general workplaceawareness. Muffled hearing can cause accidents,render workers unaware of imminent physicalhazards, and interfere with coordinated action in theevent of an emergency.

Common hearing protection devices include self-forming foam earplugs (disposable or durable),individualized molded earplugs, and earmuffs.Within each category, a variety of products areavailable, providing varying degrees of noisereduction as measured by their NRRs. You mustprovide reasonably convenient and comfortablehearing protection to each affected employee sothat his or her daily equivalent noise factor is keptbelow 1. As part of your hearing conservationprogram, you must also provide training in the useand care of all hearing protection distributed toyour employees.

Respiratory Protection

OSHA has specific requirements governing theneed for and use of respiratory protection. Thisguide does not attempt to cover the many detailedtopics involved with respiratory protection, such asmethods for determining the need for respiratoryprotection, selecting and purchasing appropriateequipment, training affected workers to use theequipment, and fulfilling the record keeping andmedical monitoring requirements.

Respiratory protection may be necessary if anyof your employees:

• Suffer from problems associated with wooddust inhalation.

• Routinely handle wood finishes, adhesives,solvents, or other chemical compounds incontainers open to the air they breath.

• Work in paint spray booths (or booths whereother chemicals are sprayed).

Begin by consulting OSHA Instruction CPL 2-2.546 on respiratory protection or contact thenearest OSHA office for assistance.

Once I Have Provided My Employeeswith the Necessary PPE, Is My JobDone?

No. An effective PPE program means more thansimply providing your employees with protectiveequipment. You should work to create an environ-ment at your facility where the proper and consci-entious use of PPE is valued as a vital part of yourcompany’s overall commitment to health andsafety. In other words, to reap the rewards of yourup-front capital investment in PPE, you should bewilling to invest your employees’ time and efforton a daily basis. Key elements of this ongoingcommitment will include training, maintenance(cleaning, repairs, and replacement), and book-keeping. Consult the OSHA pamphlet Assessingthe Need for Personal Protective Equipment(PPE): A Guide for Small Business Employers(OSHA 3151) for more discussion on PPEprograms.

6 CPL.2-2.54 is available on OSHA Web page athttp://www.osha.gov



Finishing Operations40

What Are the Hazards of the ChemicalsUsed in Finishing?

Finishing operations pose a wide range of healthand safety hazards due to the volume and physicalproperties of the chemicals involved. A completediscussion of this topic is beyond the scope of thisguide; however, a general discussion of commonhazards and related control measures is providedbelow. To best protect your employees from thechemical hazards related to your finishing opera-tions, you should identify the specific chemicals inuse in your facilities and consult the appropriateOSHA standards to determine required controls.See Table 7 at the end of this section for a list ofsome of the OSHA standards likely to apply to yourfinishing operations.

Health Hazards

A wide range of adhesives and coating agents areused in finishing wood products. Many of these arehazardous to the health of employees. Chemicalscan enter the body in three ways: through inhalation(breathing), ingestion (eating), or contact with theskin. The skin readily absorbs many chemicals,such as solvents, allowing them to enter the blood-stream. Woodworkers are generally exposed tochemicals through inhalation and contact with theskin.

Both nitrocellulose topcoats (lacquers) and acid-catalyzed coatings (conversion varnishes) containsolvents that are toxic to humans. The solventsmost commonly used in these coatings includetoluene, xylenes, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK),methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and methanol. Theacid-catalyzed coatings contain formaldehyde. Allof these solvents have short-term effects, such asirritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, and head-aches, dizziness, confusion, fatigue, and nausea.The longer-term effects include reproductiveproblems, central nervous system disorders, anddamage to the lungs, liver, and kidneys. Tolueneexposure increases the risk of miscarriage. Devel-opmental effects have been noted in children bornto mothers who were exposed to toluene andxylenes. Studies have shown that formaldehyde cancause lung and nasal cancer.

Many of the adhesives used in finishing woodproducts also contain toxic chemicals. The mosthazardous are the solvent-based, epoxy resin, andurea-formaldehyde resin adhesives. Many of thesolvents used in the coating agents are used in theadhesives. The epoxy resin adhesives are particu-larly toxic. Methylene chloride, which has beenshown to cause cancer in laboratory animals, isoften the base for these adhesives. Some of thecomponents of the epoxy resins may also be cancer-causing. Epoxy resin adhesives can also causedermatitis and a sensitization reaction.

Safety Hazards

In addition to the health hazards posed by thechemicals used in finishing operations, many of thesolvents, lacquers, varnishes, and coatings used inthese operations are extremely flammable. Thesematerials can pose significant fire and explosionhazards if used in large quantities, in unventilatedor enclosed areas, or in processes such as sprayfinishing operations that can lead to significantairborne concentrations of the material.

How Can I Protect My Employees fromthe Chemicals Used in Finishing?


• When feasible, use automated systems forapplying coatings and adhesives. Automatedsystems should be ventilated.

• Substitute the traditional solvent-based coatingsand adhesives with coatings and adhesives thatare less toxic. Hot melt, heat seal, aqueous-based, and polyvinyl acetate adhesives are good,less-toxic alternatives to solvent-based adhe-sives. Higher-solids nitrocellulose, aqueous-based, ultraviolet-cured, and polyester/polyure-thane coatings are also less toxic than solvent-based coatings.

• Provide adequate local exhaust ventilation forall coating and gluing processes. This includesmanual spray, rolling, and brushing operations,automated coating processes, and dip coating.Manual spray operations should be performed ina spray booth or a separate, ventilated spray

41

area. Dip coating should be ventilated with anenclosure or capture hood. Consult the OSHAstandard on dip coating (open surface tanks), 29CFR 1910.108, for detailed requirements ondipping operations.

• The OSHA standard for spray finishing opera-tions, 29 CFR 1910.107, provides detailedrequirements for the design and construction ofspray booths and rooms, air filters, velocity andair flow requirements, and the (make-up) airsupplied to the booth. It is important to maintainthe proper air flow in a spray booth. Excessiveair pressure decreases the efficiency of theoperation, wastes material, and may cause abacklash of vapors and overspray into adjacentwork areas. Dirty air filters can decrease the airflow in the booth. Ensure that filters are cleanedand replaced as needed. Although these provi-sions are designed to prevent the occurrence of afire or explosion in spray finishing operations,they also assist in protecting workers from thehealth hazards of the chemicals used in theoperation by removing the chemicals from theatmosphere.

Controls designed to prevent fire and explosionresulting from the use of flammable and combus-tible materials in woodworking operations arediscussed in the section of this guide entitled, “IsMy Facility Susceptible to Fire and Explosion,” onpage 27. The controls discussed in this section arealso generally applicable to your finishing opera-tions. In addition to these controls, however, youshould refer to the applicable OSHA standardslisted in Table 7 at the end of this section fordetailed information on required controls specific tothe use of flammable and combustible materials inyour finishing operations.

Develop a Hazard Communication or “Right-to-Know” Program

• OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard, 29CFR 1910.1200, requires employers to informtheir employees about the hazardous substancesthey handle. Hazard communication programshave three important components: materialsafety data sheets (MSDSs), training, andlabeling requirements.

Finishing Operations

MSDSs contain information on the health andsafety hazards of chemicals, and recommendappropriate controls. All chemical suppliers mustsend an MSDS for each chemical a companyorders. Employers must make these MSDSsavailable to employees at all times.

The Hazard Communication standard requiresemployers to train their employees about thehazards of the chemicals they handle. Employersmust train employees upon initial hire, after atransfer, and when new hazardous substances areintroduced into the workplace. Employers mustkeep a written record of the training they provide.

Employers must ensure that all containers arelabeled with information about their contents andabout the health hazards of the substance.


