Human safety problems in industrial machining of composite materials

It is a high priority in industries to protect workers from possible health hazards during machining. The use of composites is increasing exponentially mainly in aircraft, automobile, marine, sporting, etc., due to their high strength and stiffness-to-weight ratio. Composite material is inert in cured condition, however, during machining, the fibers produce nano and micro dust and the matrix produces volatile gases due to high cutting temperature. This review will discuss respirable and hazardous particles and sizes that damage the human pulmonary system and lungs. It is important to understand the safety and health aspects in machining of composites to reduce the risks of injuries to skin, eyes, respiratory systems, lungs, and other parts of the body, including dermatitis, bruises/cuts, and other effects. Prolonged exposure to the by-products of fiber reinforcement polymers (FRPs), such as toxic gases, decomposition of constituents, and fiber dusts, are hazardous to workers and can cause asthma, lung cancer, as well as other health effects such as toxicity of carbon in the blood or liver damage from compounds used for cleaning composites. A systematic approach to reduce the health effects will be addressed.