ls pressure treated wood really safe?

Q: Such as?

A: Many of the precautions are the same as working with untreated wood. For example, whenever power sawing or machining treated wood, goggles and a dust mask should be worn, and, whenever possible, these operations should be performed outdoors. Also, after working with treated wood, and before eating, drinking or smoking, you should wash up with soap and water. In short, users should follow good hygiene and common sense safety precautions.

Q: What method should be used to dispose of pressure treated wood scraps? Can they be burned?

that, before moving in, any dust that might have been created during the building process should be swept up.

Q: Is it necessary to wear special clothing or launder workclothes in a special way when working with pressure treated wood?

A: No special clothing or gloves need be worn when working with CCA treated wood, but if sawdust from the treated wood accumulates on your clothing, you should wash your work clothes separately from other household laundry.

THISPAST summer, the federal I Environmental Protection Agency concluded more than six years of intensive study of the major wood preserving chemicals, creosote, pentachlorophenol, and the inorganic arsenicals. Publicity concerning those regulations has created considerable confusion for consumers and building supply dealers, so Building Products Digest asked David Lewis, vice president of government affairs, Society of American Wood Preservers, Inc., Falls Church, Va., to clarify the situation for us.

Since most of the pressure treated wood sold by building supply dealers has been treated with arsenical preservatives, like Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) or Ammoniacal Copper Arsenate (ACA), we asked Lewis to concentrate on how the regulations will affect those preservatives.

QLIESTION: First of all, is treated wood safe to use and handle?

ANSWER: When properly used and handled, CCA treated wood makes an ideal and safe building material for almost any use where decay or termites a^re a factor. Although the chemicals used to treat the wood become fixed in the wood and highly leach resistant, there are certain precautions that users should take when handling the wood.

A: The best and simplest way for consumers to dispose of their scraps is by ordinary trash collection or burial. Consumers shouldn't burn treated wood. The problem with burning isn't with fumes, but, as I mentioned earlier, the chemicals used to treat the wood become fixed in the wood. When the wood is burned, these chemicals concentrate in the ashes, which does present a disposal problem. Large quantities of treated wood from commercial or industrial use, such as construction sites, may be burned in incinerators, in accordance with state and federal regulations.

Q: Is is safe to use pressure treated wood inside a home?

A: Wood that has been treated with waterborne preservatives, such as CCA or ACA, may be safely used almost anywhere inside of a home. The use of treated wood inside of homes has increased tremendously over the past 15 years. Throughout North America, there are now over 200,000 homes that have been built with the Permanent Wood Foundations system (PWF), using treated wood for the foundation instead of masonry,/concrete block. The trend toward closing up homes to make them more energy efficient has also increased the need to use more treated wood indoors because of the resultant moisture problems. The only precaution that we would recommend is

Q: Is it safe for children to play on pressure treated wood decks or playground equipment?

A: Since the chemicals used in the waterborne preservatives are fixed in the wood and are not absorbed through the skin, children may safely play on CCA treated wood. Consumers should make sure though that the wood they buy is "visibly clean and free of surface residue." This is an industry standard, which has been adopted bythe EPA.Only wood that meets this standard should be used where skin contact is apt to take place.

Q: Is it dangerous to have prolonged skin contact with outdoor furniture made of pressure treated wood?

A: Again, for arsenically treated wood (e.g. CCA or ACA) there is no problem. However, wood that has been treated with pentachlorophenol or creosote, should not be used where

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Story at a Glance

Experl debunks myths and in. lerprets EPA regulations...CCA treated wood is safe if handled properly...good hygiene and common sense safety precau. tions apply.