A reader's General Construction question: MDF concern?

Tim B.   from   Thomasville NC : United States   had this mdf concern.

Bill's answer

Hi Tim,
Honestly I don't think anyone can say yes or no. All we can do is take heed safety issues as they come to light. Your boss has a duty of care to provide a safe workspace.

In the scale of things MDF is no more dangerous than many other substances we all come up against in our working life. The various solvents that we use with glues and paints come to mind.

Certainly nothing like as harmful as asbestos, which many of us used indiscriminately for many years.

Thinking about it now, maybe I was a little bit over the top on my MDF page, and I will tone it down a bit. Still if it has prompted a few to take sensible precautions it can't be any harm.

If you are still working in a similar environment, keep the dust extractors in top condition and try to get as much ventilation into the place as you can. But don't stress out too much if you are feeling OK.