• Provide respirators and gloves for workersperforming manual spray operations. Consultthe MSDS to determine what type of glove touse. Operators working downstream of theobjects being sprayed inside the booth must beprovided with an air-supplying respirator.Provide dip-coat operators with gloves, boots,aprons, and jackets, sleeves, or coats to protectthem from possible splashes. Consult the MSDSto determine the appropriate material of protec-tive clothing to provide. The “Personal Protec-tive Equipment” section of this guide providesdetailed information on PPE requirements.

Other Applicable OSHA Standards

In addition to the Hazard Communication stan-dard discussed above, OSHA has published severalstandards that may be directly relevant to finishingoperations. To determine which of these standardsapply to your specific operations, you shouldconsider both the type of chemicals that you willuse and how you will use the chemicals. Once youhave done this, you should refer to the applicableOSHA standards to determine how to best protectyour workers. See Table 7 for OSHA standardsparticularly relevant to finishing operations.



42

Table 7. OSHA Standards Relevantto Finishing Operations

• Ventilation, 29 CFR 1910.94(c) and (d).These subsections of the standard establishventilation design requirements for sprayfinishing and open surface tanks.

• Flammable and Combustible Liquids, 29CFR 1910.106. This standard establishesprovisions for the safe handling, storage,and use of flammable and combustibleliquids.

• Spray Finishing Using Flammable andCombustible Materials, 29 CFR 1910.107.This standard establishes provisions for sprayfinishing operations using flammable andcombustible materials.

• Dip Tanks Containing Flammable andCombustible Liquids, 29 CFR 1910.108.This standard establishes provisions for theuse of flammable and combustible liquids indip-tank operations.

• Respiratory Protection, 29 CFR 1910.134.This standard establishes minimum require-ments for the proper selection, fitting, use,care, storage, and maintenance of respiratoryprotective equipment.


• The Air Contaminants standards, 29 CFR1910.1000. This standard establishes permis-sible exposure limits (limits to the airborneconcentrations of a specific chemical thatworkers can be exposed to over a specifiedperiod of time) for many of the chemicals usedin finishing operations. The standard furtherestablishes general requirements for the useof engineering and administrative controlsand personal protective clothing to ensure thatworkers are not exposed above the establishedpermissible exposure limit.

• The Methylene Chloride standard, 29 CFR1910.1052. This standard establishes specificprovisions to protect your workers from expo-sure to methylene chloride. In additionto establishing permissible exposure limitsfor methylene chloride, this standard alsorequires the use of exposure monitoring, regu-lated areas, engineering and work practicecontrols, respiratory protection, and medicalevaluations.

43Appendix A: References and Standards

References

American Conference of Governmental Indus-trial Hygienists (ACGIH). 1996. Threshold LimitValues for Chemical Substances and PhysicalAgents— Biological Exposure Indices. 6th ed.

ACGIH. Industrial Ventilation: a Manual ofRecommended Practice. ACGIH Committee onIndustrial Ventilation.

Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1995. Fatal Work-place Injuries in 1993: A Collection of Data andAnalysis. U.S. Department of Labor.

Hampl, V. 1982. Development of Criteria forControl of Woodworking Operation. U.S. Depart-ment of Health and Human Services. NationalInstitute for Occupational Safety and Health. July.

Firenze, R. J., and J. B. Walters. 1981. Safety andHealth for Industrial/Vocational Education. U.s.Department of Health and Human Services. July.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health.1997. Woodworker dies when struck by tool knifelaunched from overarm router. Occupational HealthSurveillance Program. Fatality investigation report2:2. February.

National Institute for Occupational Safety andHealth (NIOSH). 1997. Questions and Answers:Methylene Chloride Control in Furniture Stripping(Niosh Publication No. 93-133). U.S. Departmentof Health and Human Services.

NIOSH. 1975a. Health and Safety Guide forWooden Furniture Manufacturing (NIOSH Publica-tion No. 75-167). U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services.

NIOSH. 1975b. Machine guarding—Assessmentof need. U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices. June.

National Safety Council. 1988. Accident Preven-tion Manual for Industrial Operations: Engineeringand Technology. 9th Ed. Itasca, IL: National SafetyCouncil.

National Safety Council. 1993. SafeguardingConcepts Illustrated. 6th ed.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA). 1997. Assessing the Need for PersonalProtective Equipment (PPE): a Guide for SmallBusiness Employers (OSHA Publication No. 3151).U.S. Department of Labor.

OSHA. 1992. Concepts and Techniques ofMachine Safeguarding (OSHA Publication No.3067). U.S. Department of Labor. See Index onOSHA’s Website at http://www.osha.gov.

OSHA Standards

Title 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR),Part 1910

Subpart D—Walking and Working Surfaces

Subpart E—Means of Egress

Subpart G—Occupational Health andEnvironmental Control

1910.94—Ventilation1910.95—Noise control

Subpart H—Hazardous Materials1910.107—Spray finishing using flammable and

combustible materials1910.108—Dip tanks containing flammable and

combustible materials

Subpart I—Personal Protective Equipment (Coverseye and face, head, foot, hand, and respiratoryprotection)

Subpart J—General Environmental Controls1910.147—Control of hazardous energy (“Lock-

out Tagout”)

Subpart L—Fire Protection

Subpart N—Materials Handling and Storage1910.178—Powered industrial trucks

Subpart O—Machinery and Machine Guarding1910.212—General requirements for all

machines

Appendix A: References and Standards


44

1910.213—Woodworking machineryrequirements

1910.219—Mechanical power transmissionapparatus

Subpart S—Electrical

Subpart Z—Toxic and Hazardous Substances1910.1200—Hazard communication

Other Standards

National Fire Protection Association:

NFPA 10 Installation of Portable FireExtinguishers

NFPA 33 Standard for SprayFinishing Using Flammableand Combustible Materials

NFPA 70 National Electrical CodeNFPA 644-1993 Standard for the Prevention

of Fires and Explosions inWood Processing andWoodworking Facilities

American National Standards Institute:

ANSI Z9.2 Fundamentals Governingthe Design and Operation ofLocal Exhaust Systems

ANSI O1.1-1992 Woodworking Machinery -Safety Requirements

Appendix A: References and Standards

45Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls

The National Institute for Occupational safetyand Health (NIOSH) has published a series ofseven Hazard Controls fact sheets concerning wooddust control techniques. In this Appendix, NIOSHarticles on controlling dust from woodworkingmachineries are consolidated for use as applicable.NIOSH is the federal agency responsible forconducting research and making recommendationsfor preventing work-related illness and injuries.Hazard Controls are based on research studies thatshow reduced worker exposure to hazardous agentsor activities. Copies of the Hazard Controls factsheets and additional information about hazardcontrol can be obtained by calling NIOSH at1-800-35-NIOSH or visiting NIOSH’s website atwww.cdc.gov/niosh/publistd.html. The following isa list of NIOSH’s Hazard Controls covered in thisAppendix.

Control of Wood Dust from Horizontal BeltSanders, DHHS (NIOSH) PublicationNo. 96-121.

Control of Wood Dust from Shapers, DHHS(NIOSH) Publication No. 96-122.

Control of Wood Dust from AutomatedRouters, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-123.

Control of Wood Dust from Large Diameter DiscSanders, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-124.

Control of Wood Dust from Random OrbitalHand Sanders, DHHS (NIOSH) PublicationNo. 96-125.

Control of Wood Dust from Orbital Hand Sand-ers, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-126.

Control of Wood Dust from Table Saws, DHHS(NIOSH) Publication No. 96-127.

Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls


46 Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls

Auxiliary hood Jet stripper

Main exhausthood

Work tableWork piece

Figure 25. Auxiliary Ventilation System for Horizontal Belt Sanders

Control of Wood Dust from HorizontalBelt Sanders

Hazard

The use of horizontal belt sanders in woodwork-ing creates significant amounts of wood dust.Workers exposed to wood dusts have experienced avariety of adverse health effects such as eye andskin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function,asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore,recommends limiting wood dust exposures toprevent these health problems.

Controls

Surveys by NIOSH researchers indicated thatwood dust from the horizontal belt sanders used inwoodworking was not effectively controlled. As aresult, researchers developed an inexpensiveauxiliary ventilation system for the horizontal beltsanders that significantly reduced wood dustemissions into the workroom.

• Auxiliary Ventilation SystemTypically, belt sander emissions are controlled

only by an exhaust hood covering the drive pulley.The new ventilation system reduced wood dustemitted into the workroom by more than 75% andcan easily be built into new belt sanders or addedto existing ones. The system consists of twodevices: a narrow Auxiliary Hood and an Air JetStripper (see Figure 25). The Auxiliary Hood islocated between the belt surface and the worktabledownstream from the sanding operation. The AirJet Stripper is located inside the main exhausthood. These two devices, in combination with themain exhaust hood, decrease wood dust in theworkroom without affecting the sanding opera-tions. In addition, the Jet Stripper cleans the belt,reducing the frequency of belt changes. This dustcontrol device is not currently commerciallyavailable.

Control of Wood Dust from Shapers

Hazard

Wood shapers are a major source of wood dustemissions. Workers exposed to wood dusts haveexperienced a variety of adverse health effects suchas eye and skin irritation, allergy, reduced lungfunction, asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH,therefore, recommends limiting wood dustexposures to prevent these health problems.

Controls

Surveys by NIOSH researchers found that thedust from wood shapers tends to be poorly con-trolled. The amount of wood dust emitted wasfound to depend on the sharpness of the cutter, thedepth of the cut, the rate at which the wood is fedinto the shaper, and the location of the exhausthood. After studying the usual hood exhaust place-ment, researchers developed an improved hoodconfiguration that significantly reduced wood dustemissions.

• Modified Exhaust Hood

Wood shaper emissions are usually controlled byan exhaust hood located at the back edge of thework table which allows the operator to freelymove the workpiece over the table. Placing theexhaust hood nearer the cutting head would maxi-mize dust collection, however, this would restrictthe operator’s freedom to move the workpiece. Toovercome this problem, a hood extension with aflexible face opening is added (see Figure 26). Theflexible face opening consists of cloth-coveredchains that allow the wood to pass through, butstops the wood dust particles. The extension alsoincreases the hood face velocity by minimizing theopen face area. This dust control device is notcurrently commercially available.


Exhaust

Cloth coveredchain

Hood extension

Cutting head

Work piece

Work table

Figure 26. Improved Hood Configuration for Shapers



Router bit

Jets

Brush

Pressurized air

Pressurized air

Exhaust

Work piece

Figure 27. Computer-Controlled Jet Stripper System for Controlling Emissions from AutomatedRouters


Control of Wood Dust from AutomatedRouters

Hazard

Automated routers have been found to createsignificant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposedto wood dusts have experienced a variety of ad-verse health effects such as eye and skin irritation,allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasalcancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limitingwood dust exposures to prevent these health prob-lems.

Controls

NIOSH researchers found that the wood dustgenerated by automated routers is generally notadequately controlled. To address this problem,researchers designed and tested a new controlsystem that substantially reduced dust emissions.

• Jet Stripper System

Automated routers, consisting of a moving routerhead and table, are capable of routing in anydirection. These high speed machines generate

substantial amounts of wood dust. Generally, thewood dust is controlled by a local exhaust systemlocated at the router head. Despite this control,significant amounts of wood dust are emitted intothe workroom. A computer controlled Jet StripperSystem was developed to control these emissions(see Figure 27). This system consists of 24 jetscombined into 8 operational units uniformly locatedaround the inside periphery of the brush holder. TheJet Stripper and brush surround the router bit. Thejets are supplied with pressurized air and areactivated by pneumatic valves as needed. The airslows down the dust particles so they can be col-lected by the local exhaust hood. Testing shows thatthis system reduces wood dust emissions by 90percent. The Jet Stripper does not interfere with theoperator, requires minimal maintenance and isinexpensive to install and operate. This control canalso be used with conventional, one-dimensionalrouters with some modification. This dust controldevice is not currently commercially available.


Control of Wood Dust from LargeDiameter Disc Sanders

Hazard

The use of large diameter disc sanders createssignificant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposedto wood dusts have experienced a variety of ad-verse health effects such as eye and skin irritation,allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasalcancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limitingwood dust exposures to prevent these healthproblems.

Controls

Surveys by NIOSH researchers found that wooddust created by large diameter disc sanders is oftennot effectively controlled. To address this problem,researchers designed a ventilation control systemthat significantly reduced wood dust emissions intothe workroom.

• Jetstripper System

The standard dust control arrangement for discsanders usually consists of an exhaust hood underthe worktable that covers the lower half of the discand a cover around the back of the sanding discabove the worktable. Even with this control, signifi-cant amounts of wood dust are emitted into theworkroom. A Jet Stripper System was designed toimprove dust control (see Figure 28). The JetStripper supplies pressurized air to the disc insidethe hood. The jet of high speed air blows the dustparticles out of the disc air layer so they can becaptured by the exhaust hood. Also, the jet removesthe dust particles embedded in the sanding disc. TheJet Stripper System reduced wood dust emissionsby an average of 60 percent in laboratory studies.The advantages of this control are that it does notinterfere with the operator, requires minimal main-tenance and is inexpensive to operate. The JetStripper may also extend the life of the sandingdiscs by dislodging the wood dust from the sandingsurface. This dust control device is not currentlycommercially available.


Exhaust

Jets

Work table

Disc sander

Exhausthood

Jet stripperlocation

Pressurized air

Figure 28. Jet Stripper System for Improving Dust Control from Disc Sanders


Curved slots

Sander

Vacuum holes

To exhaust

To exhaust

Additional exhaust

Figure 29. Dust Control System for Random Orbital Hand Sanders


Control of Wood Dust from RandomOrbital Hand Sanders

Hazard

Random orbital (rotating) hand sanders havebeen found to create significant amounts of wooddust. Workers exposed to wood dusts have experi-enced a variety of adverse health effects such as eyeand skin irritation, allergy, reduced lung function,asthma, and nasal cancer. NIOSH, therefore,recommends limiting wood dust exposures toprevent these health problems.

Controls

NIOSH researchers found that wood dust createdby random orbital hand sanders is often poorlycontrolled. To address this problem, researchersdesigned and tested a new control system for thesehand sanders that significantly reduced dustemissions.

• Additional Exhaust System

Random orbital hand sanders are widely used inwoodworking applications. The dust generated bythese tools is sometimes controlled by an aspiratorin combination with a perforated sanding pad. Theaspirator creates a vacuum to draw wood dust upthrough holes in the sanding pad. It was found that,in spite of this control, large amounts of wood dustwere still emitted into the workroom. A new controlsystem that uses Additional Exhaust and a SlottedSanding Pad was implemented to increase dustcontrol (see Figure 29). The increased suction ofthe additional exhaust alone causes the sanding padto be pulled to the work surface making the tooldifficult to use. To alleviate this problem, curvedslots are cut into the sanding pad. This relieves thepressure caused by the extra suction and providesadditional dust control at the pad periphery. Thenew dust control system reduces dust emissions byapproximately 90 percent compared with thecurrently used aspirator controlled sander. The newsander does not interfere with the operator, requiresno special maintenance and is inexpensive tooperate. This dust control device is not currentlycommercially available.

