Wood dust is produced when timber is being worked such as in chipping, sawing, turning, drilling and sanding. Sanding is by far the most dangerous as the particles are so fine that a lot of masks do not entirely filter the particles, and, as a result, pass into our nasal cavities, sinuses and lungs.
Hardwoods in general such as beech, oak and mahogany and native hardwoods (eucalypts) generate fine particles of dust and this has a prime link with nasal cancers. Softwood timbers from coniferous trees such as pine, are less of a risk. Medium density fibreboard (MDF) poses another problem due to the bonding agent and should be treated the same as hardwood. A properly designed and maintained exhaust system is the best method of collecting the dust and is the ideal way. However if this is not practical, dust respirators should be used whenever you are exposed to dust, not only when you are actually processing your work. The following list of some timbers and the effects that they might have should be kept in the workshop.
http://www.vwa.org.au/des_dangwd.htm
but yet people still complain about the cost to build a box
when there are saftey hazzards to keep in mind etc
