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Warning: learned the hard way that MDF dust is way more dangerous than I thought
I was at a safety seminar last Tuesday in Denver and the guy running it dropped a stat that blew my mind. He said MDF dust has formaldehyde levels that are like 10 times higher than regular wood dust, and it can build up in your lungs over years. I always just wore a basic dust mask when cutting MDF on my table saw, figured it was fine. Now I'm looking at proper respirators, has anyone else switched to a full respirator setup for MDF work?
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lunah867d ago
And on top of that, @elliotw37, I read somewhere that the formaldehyde in MDF doesn't just dissipate after cutting either, it actually stays in the dust particles and keeps off-gassing for months once it settles on surfaces. So even cleaning up sawdust that's been sitting around can still be risky if you're not careful. I'm honestly thinking about upgrading to a full face respirator just to keep it out of my eyes too.
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elliotw377d ago
Switched to a 3M half-face respirator with P100 filters after a buddy got diagnosed with chronic bronchitis from years of woodwork... made a huge difference in how my lungs feel after a long day in the shop.
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