Appendix B: NIOSH Hazard Controls 51

Control of Wood Dust from Orbital HandSanders

Hazard

Orbital hand sanders have been found to createsignificant amounts of wood dust. Workers exposedto wood dusts have experienced a variety of ad-verse health effects such as eye and skin irritation,allergy, reduced lung function, asthma, and nasalcancer. NIOSH, therefore, recommends limitingwood dust exposures to prevent these health prob-lems.

Controls

NIOSH researchers found that the wood dustgenerated by orbital hand sanders is often poorlycontrolled. To address this problem, researchersdesigned and tested a new control system for thesehand sanders that significantly reduced dustemissions.

• Dust Control System

Orbital hand sanders are extensively used inwoodworking processes. The dust from thesesanders is generally not controlled although someare equipped with dust removal capabilities. How-ever, even the sanders having dust removal do noteffectively control the wood dust generated by thesanding operation. Therefore, a new control ap-proach was developed. A Dust Control Plenum wasdesigned and tested on an orbital sander (see Figure30). The plenum fits between the sanding pad andthe sander body and has a series of exhaust slotsalong its edges. An exhaust connection on the topof the sander pad connects the plenum with avacuum source. Laboratory tests show that theplenum reduces wood dust emissions by approxi-mately 90 percent. The plenum does not interferewith the operator’s activities, requires no specialmaintenance, is inexpensive to operate, and can beused on any sander, pneumatically or electricallypowered. This dust control device is not currentlycommercially available. Call NIOSH for moreinformation.


Figure 30. Dust Control Plenum for Orbital Hand Sanders

Sander air supply

Exhaust

PlenumSander pad

Sandpaper clip

Exhaust opening

Exhaust plenum


Moving tableand fence

Dividerplate

Sawrotation

Exhaust

Exhaust

Side view

Figure 31. Local Exhaust Hood for Table Saws


Control of Wood Dust from Table Saws

Hazard

Table saws have been found to create significantamounts of wood dust. Workers exposed to wooddusts have experienced a variety of adverse healtheffects such as eye and skin irritation, allergy,reduced lung function, asthma, and nasal cancer.NIOSH recommends limiting wood dust exposuresto prevent these healthproblems.

Controls

NIOSH researchers found that the wood dustgenerated by table saws is often poorly controlled.To address this problem, researchers designed andtested a control system for table saws thatsignificantly reduced wood dust emissions.

• Local Exhaust Hood

Table saws are widely used in many types ofwoodworking operations. Although they are some-times used only sporadically, they are found togenerate significant amounts of dust. The tradi-tional method of dust control for table saws isexhaust through the bottom of the table. This isoften not adequate to control the large amounts ofhigh speed dust that are generated by the saw blade.To better control the dust, NIOSH researchersadded a Local Exhaust Hood to the table saw (seeFigure 31). Another modification involved theaddition of a divider plate in the table base toincrease the exhaust velocity and aid clean out. Thetable exhaust location was also relocated. Theexhaust hood, when placed over the top of the bladesaw, contains the dust as it is thrown from the sawblade. Laboratory testing indicates that the exhausthood reduces wood dust emissions by greater than90 percent when it is installed on a typical tablesaw. The hood is designed so that it will not inter-fere with the operator’s activities, is easy to installand maintain, and is inexpensive to operate. Thisdust control device is not currently commerciallyavailable.

53

State and Local Government Resources

Several states have developed relevant require-ments, guidelines, or recommendations. Theseinclude California OSHA, CAL/OSHA Guidelinesfor Workplace Security, and Model Injury andIllness Prevention Program for Workplace Security;the State of Florida, Convenience Business SecurityAct, and Study of Safety and Security Requirementsfor “At-Risk” Businesses; the State of Virginia,Report to the Virginia State Crime Commission onViolent Crime and Workers’ Safety in VirginiaConvenience Stores; and Violent Crimes in Conve-nient Stores: Analysis of Crimes, Criminals, andCosts; and the State of Washington Department ofLabor and Industries, Violence in WashingtonWorkplaces, and Late Night Retail Workers’ CrimeProtection. Information is available from these andother agencies to assist employers who are trying toimplement an effective workplace violence preven-tion program. (See also Selected Bibliography.)

Sources of OSHA Assistance

OSHA has a variety of products and programsavailable to help employers comply with its regula-tions and improve workplace safety and health.These include numerous publications on regulatorytopics, such as hazard communication, asbestos,bloodborne pathogens, and on programs such asconsultation, voluntary protection, grants, andtraining and education to name a few.

Publications are available either as a single freecopy per request or for sale by the U.S. Govern-ment Printing Office. Lists of publications areavailable from the OSHA Publications Office, P.O.Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535, (202)693-1888 (phone); (202) 693-2498 (fax). OSHAalso has several videos available on loan or for saleby National Technical Information Service (http://www.ntis.gov) and its National Audiovisual Service(see OSHA publication 2019).

OSHA also offers a variety of programs andinitiatives to help employers comply with theagency’s standards or guidelines, as discussed inthe following paragraphs.

Appendix C: Sources of OSHA Assistance

Safety and Health Program ManagementGuidelines

A single free copy of the guidelines can beobtained from the OSHA Publications Office, P.O.Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535 bysending a self-addressed label with your request orby calling (202) 219-4667. The guidelines are alsoavailable on OSHA’s web site at http://www.osha.gov/under Federal Register Notices.

State Programs

Many states have their own OSHA-approvedsafety and health regulations covering workplacesin their jurisdiction. The Occupational Safety andHealth Act of 1970 encourages states to developand operate their own job safety and health plans.States with plans approved under section 18(b) ofthe OSH Act must adopt standards and enforcerequirements that are at least as effective as federalrequirements.

There are currently 25 state plan states: 23covering private and public (state and local govern-ment) sectors and two covering public sector only.Plan states must adopt standards comparable to thefederal within 6 months of a federal standard’spromulgation. Until such time as a state standard ispromulgated, Federal OSHA provides interimenforcement assistance, as appropriate, in thesestates.

A listing of the state plan states appears on theHome Page at http://www.osha.gov/under OfficeDirectory ; an explanation appears under Programsand Services. See also the enclosed list of Stateswith Approved Plans at the end of this appendix.

Consultation Program

Another way OSHA helps employers, especiallysmall employers, is through its consultation pro-gram. Free onsite safety and health consultationservices are available to employers in all states whowant help in establishing and maintaining a safeand healthful workplace. Largely funded by OSHAand primarily developed for smaller employers with

Appendix C: Sources of Assistance


54 Appendix C: Sources of OSHA Assistance

more hazardous operations, state governmentsemploying professional safety and health consult-ants provide the consultation service, on request, tothose employers who ask for help. These consult-ants offer employers comprehensive assistance thatincludes an appraisal of all mechanical systems,physical work practices, and environmental hazardsof the workplace and all aspects of the employer’spresent job safety and health program.

This program is completely separate from theOSHA inspection efforts. No penalties are proposedor citations issued for any safety or health problemsidentified by the consultant. The service isconfidential.

Another incentive program, SHARP (Safety andHealth Achievement Recognition Program), recog-nizes employers with comprehensive, effectivesafety and health programs. SHARP is open tosmall high-hazard employers to do the following:

• request full-service consultation assistance;

• involve their employees in the development,operation, and improvement of all elements ofthe program;

• work with project consultants for at least oneyear to improve worker protection at the site;and

• meet other program requirements.

In return, employers receive public recognitionfor exemplary efforts and achievement, reap thebenefits of extensive professional assistance, andmay be eligible to receive a 1-year exemption fromOSHA general scheduled inspections.

