Quick answer: Makerspace, hackspace and community woodworking workshop operators have COSHH duties as employers or persons in control of premises — regardless of charitable or CIC status. Wood dust WEL is 5 mg/m³ (softwood) and 3 mg/m³ (hardwood). Hardwood dust is a Category 1A carcinogen. M-Class extraction is the minimum compliant specification for all woodworking. H-Class is required for sustained hardwood operations. LEV equipment must be examined every 14 months under COSHH Regulation 9. Dry sweeping of wood dust is prohibited.
If you run a makerspace, hackspace, community woodworking workshop or men's shed, you are an employer — or a person in control of premises — under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. That legal status applies regardless of whether your organisation is a CIC, a charity, a limited company or an informal community group. COSHH does not have a charitable exemption.
Wood dust is a hazardous substance under COSHH. Hardwood dust is classified as a Category 1A carcinogen under the EU CLP regulation, adopted into UK law. This article explains what COSHH requires for woodworking operations in shared community workshop environments and what extraction specification meets the legal standard.
Wood dust WELs — the numbers that define the specification
Under HSE EH40, wood dust has two workplace exposure limits:
- Softwood dust — 5 mg/m³ inhalable, 8-hour time-weighted average
- Hardwood dust — 3 mg/m³ inhalable, 8-hour time-weighted average
- MDF dust — 1 mg/m³ respirable (MDF contains formaldehyde-based resin binder)
These are legal limits, not guidelines. Operating above them is a COSHH breach. The WEL for hardwood is set low because hardwood dust — particularly from oak, beech, ash and walnut — is a proven human carcinogen causing sino-nasal cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer with long-term exposure.
What COSHH requires for a makerspace woodworking operation
COSHH assessment. You must carry out a written COSHH assessment covering every dust-generating activity in your space — table saw, bandsaw, router, lathe, orbital sander, belt sander, scroll saw and CNC router operations each generate dust at different concentrations.
LEV at source. General ventilation is not adequate control for wood dust under COSHH. Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) at the point of dust generation is required — extraction connected directly to the tool, not a free-standing extractor in the corner of the room.
M-Class as the minimum. M-Class extraction (EN 60335-2-69 Class M, 99.9% filtration at 0.5 micron) is the minimum compliant specification. L-Class and standard shop vacuums are not M-Class certified and are not COSHH-compliant for sustained woodworking use.
H-Class for hardwood. Hardwood dust is a Category 1A carcinogen. Any workshop where oak, beech, ash or walnut is regularly processed should default to H-Class extraction — 99.995% at 0.3 micron — across all extraction points.
LEV examination. Under COSHH Regulation 9, your extraction equipment must be examined and tested at least every 14 months by a competent person. Records must be kept for at least five years. If your extractor fails examination, woodworking activity must stop until it is repaired and re-examined.
Member induction
Members using workshop tools must be inducted on correct extraction use — connecting the extraction hose to the tool before starting, switching extraction on before the tool, not bypassing extraction for a quick cut. Documented induction covering hazardous dust control evidences your duty of care.
Dry sweeping — what COSHH prohibits
Sweeping wood dust with a brush or broom re-suspends settled dust back into the breathing zone. Dry sweeping of wood dust is prohibited under COSHH where the dust is a hazardous substance. Workshop floor cleaning must use wet methods or an M-Class vacuum cleaner.
What this means in practice
A compliant community woodworking workshop needs: M-Class extraction connected to each dust-generating tool; H-Class if hardwood is regularly processed; a written COSHH assessment; LEV examination records; and a documented member induction covering dust control. None of this is technically complex — but all of it is a legal obligation, not an optional standard.
Contact the V-TUF technical team for specification advice for your workshop: 01522 787978
Further reading: Makerspace and workshop dust extraction | M-Class dust extraction | H-Class dust extraction | COSHH Regulations 2002 | HSE EH40 workplace exposure limits | Choose the right machine for the job
