Basic Safety Information for general timber and treated pine
On 15 March 2005 the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medical Authority (APVMA) announced their findings regarding the use of timber treated with Copper Chrome Arsenate (CCA). This final announcement has been the culmination of review and consideration over the last two years.
APVMA is the Australian Government agency responsible for evaluation, registering and regulating agricultural and veterinary chemicals. This includes reviewing older established preservative systems which are currently on the market, such as CCA.
The APVMA announcement is a precautionary move only. This is no scientific evidence to prove that CCA treated timber is harmful.
The findings have led to the following changes being made for some limited applications of CCA treated timber. There will be a transition period for these changes to occur. From the end of March 2006, the following changes will be required.
CCA treated timber will not be permitted for use as handrails, decking boards, picnic tables and children's playground equipment. These products will need to be treated with an alternative timber treatment such as ACQ (alkaline copper quarternary).
All other products such as fences, bearers, joists or other structural timbers where frequent contact is unlikely, are unaffected by this change.
The APVMA has not recommended the removal of existing CCA treated timber structures. This suggests that the APVMA does not believe these structures are unsafe.
What do I need to do when buying treated timber?
Please ensure you inform the sales person of its intended use, so the correct treatment can be supplied.
For those products that will continue to be treated with CCA, the facts are clear.
- CCA is the most effective and economical treated product available.
It has an excellent safety record for over 70 years.
- The available level of arsenic in treated timber is lower than many source found in food and water according to the APVMA report.
- Treated timbers have strong environmental credentials as a durable product from a renewable resource.
- ACQ Treated Timber offers the same level of protection from decay fungi, termites and wood borers as traditional CCA Treated Timber.
ACQ Treated Timber is preservative treated with and environmentally advanced all purpose wood preservative suitable for outdoor use for above ground and in ground contact exposures. Over the past decade, ACQ Treated Timber has been used in some of the world's most pristine environmentally sensitive areas. Freshly treated ACQ Treated Timber is green in colour, and weathers to a warm brown colour over several months. Like all timber exposed to the weather over a prolonged period of time, ACQ Treated Timber will eventually turn grey if not protected with paint or stain. The ACQ wood preservative has been approved by the Australian Pesticide and Vetinary Medicines Authority as a general use wood preservative for softwoods or hardwoods. The effectiveness of ACQ has been evaluated and approved by an independent Australian technical committee.
ACQ Treated Timber is easy to work with and requires no special precautions other than routine wood working safety procedures:
- Gloves are recommended to be worn to reduce the risk of splinters.
- Dust masks should be worn when machining any timber to reduce inhalation of wood dusts.
- Appropriate eye protection should be worn to reduce the potential for eye injury from wood dust and particles and flying debris during machining.
- Wash thoroughly with mild soap and water after working with ACQ Treated Timber.
- ACQ Treated Timber can be easily stained or painted or left as treated to weather to a warm brown colour.
- Regular application of water repellent finishes will enhance the weathering properties of ACQ Treated Timber.
- Ensure ACQ Treated Timber is dry before applying any finish or coating.
- Good quality hot dipped galvanized and/or stainless steel fasteners and fittings are recommended when building with ACQ Treated Timber.
- CCA Treated pine timber can be cut, chiselled, planed, nailed or drilled the same way as untreated white pine.
The above Guide lines for working safely with treated pine timber are always recommended.
Please contact Timber and Lattice if requiring Safety Data Sheet on treated pine timber.
|