For more information concerning consultationservices, see Programs and Services and the list ofconsultation projects under Office Directory onOSHA’s Home Page, or the Consultation ProjectDirectory in Appendix D.

Voluntary Protection Programs

OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP)also help employers and employees recognize andpromote effective safety and health program

management. In the VPP, management, labor, andOSHA establish cooperative relationships at work-places that have implemented strong programs.

Sites approved for VPP’s Star, Merit, and Dem-onstration programs have met—and must continuemeeting—rigorous participation standards. Benefitsof VPP participation include improved employeemotivation to work safely, leading to better qualityand productivity; lost-workday case rates thatgenerally are 60 to 80 percent below industryaverages; reduced workers’ compensation and otherinjury- and illness-related costs; positive commu-nity recognition and interaction; further improve-ment and revitalization for already good safety andhealth programs; and partnership with OSHA.

For additional information about the VPP,contact the VPP Manager in your nearest OSHAregional office listed under Office Directory onOSHA’s Home Page or see the lists of OSHARegional and Area Offices at the end of thisappendix.

Training and Education

OSHA’s area offices offer a variety of informa-tion services, such as publications, audiovisual aids,technical advice, and speakers for special engage-ments. OSHA’s Training Institute in Des Plaines,IL, provides basic and advanced courses in safetyand health for federal and state compliance officers,state consultants, federal agency personnel, andprivate sector employers, employees, and theirrepresentatives. To meet the demand for thesecourses, OSHA also has 12 Training InstituteEducation Centers nationwide. These centers—comprised of nonprofit colleges, universities, andother organizations— offer a variety of OSHAcourses for private and federal sectors.

OSHA also provides funds to nonprofit organiza-tions, through grants, to conduct workplace trainingand education in subjects where OSHA believesthere is a lack of workplace training. Grants areawarded annually. Grant recipients are expected tocontribute 20 percent of the total grant cost.

55

For more information on grants, training, andeducation, contact the OSHA Training Institute,Office of Training and Education, 1555 TimesDrive, Des Plaines, IL 60018, phone (847)297-4810 or fax (847) 297-4874. See also Pro-grams and Services, Training and Education, onOSHA’s Home Page.

Electronic Information

Internet—OSHA standards, interpretations,directives, publications, and additional informationare available or can be ordered online from OSHA’sHome Page at http://www.osha.gov/.

For example, to search for OSHA standards, goto the OSHA Home Page and select Standards, orFederal Register Notices. For information onspecific chemicals or substances, go to TechnicalInformation. See also categories on ComplianceAssistance, Programs and Services, and OSHASoftware/Advisors. All categories allow searchfunctions to help you locate the information youneed.

CD-ROM—A wide variety of OSHA materialsincluding standards, interpretations, directives, andmore can be purchased on CD-ROM from theGovernment Printing Office. To order, write toSuperintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954,Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. Specify OSHA Regula-tions, Documents, and Technical Information onCD-ROM, (ORDT); S/N 729-013-00000-5. Theprice is $38 per year (4 discs quarterly); single copy$15. (Foreign costs: $47.50 annually; $18.75 singlecopy.)

In addition, OSHA has interactive complianceassistance software, OSHA Expert Systems, orAdvisors, to help responde to individual compliancequestions. These deal with confined spaces, asbes-tos, and cadmium. A new test version on fire safetyalso is available. These can be downloaded fromOSHA’s Home Page under OSHA Software/Advisors.

Emergencies

To report life-threatening situations, catastro-phes, or fatalities, call (800) 321-OSHA. Com-plaints will go immediately to the nearest OSHAarea or state office for help.

You can also contact your nearest OSHA area orregional office listed in Appendix D or online underOffice Directory on OSHA’s Home Page.

Appendix C: Sources of OSHA Assistance

Appendix C: Sources of Assistance


Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory56

CommissionerIowa Division of Labor Services1000 E. Grand AvenueDes Moines, IA 50319(515) 281-3447

SecretaryKentucky Labor Cabinet1047 U.S. Highway, 127 SouthSuite 2, Frankfort, KY 40601(502) 564-3070

CommissionerMaryland Division of Labor and IndustryDepartment of Labor Licensing and Regulation1100 N. Eutaw Street, Room 613Baltimore, MD 21201-2206(410) 767-2292

DirectorMichigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services4th Floor, Law BuildingP.O. Box 30004Lansing, MI 48909(517) 373-7230

CommissionerMinnesota Department of Labor and Industry443 Lafayette RoadSt. Paul, MN 55155(612) 296-2342

DirectorNevada Division of Industrial Relations400 West King StreetCarson City, NV 89703(702) 687-3032

SecretaryNew Mexico Environment Department1190 St. Francis DriveP.O. Box 26110Santa Fe, NM 87502(505) 827-2850

Sates with Approved Plans

CommissionerAlaska Department of Labor1111 West 8th StreetP.O. Box 24119Room 306Juneau, AK 99802-1149(907) 465-2700

DirectorIndustrial Commissioner of Arizona800 W. WashingtonPhoenix, AZ 85007(602) 542-5795

DirectorCalifornia Department of Industrial Relations45 Fremont StreetSan Francisco, CA 94105(415) 972-8835

CommissionerConnecticut Department of Labor200 Folly Brook BoulevardWethersfield, CT 06109(860) 566-5123

DirectorConnecticut Department of Labor38 Wolcott Hill RoadWethersfield, CT 06109(860) 566-4550

DirectorHawaii Department of Laborand Industrial Relations830 Punchbowl StreetHonolulu, HI 96813(808) 586-8844

CommissionerIndiana Department of LaborState Office Building402 West Washington StreetRoom W195Indianapolis, IN 46204(317) 232-2378

57Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory

CommissionerNew York Department of LaborW. Averell Harriman State OfficeBuilding - 12, Room 500Albany, NY 12240(518) 457-2741

CommissionerNorth Carolina Department of Labor4 West Edenton StreetRaleigh, NC 27601-1092(919) 807-2900

AdministratorDepartment of Consumer and Business ServicesOccupational Safety and Health Division (OR-OSHA)350 Winter Street, NE, Room 430Salem, OR 97310-0220(503) 378-3272

SecretaryPuerto Rico Department of Labor and Human ResourcesPrudencio Rivera Martinez Building505 Munoz Rivera AvenueHato Rey, PR 00918(787) 754-2119

CommissionerSouth Carolina Department of LaborLicensing and Regulation110 Centerview DriveP.O. Box 11329Columbia, SC 29210(803) 896-4300

CommissionerTennessee Department of Labor710 James Robertson ParkwayNashville, TN 37243-0659(615) 741-2582

CommissionerLabor Commission of Utah160 East 300 South, 3rd FloorP.O. Box 146600Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6650(801) 530-6880

CommissionerVermont Department of Labor and IndustryNational Life Building - Drawer 20120 State StreetMontpelier, VT 05620-3401(802) 828-2288

CommissionerVirginia Department of Labor and IndustryPowers-Taylor Building13 South 13th StreetRichmond, VA 23219(804) 786-2377

CommissionerVirgin Islands Department of Labor16-AB Church StreetSt. Croix, VI 00820-4666(340) 773-1994

DirectorWashington Department of Labor and IndustriesGeneral Administrative BuildingP.O. Box 44001Olympia, WA 98504-4001(360) 902-4200

AdministratorWorker’s Safety and Compensation Division (WSC)Wyoming Department of EmploymentHerschler Building, 2nd Floor East122 West 25th StreetCheyenne, WY 82002(307) 777-7786

Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory


58 Appendix D: OSHA Office Directory

ConnecticutDivision of Occupational Safety and HealthConnecticut Department of Labor38 Wolcott Hill RoadWethersfield, CT 06109(860) 566-4550

