ABSTRACT
The wood products industry is divided into the primary industry group consisting of sawmills, pulp mills, and plywood manufacturing, where relatively wet or green wood is used; the secondary industry group, primarily mill work; and the tertiary industry group, which includes furniture, cabinet, and pattern making. Most of the health problems occur in the secondary and tertiary groups, where the wood is much drier and produces more dust. These two groups represented 72 percent of a total wood products industry work force of 760,000 in the U.S. in 1982. Dust concentrations in the tertiary industry group are quite variable and can range up to 200 mg/m3; earlier measurements averaged 10 mg/m3 or more while more recent measurements average less than 5 me/m3.
