Gluing White Oak

"Epoxy isn't especially toxic"
Sensitisation is permanent and can be dangerous and can be aquired from repeated minor skin contact. Gloves should always be worn especially for handling the containers (which often have a bit of uncured resin on them) and a good filter should be worn for sanding.
Same for polyurethanes.
Nick.

 

Did I miss something . . .

 

Minimal dust as far as I know, one worked in a shoe factory for a couple of years in her youth glueing soles on shoes, medical opinion was that was the source of her problem, she had a fairly bad case, and had never been smoking. The other had worked with or near people glueing leather and such, making travel goods, but was not as severe a case, although still affected. The cause would seem to be an organic solvent, possibly the same in both cases. We have probably all been a bit too casual with chemicals, particularly when young and feeling 'bulletproof'. Certainly, people need to be very careful when spraying 2-pack paint, e.g., to have the best protection, even air-fed respirators, baulking at it because of cost is just stupid.

 

Freshly cured and sanded epoxy is highly dangerous to breath. It's not inert yet (not fully cured) and ingestion is very harmful. Again, we has to assume some level of compliance in regard to established safety procedures, especially when still young enough to be immortal.