Fretsaw Dust Extraction – Assessment, Performance and Effective Control
Is your fretsaw extraction effectively capturing dust at source, or simply moving air through the system?
The LEV Standards Coalition has produced a new technical factsheet, Fretsaw – Engineering Control, providing practical guidance for LEV practitioners, engineers and those responsible for assessing dust extraction on fretsaws.
Fretsaws are commonly used in educational and woodworking environments, but effective dust control can be challenging. Dust may be generated both above and below the cutting table, while machine vibration can cause settled dust to become airborne again.
This factsheet explores the importance of correctly positioned upper and lower extraction, effective blade-slot airflow, suitable guarding and practical methods for assessing dust capture. It also highlights the value of combining airflow measurements with visual observations, including Tyndall testing, to establish whether extraction is genuinely controlling exposure.
Download the fact sheet here: LEVSC_Fretsaw_Engineering Control Factsheet_19082026_v1.2
Sharing Experience, Raising Standards
The LEV Standards Coalition is a collaborative group of experienced LEV practitioners who are bringing together their practical knowledge, on-site experiences and technical expertise to develop and share industry best practice.
Our aim is to encourage discussion, improve consistency in LEV assessment and testing, and provide practical resources that support better engineering controls across the industry.
We are still developing our collection of technical resources and have chosen to focus our efforts on producing and sharing useful guidance rather than launching a dedicated website at this stage.
These factsheets reflect our collective experience and are intended to support professional judgement, encourage constructive discussion and contribute to the ongoing development of good practice within the LEV industry.
Our key message: Effective LEV is not just about achieving airflow measurements – it is about demonstrating that hazardous dust is being captured at source.
Read or download our Fretsaw Engineering Control Factsheet and join us in sharing knowledge, challenging existing practices and raising standards across the LEV industry.
