Determinants of Wood Dust Exposure in the Danish Furniture Industry—Results from Two Cross-Sectional Studies 6 Years Apart

Objectives: This paper investigates determinants of wood dust exposure and trends in dust level in the furniture industry of Viborg County, Denmark, using data from two cross-sectional studies 6 years apart. Methods: During the winter 1997/1998, 54 factories were visited (hereafter study 1). In the winter 2003/2004, 27 factories were revisited, and personal dust measurements were repeated. In addition, 14 new factories were included (hereafter study 2). A total of 2303 woodworkers participated in study 1, and 2358 measurements from 1702 workers were available. From study 2, 1581 woodworkers participated and 1355 measurements from 1044 workers were available. Information on occupational variables describing potential determinants of exposures like work task, exhaust ventilation, enclosure and cleaning procedures were collected. A total of 2627 measurements and 1907 persons were included in the final mixed model in order to explore determinants of exposure and trends in dust level. Results: The overall inhalable wood dust concentration (geometric means (geometric standard deviation)) has decreased from 0.95 mg/m3 (2.05) in study 1 to 0.60 mg/m3 (1.63) in study 2, representing a 7% annual decrease in dust concentration, which was confirmed in the mixed model. From study 1 to study 2 there has been a change towards less manual work and more efficient cleaning methods, but on the contrary also more inadequate exhaust ventilation systems. The following determinants were found to ‘increase’ dust concentration: sanding; use of compressed air; use of full-automatic machines; manual work; cleaning of work pieces with compressed air; kitchen producing factories and small factories (<20 employees). The following determinants of exposure were found to ‘decrease’ dust concentration: manual assembling/packing; sanding with adequate exhaust ventilation; adequate exhaust ventilation; vacuum cleaning of machines and special cleaning staff. Conclusions: Despite a substantial drop in the dust concentration during the last 6 years in the furniture industry in Viborg County, further improvements are possible. There should be more focus on improved exhaust ventilation, professional cleaning methods and avoiding use of compressed air.

[1]  M. Holmström,et al.  Respiratory symptoms and pathophysiological effects of occupational exposure to formaldehyde and wood dust. , 1988, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[2]  J R Nethercott,et al.  Wood dust and formaldehyde exposures in the cabinet-making industry. , 1986, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[3]  K Teschke,et al.  Predicting Historical Dust and Wood Dust Exposure in Sawmills: Model Development and Validation , 2005, Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene.

[4]  A. Karlberg,et al.  Skin symptoms and contact allergy in woodwork teachers , 1996, Contact dermatitis.

[5]  P. Vinzents,et al.  Variations in exposure to inhalable wood dust in the Danish furniture industry. Within- and between-worker and factory components estimated from passive dust sampling. , 2001, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[6]  A. Hocking,et al.  Effects of personal exposures on pulmonary function and work-related symptoms among sawmill workers. , 2000, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[7]  M. Plummer,et al.  International agency for research on cancer. , 2020, Archives of pathology.

[8]  David James Huebener.  Dust Controls for a Wood Shaper , 1987 .

[9]  D. Lazovich,et al.  Designing intervention effectiveness studies for occupational health and safety: The Minnesota Wood Dust Study. , 2002, American journal of industrial medicine.

[10]  A. Hocking,et al.  Work-related symptoms and dose-response relationships for personal exposures and pulmonary function among woodworkers. , 1999, American journal of industrial medicine.

[11]  Ova E. Johnston,et al.  Control of Wood Dust from Automated Routers , 1990 .

[12]  N. Pearce,et al.  A study of New Zealand wood workers: exposure to wood dust, respiratory symptoms, and suspected cases of occupational asthma. , 1992, The New Zealand medical journal.

[13]  J H Vincent,et al.  A new personal sampler for airborne total dust in workplaces. , 1986, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[14]  L Muriale,et al.  Wood dust exposure during furniture manufacture--results from an Australian survey and considerations for threshold limit value development. , 1991, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[15]  H Kromhout,et al.  Long-term trends in occupational exposure: Are they real? What causes them? What shall we do with them? , 2000, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[16]  Peter S. Vinzents,et al.  A PASSIVE PERSONAL DUST MONITOR , 1996 .

[17]  L M Brosseau,et al.  Inhalable dust exposures, tasks, and use of ventilation in small woodworking shops: a pilot study. , 2001, AIHAJ : a journal for the science of occupational and environmental health and safety.

[18]  C. Haas,et al.  Estimation of averages in truncated samples , 1990 .

[19]  E Symanski,et al.  Mixed-effects models for the evaluation of long-term trends in exposure levels with an example from the nickel industry. , 2001, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[20]  Helen Brown,et al.  Applied Mixed Models in Medicine , 2000, Technometrics.