DelawareOccupational Safety and HealthDivision of Industrial AffairsDelaware Department of Labor4425 Market StreetWilmington, DE 19802(302) 761-8219

District of ColumbiaOffice of Occupational Safety and HealthD. C. Department of Employment Services950 Upshur Street, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20011(202) 576-6339

Florida7(c)(1) Onsite Consultation ProgramDivision of SafetyFlorida Department of Labor and Employment Security2002 St. Augustine RoadBuilding E, Suite 45Tallahassee, FL 32399-0663(904) 488-3044

Georgia7(c)(1) Onsite Consultation ProgramGeorgia Institute of TechnologyO’Keefe Building, Room 22Atlanta, GA 30332(404) 894-2643

GuamOSHA Onsite ConsultationDepartment of Labor, Government of GuamP. O. Box 9970Tamuning, Guam 96931(671) 475-0136

OSHA Consultation Project Directory

AlabamaSafety State Program University of Alabama425 Martha Parham WestP.O. Box 870388Tuscaloosa, AL 35487(205) 348-7136

AlaskaDivision of Consultation and TrainingADOL/OSHA3301 Eagle Street, Suite 305P.O. Box 107022Anchorage, AK 99510(907) 269-4957

ArizonaConsultation and TrainingDivision of Occupational Safety and HealthIndustrial Commission of Arizona800 West WashingtonPhoenix, AZ 85007-9070(602) 542-5795

ArkansasOSHA ConsultationArkansas Department of Labor10421 West MarkhamLittle Rock, AK 72205(501) 682-4522

CaliforniaCAL/OSHA Consultation ServiceDepartment of Industrial Relations45 Freemont Street, Room 5346San Francisco, CA 94105(415) 972-8515

ColoradoOccupational Safety and Health SectionColorado State University115 Environmental Health BuildingFort Collins, CO 80523(970) 491-6151

HawaiiConsultation and Training BranchDepartment of Labor and Industrial Relations830 Punchbowl StreetHonolulu, HI 96831(808) 586-9100

IdahoSafety and Health Consultation ProgramBoise State UniversityDepartment of Health Studies1910 University Drive, ET-338ABoise, ID 83752(208) 385-3283

IllinoisIllinois Onsite ConsultationIndustrial Service DivisionDepartment of Commerce and Community AffairsState of Illinois Center100 West Randolph Street, Suite 3-400Chicago, IL 60601(312) 814-2337

IndianaDivision of LaborBureau of Safety, Education, and Training402 West Washington, Room W195Indianapolia, IN 46204-2287(317) 232-2688

Iowa7(c)(1) Consultation ProgramIowa Bureau of Labor1000 East Grand AvenueDes Moines, IA 50319(515) 965-7162

KansasKansas 7(c)(1) Consultation ProgramKansas Department of Human Resources512 South West 6th StreetTopeka, KS 66603-3150(913) 296-7476


KentuckyDivision of Education and TrainingKentucky Labor Cabinet1047 U.S. Highway 127, SouthFrankfort, KY 40601(502) 564-6895

Louisiana7(c)(1) Consultation ProgramLouisiana Department of LaborP.O. Box 94094Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9094(504) 342-9601

MaineDivision of Industrial SafetyMaine Bureau of Labor StandardsWorkplace Safety and Health DivisionState House Station #82Augusta, ME 04333(207) 624-6460

MarylandDivision of Labor and Industry312 Marshall Avenue, Room 600Laurel, MD 20707(410) 880-4970

MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of MassachusettsDepartment of Labor and Industries1001 Watertown StreetWest Newton, MA 02165(617) 727-3982

Michigan (Health)Department of Consumer and Industry ServicesDivison of Occupational Health3423 North Martin Luther King, Jr. BoulevardLansing, MI 48909(517) 322-1817 (H)

Michigan (Safety)Department of Consumer and Industry ServicesBureau of Safety and Regulation7150 Harris DriveLansing, MI 48909(517) 322-1809 (S)



MinnesotaDepartment of Labor and IndustryConultation Divison433 LaFayette RoadSaint Paul, MN 55155(612) 297-2393

MississippiMississippi State UniversityCenter for Safety and Health2906 North State StreetSutie 201Jackson, MS 39216(601) 987-3981

MissouriOnsite Consultation ProgramDivision of Labor StandardsDepartment of Labor and Industrial Relations3315 West Truman BoulevardP.O. Box 449Jefferson City, MO 65109(573) 751-3403

MontanaDepartment of Labor and IndustryBureau of SafetyP.O. Box 1728Helena, MT 59624-1728(406) 444-6418

NebraskaDivision of Safety Labor and Safety StandardsNebraska Department of LaborState Office Building, Lower level301 Centennial Mall, SouthLincoln, NE 68509-5024(402) 471-4717

NevadaDivision of Preventive SafetyDepartment of Industrial Relations2500 West Washington, Suite 106Las Vegas, NV 89106(702) 486-5016

New HampshireNew Hampshire Department of HealthDivison of Public Health Services6 Hazen DriveConcord, NH 03301-6527(603) 271-2024

New JerseyDivison of Public Safety and Occupational Safety and HealthNew Jersey Department of Labor225 East State Street, 8th Floor WestP.O. Box 953Trenton, NJ 08625-0953(609) 292-3923

New MexicoNew Mexico Environment DepartmentOccupational Health and Safety Bureau525 Camino de los Marquez, Suite 3P.O. Box 26110Santa Fe, NM 87501(505) 827-4230

New YorkDivision of Safety and HealthState Office CampusBuilding 12, Room 130Albany, NY 12240(518) 457-1169

North CarolinaBureau of Consultative ServicesNorth Carolina Department of Labor-OSHA319 Chapanoke Road, Suite 105Raleigh, NC 27603-3432(919) 662-4644

North DakotaDivision of Environmental Engineering1200 Missouri Avenue, Room 304Bismarck, ND 58504(701) 328-5188

OhioDivision of Onsite ConsultationBureau of Employment Services145 S. Front StreetColumbus, OH 43216-1618(614) 644-2246

OklahomaOklahoma Department of LaborOSHA Division4001 North Lincoln BoulevardOklahoma City, OK 73105-5212(405) 528-1500

OregonDepartment of Insurance and FinanceOccupational Safety and Health DivisionLabor and Industries Building350 Winter Street, N.E., Room 430Salem, OR 97310(503) 378-3272

PennsylvaniaIndiana University of PennsylvaniaSafety Sciences Department205 Uhler HallIndiana, PA 15705-1087(412) 357-2561

Puerto RicoOccupational Safety and Health OfficeDepartment of Labor and Human Resources505 Munoz Rivera Avenue, 21st FloorHato Rey, PR 00918(787) 754-2188

Rhode IslandDivision of Occupational Health3 Capital HillProvidence, RI 02908(401) 277-2438

South CarolinaSouth Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation3600 Forest DriveP.O. Box 11329Columbia, SC 29204(803) 896-4300

South DakotaEngineering ExtensionOnsite Technical DivisionSouth Dakota State University, West Hall907 Harvey Dunn StreetP.O. Box 510Brookings, SD 57007(605) 688-4101

TennesseeOSHA Consultative Services DivisionTennessee Department of Labor710 James Robertson Parkway, 3rd FloorNashville, TN 37243-0659(615) 741-7036

TexasWorkers’ Health and Safety DivisionWorkers’ Compensation CommissionSouthfield Building4000 South I H 35Austin, TX 78704(512) 440-3834

UtahState of Utah Labor Commission Workplace Safety and HealthConsultation Services160 East 300 SouthSalt Lake City, UT 84114-6650(801) 530-7606

VermontDivision of Occupational Safety and HealthVermont Department of Labor and IndustryNational Life Building, Drawer #20Montpelier, VT 05602-3401(802) 828-2765





