Is this dangerous or not? Please help!

[Pepperguacdip]

I’ve recently started working around sawdust and other dusty materials with poor ventilation. Usually it’s not a problem, but the other day I inhaled a lot of it accidentally and spent the entire night coughing from it. It was a dry cough but felt like there was something moving in my chest when I coughed (bit of phlegm? Not sure)

So my question is, is sawdust actually harmful if breathed in? Is it normal it gives a bad cough? I presumed it was normal and just ignored it until it went away but equally I want to be aware if it’s potentially dangerous. If I breath a dust cloud of sawdust in again, is there anyway to clear it out? Or do I just wait and cough it out my system? Should I do anything?

I’m not too concerned about it being dangerous long term as I’m not going to be exposed to it long term, I just need reassurance that I’m doing the right thing by ignoring it if I accidentally inhale it again!

@Pepperguacdip

Apologies, I should have said, this is recreational/part of a hobby, it’s not my occupation so no risk assessment or ppe.

A dust mask sounds good, I’ll invest in one.

The cough after I accidentally breathed it in was awful; it felt like something was moving in my chest when I coughed. It went away thankfully but only after ignoring it I realised maybe I shouldn’t have. Everything’s fine now thankfully

If it happens again and I accidentally inhale it, is there a way to get it out? Do I just need to cough it out and wait for it to clear on its own?

a steamy bath or shower should help you get dust of any kind out of your respiratory system but best not to "accidentally" inhale it in the first place. Big yes to masking up with the right kind of mask, also working outdoors, or in a well ventilated space, where possible. I too use saws and sanders as part of my hobby stuff.

My father is a carpenter. He won't wear the steel toe boots/safety hats or other precautionary measures but religiously wears a dust mask when sanding. My guess is they are quite important.

Is it unsafe to have tiny foreign objects inside your lungs? Yes

Any dust contamination into the lungs and air tracts is unwanted and unhealthy.
Some woods produce toxic sawdust solutions depends what species are being used at your work.
Check the HSE regs for clean air at work Dusty environments should have regular air changes and filtration. As a basis you should have a face mask suitable for the particulate type and size you are subjected to.

I worked in respiratory health for years. This is incredibly dangerous and there's nothing you can do to clear it. Steam won't get it out, it'll just sooth your cough. Prevention is the only way to go.

Gosh, I hadn’t realised how dangerous it can be. I’m more than a bit concerned about breathing it in a few days ago now! Everything is fine now thankfully and the cough has stopped but I would definitely like to avoid that happening again.