so, how dangerous is MDF?

:^O

My MDF heat mat just went up in flames !

 

http://www.childrensfurniture.co.uk/mdf.html

 

I try to avoid it normally, if I dont wear a mask cutting it then I seem to spend the evening wezeing.

 

We have found more and more furniture is being made from MDF.
It can be bl*ody hard work trying to lift a wardrobe made from this stuff down the stairs.

I have had the carcinogenic argument a lot in the past, i cant believe peoples attitude towards it when cutting it up indoors.

 

You should avoid breathing any dust, most are strongly linked to causing some disease, I know european redwood is linked to nasal cancer

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/wis30.pdf

 

if you are machining mdf the dust is in the order of .3 microns

only operating theatres have dust extraction to this level

 

0.3 micron ? That's very small That's what ? 0.0003mm ?

 

yes it is very very small

so small that it blocks the lungs, which is why its so dangerous

someody above said its the next asbestos, that is true

 

what sort of respirator should i be using then atm i use a moldex respirator fitted with a vapour plus and p2 plus filter on it (makes me feel safe ) but is it doing any good i mean i use it when im cutting skirtings and architrave but do i need to keep it on while im in the house fixing them ?

lee

 

"the joinery shop where i used to work they used to burn the off cuts of timber mainly oak for the furnace to heat the shop,the very fine oak and iroco dust would go off like a bomb when a shovel full thrown in the furnace"

That's more to do with the size of the dust - has anyone seen that video of the custard factory exploding? Very, very big bang. Get the dust/oxygen concentration just right and it's lethal.

Of course, if you bought it in tins there wouldn't be a problem, would there?

WM

 

I use a Henry when cutting mdf now. It fits into the dust takeoff of most power tools, with a bit of gaffa tape. But you still have to travel slowly to suck it all up as you go.

 

I Work as a cleaner in a joinery company i clean the offices adjacent to the workshop,the joiners are free to walk into the reception office area bringing in constant Mdf resedue, i have only worked there four months i work two days 2 hrs each time, but the previous cleaner went off in poor health, but i am finding i am having a sore throat and it hurts when i have hot drinks and swallow, it is so dusty every time i come to clean

 

They need to sort out their dust extraction.

 

Not sure if there is any ?

 

That's not good

 

At the very least they should provide you with a mask - if you happy with that.

MDF is an irritant, if not worse. The few times I use the stuff myself, I make sure the garage door is wide open and well ventilated. But it still leaves my skin itchy, and a dry throat as you say.

I would not - under any circumstances - subject myself to that on a regular basis. Perhaps you are particularly susceptible to the chemicals in it as the office, surely, shouldn't be that bad? But, as Chips says, the joinery area shouldn't have that dust problem either.

Do these joiners themselves even wear masks?!

Any complaints from the office workers?