Creosote Treated Wood

This wood has been preserved by pressure treatment with an EPA-registered pesticide containing creosote to protect it from insect attack and decay. Wood treated with creosote should be used only where such protection is important.

Creosote penetrates deeply into and remains in the pressure-treated wood for a long time. Exposure to creosote may present certain hazards. Therefore, the following precautions should be taken both when handling the treated wood and in determining where to use the treated wood.

Use Site Precautions for Creosote-Treated Wood
Wood treated with creosote should not be used where it will be in frequent or prolonged contact with bare skin (for example, chairs and other outdoor furniture), unless an effective sealer has been applied.

Creosote-treated wood should not be used in residential interiors. Creosote-treated wood in interiors of industrial buildings should be used only for industrial building components which are in ground contact and are subject to decay or insect infestation and wood block flooring. For such uses, two coats of an appropriate sealer must be applied. Sealers may be applied at the installation site.

Wood treated with creosote should not be used in the interiors of farm buildings where there may be direct contact with domestic animals or livestock which may crib (bite) or lick the wood.

In interiors of farm buildings where domestic animals or livestock are unlikely to crib (bite) or lick the wood, creosote-treated wood may be used for building components which are in ground contact and are subject to decay or insect infestation if two coats of an appropriate sealer are applied. Sealers may be applied at the installation site.

Do not use creosote treated wood for farrowing or brooding facilities.

Do not use treated wood under circumstances where the preservative may become a component of food or animal feed. Examples of such sites would be structures or containers for storing silage or food.

Do not use treated wood for cutting-boards or countertops.

Only treated wood that is visibly clean and free of surface residues should be used for patios, decks, and walkways.

Do not use treated wood for construction of those portions of beehives which may come into contact with the honey.

Creosote-treated wood should not be used where it may come into direct or indirect contact with public drinking water, except for uses involving incidental contact such as docks and bridges.

Do not use creosote-treated wood where it may come into direct or indirect contact with drinking water for domestic animals or livestock, except for uses involving incidental contact such as docks and bridges.

Handling Precautions for Creosote-Treated Wood
Dispose of treated wood by ordinary trash collection or burial. Treated wood should not be burned in open fires or in stoves, fireplaces, or residential boilers, because toxic chemicals may be produced as part of the smoke and ashes. Treated wood from commercial or industrial use (e.g., construction sites) may be burned only in commercial or industrial incinerators or boilers in accordance with state and Federal regulations.

Avoid frequent or prolonged inhalation of sawdust from treated wood. When sawing and machining treated wood, wear a dust mask.

Whenever possible, these operations should be performed outdoors to avoid indoor accumulations of airborne sawdust from treated wood.

Avoid frequent or prolonged skin contact with creosote-treated wood; when handling the treated wood, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants and use gloves impervious to the chemicals (for example, gloves that are vinyl-coated).

When power-sawing and machining, wear goggles to protect eyes from flying particles.

After working with the wood, and before eating, drinking and use of tobacco products, wash exposed areas thoroughly.

If oily preservative or sawdust accumulate on clothes, launder before reuse. Wash work clothes separately from other household clothing.

Coal tar pitch and coal tar pitch emulsion are effective sealers for creosote-treated wood block flooring. Urethane, epoxy, and shellac are acceptable sealers for all creosote-treated wood.

EPA Approved.