家具製造過程產生之木塵可能危害作業的勞工健康，因此有必要瞭解家具各製造單元產生的木塵特性，以提出家具製造業之木塵職業衛生管理來保護勞工。本研究選擇一家典型的家具木業工廠，探討家具製程中六個作業單元，包括原料裁切區(S1)、平面刨光區(S2)、斷面刨光區(S3)、加工切割區(S4)、修補砂光區(S5)、塗裝砂光區(S6)，產生之木塵氣膠特性。
家具製造產生之木塵係使用粉塵粒徑分析儀(Grimm 1.109)，於六個製造單元區之固定位置進行連續九小時(工作時間08:00-12:00、13:00-17:00；中午休息時間12:00-13:00)量測。木塵量測項目包括質量濃度(可吸入性、胸腔性及可呼吸性粉塵)、粒數濃度及粒數粒徑分布(0.25 μm～32 μm)。
結果顯示家具製造產生之木塵，明顯增加作業場所空氣中之木塵質量濃度，胸腔性及可呼吸性木塵占可吸入性木塵濃度之46.6％～62.7％及17.0％～34.7％。在工作時間與休息時間，測得之木塵濃度均在斷面刨光區(S3)為最高、原料裁切區(S1)為最低。
空氣噴槍清潔身體、機台及木材物件會揚起粗粒徑木塵，其它作業活動產生之木塵粒徑主要分布在次微米範圍。砂紙的粗糙度會影響砂光產生的木塵大小，粗糙度小的砂紙產生的木塵粒徑也較小。家具製造作業裝設局部排氣裝置能補集木塵，有效降低作業環境之木塵質量及粒數濃度。
建議依照家具各製造單元的特性，從源頭控制(局部排氣、集塵設備、潤濕或隔離)、環境傳播途徑控制(清潔或潤濕)及個人防護(防塵防護具)做綜合的評估，選擇合適可行的木塵危害預防方法，確實做好職業衛生管理應能有效降低現場勞工之木塵暴露。 Wood dust from furniture manufacturing can be hazardous to workers' health. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the characteristics of wood dust produced from each furniture manufacturing unit and put forward the furniture manufacturing industry with wood dust occupational health management to protect workers. A typical furniture factory was selected to explore the haracteristics of wood dust produced from six units in the furniture manufacturing process. The six units are lumber cutting (S1), surface planing (S2), section planing (S3), processing cutting (S4), patching and sanding of semi-finished product (S5), sanding of semi-finished product sprayed with paint (S6).
Wood dust from furniture manufacturing was measured continuously for nine hours (working hours 08:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00, noon break 12:00-13:00) using a dust particle size analyzer (Grimm 1.109) at a fixed location in each manufacturing unit area. Mass concentration (inhalable, thoracic and respirable dust fractions), particle number concentration and particle size distribution (0.25μm~32μm) of wood dust were measured in this study.
The results show that the wood dust produced from furniture manufacturing increased the concentration of wood dust in the air of workplace obviously. The concentration of thoracic and respirable wood dust accounted for 46.6% ~ 62.7% and 17.0% ~ 34.7% of the concentration of inhalable wood dust. During working time and rest time, the concentration of wood dust measured was the highest in section planing area (S3) and the lowest in lumber cutting area (S1).
The use of air spray guns to clean the body, machine and wood objects can raise the coarse wood dust. The size of wood dust produced from other working activities is mainly distributed within the sub-micron range. The roughness ofsandpaper can affect the size of wood dust produced by sanding. The size of wood dust produced by sandpaper with small roughness is also small. The installation of the local exhaust device in furniture manufacturing can capture wood dust and effectively reduce mass and particle number concentrations of wood dust in the working environment.
It is recommended to select suitable and feasible prevention methods for wood dust based on a comprehensive assessment of source control (local exhaust, dust collection equipment, wetting or isolation), environmental transmission route control (cleaning or wetting) and personal protection (dust protective equipment) according to the characteristics of each furniture manufacturing unit. The actual implementation of occupational health management should be able to effectively reduce the workers to expose wood dust
