thisplace.com.au - Working With Treated Timber

General Guidelines for Working With Treated Timber - Precautions

Use only in well ventilated areas.
Wear gloves (rubber or vinyl) whenever handling treated wood.
Leather does not protect.
Avoid inhaling saw or sander dust from treated wood.
Wear a dust mask and keep dust out of eyes (wear goggles).
To avoid skin contact with treated wood or treated wood sawdust, wear coveralls or other protective clothing when working with treated wood. (Wash clothes used for working with treated wood separately from other laundry before reuse.) If skin contact occurs, wash or rinse area of contact thoroughly.

Additional notes for buying treated timber

Do not use penta-treated wood where people, pets or desirable plants are likely to come into contact with it.
Buy a size and length of treated wood requiring no cutting, if possible.
If cutting is necessary, protect newly cut surfaces with wood preservative solution applied according to label directions.
CCA-treated wood can be painted; most penta-treated wood cannot.

The amount and concentration of preservative retained in treated wood varies with different products. When purchasing treated wood, ask the retail timber dealer for assistance. If you specify the intended use, the dealer can help you choose the product offering the proper degree of protection for that structure.

Disposal of Treated Wood Treated wood scraps should not be burned. Wood treated with any of the types of commonly used wood preservatives, when burned, produces highly toxic compounds. The farmer should not dispose of treated wood on the farm but should take it to a licensed sanitary landfill. This will minimise possible leaching of the wood preservative into water sources. The homeowner may wrap treated wood scraps in paper and include with other household garbage.

For a detailed description on Treated Timber Classifications and strength ratings click here.