VirginiaVirginia Department of Labor and IndustryOccupational Safety and Health Training and Consultation13 South 13th StreetRichmond, VA 23219(804) 786-6359

Virgin IslandsDivision of Occupational Safety and HealthVirgin Islands Department of Labor3021 Golden RockChristianstedSt. Croix, VI 00840(809) 772-1315

WashingtonWashington Department of Labor and IndustriesDivision of Industrial Safety and HealthP.O. Box 44643Olympia, WA 98504(360) 902-5638

West VirginiaWest Virginia Department of LaborCapitol Complex Building #31800 East Washington Street, Room 319Charleston, WV 25305(304) 558-7890

Wisconsin (Health)Wisconsin Department of Health and Human ServicesDivision of HealthSection of Occupational Health1414 East Washington Avenue, Room 112Madison, WI 53703(608) 266-8579

Wisconsin (Safety)Wisconsin Department of Industry Labor and Human RelationsBureau of Safety Inspections401 Pilot Court, Suite CWaukesha, WI 53188(414) 521-5063

WyomingWyoming Department of EmploymentWorkers’ Safety and Compensation DivisionHerschler Building, 2 East122 West 25th Street, 2nd FloorCheyenne, WY 82002(307) 777-7786

Other Relevant Addresses

Consultation Training CoordinatorOSHA Training Institute1555 Training InstituteDes Plaines, IL 60018(847) 297-4810

Laboratory Services AgreementWisconsin Occupational Health Lab979 Jonathan DriveMadison, WI 53713(608) 263-8807

New York Public Sector Consultation ProjectNew York State Department of LaborBuilding #12State Building CampusAlbany, NY 12240(518) 457-3518

Director of Consultation Support ServicesUniversity of AlabamaCollege of Continuing Studies425 Martha Parham WestP.O. Box 870388Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0388(205) 348-4585

OSHA Area Offices

US Department of Labor - OSHA2047 Canyon Road - Todd MallBirmingham, AL 35216-1981Telephone: (205) 731-1534

US Department of Labor - OSHA3737 Government Boulevard, Suite 100Mobile, AL 36693-4309Telephone: (334) 441-6131

US Department of Labor - OSHA301 W. Northern Lights BoulevardSuite 407Anchorage, AK 99503-7571Telephone: (907) 271-5152

US Department of Labor - OSHA3221 North 16th Street, Suite 100Phoenix, AZ 85016Telephone: (602) 640-2007

US Department of Labor - OSHA425 West Capitol AvenueSuite 450Little Rock, AR 72201Telephone: (501) 324-6291

US Department of Labor - OSHA5675 Ruffin Road, Suite 330San Diego, CA 92123Telephone: (619) 557-2909

US Department of Labor - OSHA1391 North Speer BoulevardSuite 210Denver, CO 80204-2552Telephone: (303) 844-5285

US Department of Labor - OSHA7935 E. Prentice Avenue, Suite 209Englewood, CO 80111-2714Telephone: (303) 843-4515


US Department of Labor - OSHAClark BuildingBridgeport, CT 06604Telephone: (203) 579-5581

US Department of Labor - OSHAFederal Office Building450 Main Street, Room 613Hartford, CT 06103Telephone: (860) 240-3152

US Department of Labor - OSHA1 Rodney Square, Suite 402920 King StreetWilmington, DE 19801Telephone: (302) 573-6115

US Department of Labor - OSHAJacaranda Executive Court8040 Peters RoadBuilding H-100Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324Telephone: (954) 424-0242

US Department of Labor - OSHARibault Building1851 Executive Center DriveSuite 227Jacksonville, FL 32207Telephone: (904) 232-2895

US Department of Labor - OSHA5807 Breckenridge ParkwaySuite ATampa, FL 33610-4249Telephone: (813) 626-1177

US Department of Labor - OSHA450 Mall Boulevard, Suite JSavannah, GA 31406Telephone: (912) 652-4393

US Department of Labor - OSHA2400 Herodian Way, Suite 250Smyrna, GA 30080-2968Telephone: (770) 984-8700




US Department of Labor - OSHALa Vista Perimeter Office ParkBuilding 7, Suite 110Tucker, GA 30084-4154Telephone: (770) 493-6644

US Department of Labor - OSHA300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Suite 5-146Honolulu, HI 96850Telephone: (808) 541-2685

US Department of Labor - OSHA1150 North Curtis RoadSuite 201Boise, ID 83706-1234Telephone: (208) 321-2960

US Department of Labor - OSHA1600 167th Street, Suite 9Calumet City, IL 60409Telephone: (708) 891-3800

US Department of Labor - OSHA2360 E. Devon AvenueSuite 1010Des Plaines, IL 60018Telephone: (847) 803-4800

US Department of Labor - OSHA344 Smoke Tree Business ParkNorth Aurora, IL 60542Telephone: (630) 896-8700

US Department of Labor - OSHA2918 West Willow Knolls RoadPeoria, IL 61614Telephone: (309) 671-7033

US Department of Labor - OSHA46 East Ohio Street, Room 422Indianapolis, IN 46204Telephone: (317) 226-7290

US Department of Labor - OSHA210 Walnut Street, Room 815Des Moines, IA 50309Telephone: (515) 284-4794

US Department of Labor - OSHA300 Epic Center301 N. MainWichita, KS 67202Telephone: (316) 269-6644

US Department of Labor - OSHAJohn C. Watts Federal Building, Room 108330 W. BroadwayFrankfort, KY 40601-7024Telephone: (502) 227-2348

US Department of Labor - OSHA9100 Bluebonnet Center BoulevardSuite 201Baton Rouge, LA 70809Telephone: (504) 389-0474

US Department of Labor - OSHAU.S. Federal Building202 Harlow Street,Room 211Bangor, ME 04401Telephone: (207) 941-8177

US Department of Labor - OSHA300 West Pratt StreetRoom 1110Baltimore, MD 21201Telephone: (410) 962-2840

US Department of Labor - OSHA639 Granite Street, 4th FloorBraintree, MA 02184Telephone: (617) 565-6924

US Department of Labor - OSHAValley Office Park13 Branch StreetMethuen, MA 01844Telephone: (617) 565-8110

US Department of Labor - OSHA1145 Main Street, Room 108Springfield, MA 01103-1493Telephone: (413) 785-0123

US Department of Labor - OSHA801 South Waverly RoadSuite 306Lansing, MI 48917-4200Telephone: (517) 377-1892

US Department of Labor - OSHA300 South 4th Street, Suite 1205Minneapolis, MN 55401Telephone: (612) 664-5460

US Department of Labor - OSHA3780 I-55 NorthSuite 210Jackson, MS 39211-6323Telephone: (601) 965-4606

US Department of Labor - OSHA6200 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 100Kansas City, MO 64120Telephone: (816) 483-9531

US Department of Labor - OSHA911 Washington AvenueRoom 420St. Louis, MO 63101Telephone: (314) 425-4249

US Department of Labor - OSHA2900 4th Avenue North, Suite 303Billings, MT 59101Telephone: (406) 247-7494

US Department of Labor - OSHAOverland Wolf Building, Room 1006910 Pacific StreetOmaha, NE 68106Telephone: (402) 221-3182

US Department of Labor - OSHA705 North Plaza, Room 204Carson City, NV 89701Telephone: (702) 885-6963

US Department of Labor - OSHA279 Pleasant Street, Suite 201Concord, NH 03301Telephone: (603) 225-1629


US Department of Labor - OSHA1030 Saint Georges AvenuePlaza 35, Suite 205Avenel, NJ 07001Telephone: (908) 750-3270

US Department of Labor - OSHA500 Route 17 South, 2nd FloorHasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604Telephone: (201) 288-1700