[21]  A. Bohadana,et al.  Symptoms, airway responsiveness, and exposure to dust in beech and oak wood workers , 2000, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[22]  K Teschke,et al.  Studying the determinants of exposure: a review of methods. , 1999, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[23]  P. Boffetta,et al.  Statistical modelling of the determinants of historical exposure to bitumen and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among paving workers. , 2000, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[24]  Irma Welling,et al.  Occupational exposure to inhalable wood dust in the member states of the European Union. , 2006, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[25]  J. Douwes,et al.  Asthma and other respiratory symptoms in New Zealand pine processing sawmill workers. , 2001, American journal of industrial medicine.

[26]  P. Vinzents,et al.  Wood dust exposure in the Danish furniture industry using conventional and passive monitors. , 2001, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[27]  L. Kupper,et al.  Application of mixed models to assess exposures monitored by construction workers during hot processes. , 1999, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[28]  T. Sigsgaard,et al.  Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Function Among Danish Woodworkers , 2002, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[29]  P. Vinzents,et al.  Passive sampler used for simultaneous measurement of breathing zone size distribution, inhalable dust concentration and other size fractions involving large particles. , 2002, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[30]  H Kromhout,et al.  Wood-dust exposure during wood-working processes. , 1995, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[31]  A. Hocking,et al.  Dust exposures in the wood processing industry. , 1999, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[32]  P. Vacek,et al.  Pulmonary function status of workers exposed to hardwood or pine dust. , 1981, American Industrial Hygiene Association journal.

[33]  M S Morgan,et al.  Exposures to wood dust in U.S. industries and occupations, 1979 to 1997. , 1999, American journal of industrial medicine.

[34]  Kay Teschke,et al.  Exposure levels and determinants of softwood dust exposures in BC lumber mills, 1981-1997. , 2002, AIHA journal : a journal for the science of occupational and environmental health and safety.

[35]  M. Shamssain.  Pulmonary function and symptoms in workers exposed to wood dust. , 1992, Thorax.

[36]  B. Hausen,et al.  Contact allergy to woods. , 1986, Clinics in dermatology.

[37]  E. Söderman,et al.  Work-related respiratory problems in industrial arts teachers , 1995, International archives of occupational and environmental health.

[38]  K. Teschke,et al.  Determinants of exposure to inhalable particulate, wood dust, resin acids, and monoterpenes in a lumber mill environment. , 1999, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[39]  M. Chan-yeung,et al.  A respiratory survey of cedar mill workers. I. Prevalence of symptoms and pulmonary function abnormalities. , 1978, Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association.

[40]  A. Sass-Kortsak,et al.  Respiratory function and exposure-effect relationships in wood dust-exposed and control workers. , 1985, Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association.

[41]  L. C. Smith,et al.  Personal exposures to wood dust of woodworkers in the furniture industry in the High Wycombe area: a statistical comparison of 1983 and 1976/77 survey results. , 1986, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[42]  H. Kromhout,et al.  Cross-shift changes in FEV1 in relation to wood dust exposure: the implications of different exposure assessment methods , 2004, Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[43]  M. Bugiani,et al.  Respiratory diseases in wood workers. , 1987, British journal of industrial medicine.

[44]  Vivi Schlünssen,et al.  Wood dust exposure in the Danish furniture industry using conventional and passive monitors , 2001 .

[45]  R. C. Brown,et al.  An improved design for the dust extraction system of orbital sanders used on wood , 1995 .

[46]  P. Hessel,et al.  Pulmonary Effects of Simultaneous Exposures to MDI Formaldehyde and Wood Dust on Workers in an Oriented Strand Board Plant , 1995, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[47]  T. Sigsgaard,et al.  Indices of asthma among atopic and non-atopic woodworkers , 2004, Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

[48]  L. Kupper,et al.  Comprehensive evaluation of long-term trends in occupational exposure: Part 1. Description of the database. , 1998, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[49]  M. Chan-yeung,et al.  Western red cedar dust exposure and lung function: a dose-response relationship. , 1996, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[50]  Wouter Fransman,et al.  Respiratory symptoms and occupational exposures in New Zealand plywood mill workers. , 2003, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[51]  O. Pedersen,et al.  Nasal patency is related to dust exposure in woodworkers , 2002, Occupational and environmental medicine.

[52]  F. Cinkotai,et al.  Ventilatory function in workers exposed to tea and wood dust. , 1981, British journal of industrial medicine.

[53]  T. Miyamoto,et al.  Occupational asthma from western red cedar dust (Thuja plicata) in furniture factory workers. , 1973, Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association.

[54]  C. Goh,et al.  Occupational dermatosis among sanders in the furniture industry , 1987, Contact dermatitis.

[55]  P Vinzents,et al.  A national cross-sectional study of the working environment in the Danish wood and furniture industry--air pollution and noise. , 1993, The Annals of occupational hygiene.

[56]  I. Burstyn,et al.  Exposure to wood dust and endotoxin in small-scale wood industries in Tanzania , 2004, Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology.

[57]  R F Hounam,et al.  Levels of airborne dust in furniture making factories in the High Wycombe area , 1974, British journal of industrial medicine.