Exposure to Wood Dust and Noise in the Timber Processing Factory

Forests are valuable natural resources. About 0.3% of trees are harvested each year for domestic and global usage. Softwood saw logs processed at the sawmills are estimated to be 4.1 million per cubic metre (m3) per annum on an average while hardwood saw logs consumed are nearly 260 000 m3. Sawmills is a workplace where logs are sawed into timber boards. Sawmill operations are classified as one of the most dangerous processes because fine dust particles are produced during the process. These fine dust particles are generated at an average speed of 10 m/s. Likewise these particles are greater than 10μm aerodynamic diameter and can easily stuck in the nasal passages while those less than 10μmcan permeate deeper into gas exchange region of the lung. It is claimed that concentration of tannin and other related compounds in wood contributes to the adverse health effects.