US Department of Labor - OSHAMarlton Executive Park701 Route 73 South, Suite 120Marlton, NJ 08053Telephone: (609) 757-5181

US Department of Labor - OSHA299 Cherry Hill Road, Suite 304Parsippany, NJ 07054Telephone: (203) 263-1003

US Department of Labor - OSHA505 Marquette Avenue, NWSuite 820Alburquerque, NM 87102Telephone: (505) 248-5302

US Department of Labor - OSHA401 New Karner RoadSuite 300Albany, New York 12205-3809Telephone: (518) 464-4338

US Department of Labor - OSHA42-40 Bell Blvd. 5th FloorBayside, NY 11361Telephone: (718) 279-9060

US Department of Labor - OSHA5360 Genesee StreetBowmansville, NY 14026Telephone: (716) 684-3891

US Department of Labor - OSHA6 World Trade Center, Room 881New York, NY 10048Telephone: (212) 466-2482




US Department of Labor - OSHA3300 Vikery RoadSyracuse, NY 13212Telephone: (315) 451-0808

US Department of Labor - OSHA660 White Plaines Road4th FloorTarrytown, NY 10591-5107Telephone: (914) 524-7510

US Department of Labor - OSHA990 Westbury RoadWestbury, NY 11590Telephone: (516) 334-3344

US Department of Labor - OSHACentury Station, Federal Building300 Fayetteville Street Mall, Room 438Raleigh, NC 27601-9998Telephone: (919) 856-4770

US Department of Labor - OSHAFederal Building, Room 348 3rd & RosserP.O. Box 2439Bismarck, ND 58502Telephone: (701) 250-4521

US Department of Labor - OSHA36 Triangle Park DriveCincinnati, OH 45246Telephone: (513) 841-4132

US Department of Labor - OSHAFederal Office Building, Room 8991240 East 9th StreetCleveland, OH 44199Telephone: (216) 522-3818

US Department of Labor - OSHAFederal Office Building, Room 620200 N. High StreetColumbus, OH 43215Telephone: (614) 469-5582

US Department of Labor - OSHAFederal Office Building, Room 734234 North Summit StreetToledo, OH 43604Telephone: (419) 259-7542

US Department of Labor - OSHA420 West Main, Suite 300Oklahoma City, OK 73102Telephone: (405) 231-5351

US Department of Labor - OSHA1220 S.W. 3rd Avenue, Room 640Portland, OR 97294Telephone: (503) 326-2251

US Department of Labor - OSHA850 N. 5th StreetAllentown, PA 18102Telephone: (610) 776-0592

US Department of Labor - OSHA3939 West Ridge RoadSuite B-12Erie, PA 16506Telephone: (814) 833-5758

US Department of Labor - OSHAProgress Plaza49 N. Progress StreetHarrisburg, PA 17109Telephone: (717) 782-3902

US Department of Labor - OSHAU.S. Custom House, Room 242Second and Chestnut StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19106Telephone: (215) 597-4955

US Department of Labor - OSHAFederal Building, Room 14281000 Liberty AvenuePittsburgh, PA 15222Telephone: (412) 395-4903

US Department of Labor - OSHAStegmaier Building7 North Wilksbarre Boulevard, Suite 410Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701-18702Telephone: (717) 826-6538

US Department of Labor - OSHABBV Plaza Building1510 F.D. Roosevelt AvenueGuaynabo, PR 00968Telephone: (787) 277-1560

US Department of Labor - OSHA380 Westminster Mall, Room 543Providence, RI 02903Telephone: (401) 528-4669

US Department of Labor - OSHA1835 Assembly Street, Room 1468Columbia, SC 29201-2453Telephone: (803) 765-5904

US Department of Labor - OSHAGreen Hills Office Park2002 Richard Jones RoadSuite C-205Nashville, TN 37215-2809Telephone: (615) 781-5423

US Department of Labor - OSHA903 San Jacinto BoulevardSuite 319Austin, TX 78701Telephone: (512) 916-5783

US Department of Labor - OSHAWilson Plaza606 N. Carancahua, Suite 700Corpus Christi, TX 78476Telephone: (512) 888-3420

US Department of Labor - OSHA8344 East R.L. Thornton FreewaySuite 420Dallas, TX 75228Telephone: (214) 320-2400

US Department of Labor - OSHANorth Star 2 Building8713 Airport Freeway, Suite 302Fort Worth, TX 76180-7604Telephone: (281) 428-2470

US Department of Labor - OSHA17625 El Camino Real, Suite 400Houston, TX 77060Telephone: (281) 286-0583

67

US Department of Labor - OSHA350 North Sam Houston ParkwaySuite 120Houston, TX 77060Telephone: (281) 591-2438

US Department of Labor - OSHAStrum Thurman Federal Building, Room 8041205 Texas AvenueLubbock, TX 79401Telephone: (806) 472-7681

US Department of Labor - OSHA1781 South 300 WestSalt Lake City, UT 84115-1802Telephone: (801) 487-0073

US Department of Labor - OSHAAFOB, Room 835200 Granby MallNorfolk, VA 23510Telephone: (757) 441-3820

US Department of Labor - OSHA505 16th Avenue, N.E., Suite 302Bellevue, WA 98004Telephone: (206) 553-7520

US Department of Labor - OSHA405 Capitol Street, Room 407Charleston, WV 25301Telephone: (304) 347-5937

US Department of Labor - OSHA2618 North Ballard RoadAppleton, WI 54915-8664Telephone: (920) 734-4521

US Department of Labor - OSHA4802 East BroadwayMadison, WI 53716Telephone: (608) 264-5388

US Department of Labor - OSHAHenry S. Reuss Building310 West Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1180Milwaukee, WI 53203Telephone: (414) 297-3315




U.S. Department of LaborOccupational Safety and Health AdministrationRegional Offices

Region I(CT,* MA, ME, NH, RI, VT*)JFK Federal BuildingRoom E-340Boston, MA 02203Telephone: (617) 565-9860

Region II(NJ, NY,* PR,* VI*)201 Varick StreetRoom 670New York, NY 10014Telephone: (212) 337-2378

Region III(DC, DE, MD,* PA, VA,* WV)Gateway Building, Suite 21003535 Market StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19104Telephone: (215) 596-1201

Region IV(AL, FL, GA, KY,* MS, NC,* SC,* TN*)Atlanta Federal Center61 Forsyth Street SW, Room 6T50Atlanta, GA 30303Telephone: (404) 562-2300

Region V(IL, IN,* MI,* MN,* OH, WI)230 South Dearborn StreetRoom 3244Chicago, IL 60604Telephone: (312) 353-2220

Region VI(AR, LA, NM,* OK, TX)525 Griffin StreetRoom 602Dallas, TX 75202Telephone: (214) 767-4731

Region VII(IA,* KS, MO, NE)City Center Square1100 Main Street, Suite 800Kansas City, MO 64105Telephone: (816) 426-5861

Region VIII(CO, MT, ND, SD, UT,* WY*)1999 Broadway, Suite 1690Denver, CO 80202-5716Telephone: (303) 844-1600

Region IX(American Samoa, AZ,* CA,* Guam,HI,* NV,* Trust Territories of the Pacific)71 Stevenson StreetRoom 420San Francisco, CA 94105Telephone: (415) 975-4310

Region X(AK,* ID, OR,* WA*)1111 Third AvenueSuite 715Seattle, WA 98101-3212Telephone: (206) 553-5930

Appendix D: OSHA Regional Offices

*These states and territories operate their own OSHA-approved job safety and health programs (Connecticut and New Yorkplans cover public employees only). States with approved programs must have a standard that is identical to, or at least aseffective as, the federal standard.

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