Sawmilling and making wood products — converting logs, making veneers, plywood and wood-based panels, joinery and builders' carpentry, wooden packaging and other wood and cork goods — is machinery- and dust-intensive. The duties in this guide apply to running the plant and employing people, whatever you make. Get this spine in place first, then layer the rules for placing wood products on the market on top.
Health and safety law here is largely devolved. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the regulator in Great Britain and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) in Northern Ireland; the underlying duties are equivalent across the UK. Work through the sections below in order.
A. Meet your general health and safety duty
The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 is the foundation. You must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of your employees and of anyone else affected by your work. In a sawmill or wood-products plant that means risk-assessing sawing, planing and panel machinery, dust, noise and material handling, providing safe systems of work, and training and supervising your people.
B. Control wood dust (COSHH)
Wood dust is the defining health hazard in this division — hardwood dust is carcinogenic, and both hardwood and softwood dust can cause asthma. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) require you to assess, then prevent or adequately control, exposure: provide local exhaust ventilation on saws, sanders and routers, keep to the wood-dust workplace exposure limit, and arrange health surveillance where the regulations require it. The same duties cover the adhesives, resins, preservatives and finishes you use. In Northern Ireland the equivalent COSHH (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2003 apply.
C. Keep your work equipment safe (PUWER)
Your machinery — circular saws and resaws, planers and thicknessers, spindle moulders, sanders, routers, panel saws, chippers and barkers — must be suitable, properly maintained, inspected and adequately safeguarded under the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. Woodworking-machine guarding (the spindle moulder and circular saw in particular), braking, and safe isolation for setting and maintenance are recurring HSE enforcement themes.
D. Manage manual handling
Moving logs, sawn timber, boards, panels and packed product is routine and often heavy, so the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 apply. Avoid hazardous manual handling so far as is reasonably practicable; where you cannot, assess the risk and reduce it — through lifting and handling equipment, better layout and safe systems of work.
E. Manage fire safety
Timber, wood dust, packaging and flammable adhesives and finishes give a wood-products plant a high fire load, and wood dust is also an explosion risk in extraction and silo systems. The responsible person must carry out a fire risk assessment and maintain fire-safety arrangements, including dust extraction and control of ignition sources. The duty is devolved: the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 in England and Wales; the Fire (Scotland) Act 2005 and Fire Safety (Scotland) Regulations 2006 in Scotland; and the Fire and Rescue Services (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 in Northern Ireland.
F. Hold employers' liability insurance
As soon as you employ anyone, you must hold employers' liability compulsory insurance — normally at least £5 million of cover — and display or make available the certificate. This is a legal requirement across Great Britain, with an equivalent duty in Northern Ireland.
G. Meet your equality duties
As an employer you must not discriminate against, harass or victimise people because of a protected characteristic. In Great Britain this is governed by the Equality Act 2010; in Northern Ireland separate equality legislation applies, enforced by the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland.
H. Handle personal data lawfully
If you process personal data — about staff, customers or suppliers — you must comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, and in most cases pay the data protection fee to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). This applies UK-wide.
I. Check whether your installation needs an environmental permit
Larger wood-processing plants need an environmental permit. Manufacturing particle board, oriented strand board, fibreboard or plywood above the regulated capacity, and burning wood waste or operating combustion plant above the thresholds, are permitted activities controlling emissions to air, water and land. In England the regulator is the Environment Agency and in Wales Natural Resources Wales, under the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016; in Scotland it is SEPA and in Northern Ireland the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, under their equivalent regimes. Check whether your plant is in scope and apply for the right permit before you operate.
-
1
1. Write your health and safety risk assessments
Assess sawing, planing and panel machinery, wood dust, noise and handling, and put safe systems of work, training and supervision in place under HASAWA 1974.
-
2
2. Put COSHH controls in for wood dust
Assess hardwood and softwood dust and the adhesives, resins, preservatives and finishes you use; fit local exhaust ventilation on saws and sanders and arrange health surveillance where COSHH requires it.
-
3
3. Bring work equipment into a PUWER regime
Make sure saws, planers, spindle moulders, sanders and panel machinery are guarded and braked, maintained, inspected and safely isolated for setting and maintenance.
-
4
4. Control manual handling and carry out your fire risk assessment
Reduce hazardous handling of logs, timber and panels; assess fire and dust-explosion risk under the regime for your nation.
-
5
5. Take out insurance, register with the ICO and check your permit
Arrange at least £5 million of employers' liability cover, pay the data protection fee unless exempt, and confirm whether your plant needs an environmental permit before you operate.
What to do next
This spine covers the duties of running the plant and employing people. On top of it sit the rules for what you sell:
- Follow Place wood and wood products on the market for timber due diligence, construction-products marking, formaldehyde limits, general product safety and wood-packaging treatment.
- Confirm you have covered everything with the wood-products manufacturer compliance checklist.
Official sources
Authoritative health and safety, data-protection and environmental guidance.