CONTRIBUTORS- TALKING TIMBER
Wood dust inhalation poses various health risks.
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All cutting and debarking equipment, such as circular saws and rotary debarkers, should be fitted with safety guards or interlocks capable of preventing access to moving parts. Work stations should be aligned to minimise human danger from fragments which could arise from breakage, while saws and debarking equipment should be regularly inspected and maintained to prevent equipment failure.
Workers should be trained on the safe use of cutting and debarking equipment, such as the use of push-sticks and other means to move timber past a blade while keeping all parts of the body away from the blade. All personnel operating cutting equipment should use protective eyewear and other Personal Protective Equipment( PPE) as necessary. Saws should be equipped with screens or other devices to protect workers from log kick-back.
Sawmills typically transport wood using electric, movable, multi route conveyor systems. Conveyors under high tension may break, resulting in injury. Clothing or limbs can also become entangled in conveyors. In order to prevent injury from conveyor systems, various measures should be adopted.
Plant design should emphasise simple conveyor routes that are clearly demarcated, with the use of skirt boards to prevent access as necessary. Moving gears, chains and rollers should be fully enclosed, and hard hats should be worn in areas where elevated conveyors are in use.
Conveyor belt arrestors should be installed to stop the conveyor in the event of a belt failure. Belts should be inspected on a daily basis by trained personnel to ensure that they are in good working order. Furthermore, loose clothing is a hazard as it can be caught in a conveyor belt and injure the worker.
Sawmill and wood manufacturing activities may involve working in awkward postures, movement of heavy pieces of equipment or timber, resulting in injuries to the back if lifting is not done correctly. In addition, many of the process tasks are repetitive and can lead to strains or injuries to hands and arms.
HIGHLIGHTING SAWMILL MANUFACTURING HAZARDS
Sawmill and wood manufacturing operations may result in high noise levels. A number of guidelines can be used to address this problem – machines and equipment with high noise emissions, in excess of 85dB( A), should be enclosed in noise reduction housing. Regular maintenance, including water lubrication of machines and cutting blades as well as resin build-up removal, should be conducted.
Circular saw parameters( such as bite depth, blade angle and blade speed) should be adjusted in relation to the timber being cut and the machinery used. One should consider the use of low noise sawblades in addition to other less noisy equipment. In addition, conduct audiometric testing for workers and provide them with appropriate PPE including hearing protection.
Workers may also be exposed to elevated levels of hazardous chemicals, including solvents, during painting, varnishing, or the application of preservative treatments. Working with chemicals without suitable PPE may affect the worker’ s lungs, kidneys, liver, brain and skin.
Recommended techniques to prevent and control chemical exposure include the substitution of solventbased coatings and adhesives with less toxic alternatives, as well as the use of automated techniques for coating and
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60 AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2018 //