Exposures to wood dust in US industries and occupations, 1979 to 1997

Background: We analyzed 1,632 measurements of airborne wood dust reported t o OSHA's Integrated Management Information System in the period 1979 to 199 7 Methods: The relationships between wood dust concentrations and various fac tors documented in the OSHA database were examined in a multiple regression model. Results: Exposures ranged from less than 0.03 to 604 mg/m(3), with an arith metic mean of 7.93 and a geometric mean of 1.86 Reported exposure levels de creased substantially over time (e.g., unadjusted geometric mean in 1979 = 4.59 mg/m(3); in 1997 = 0.14 mg/m(3)). High exposure jobs included sanders in the transportation equipment industry (unadjusted geometric mean = 17.5 mg/m(3)), press operators in the wood products industry (12.3 mg/m(3)), lat he operators in the furniture industry (7.46 mg/m(3)), and sanders in the w ood cabinet industry (5.83 mg/m(3)). Conclusions: In the multiple regression model, year state, job, and industr y were found to be predictors of exposure. Year and state were likely surro gates for other factors which directly influence exposure, but which were n ot included in the IMIS database, such as the use of engineering control me asures. Am. J. Ind. Med. 35:581-589, 1999. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.