2022 HSC Timber paper

B

B

D

D

A

A

D

Four-sided moulder (or a planer/jointer and thicknesser).

Memorise pack: T15

• Correctly identifies a suitable machine that is used to dress timber 1

NESA sample answer

Planer/Jointer.

Answers could include

• Thicknesser
• Drum sander
• CNC router.

EMC is the moisture content at which timber neither gains nor loses moisture to the surrounding air. Timber should be close to the EMC of where it will be used; otherwise it will shrink (causing gaps and loose joints) or swell (causing cupping and buckling) after the product is made.

Memorise pack: T2

• Provides an outline of the importance of EMC 2
• Provides some relevant information 1

NESA sample answer

EMC affects the stability of the timber. When the moisture content is the same as the
environment, then there should be no movement of the timber structure.

Answers could include

Wet weather and air conditioning may affect the EMC of the material, causing doors to jam
and other related issues.
NESA 2022 HSC Industrial Technology – Timber Products and Furniture Technologies Marking Guidelines

Top: 2 × 0.3 m × $13.00 = $7.80. Legs: 4 × 0.2 m × $7.25 = $5.80. Rails: 4 × 0.2 m × $1.95 = $1.56. Total = $15.16.

Memorise pack: T16

• Correctly calculates the cost to complete the stool 3
• Provides some steps in calculating the cost of the stool 2
• Provides some relevant calculation 1

NESA sample answer

Item Length Width Thickness Number $/m Total
 Required
Top 300 150 50 2 13.00 7.80
Leg 200 50 50 4 7.25 5.80
Rail 200 75 25 4 1.95 1.56
 15.16

Reusing salvages whole timber members, such as old beams, floorboards, wharf and bridge timbers, and re-machines them for furniture and flooring. This supplies well-seasoned, often rare hardwood without felling new trees. Recycling reprocesses waste such as offcuts, sawdust and chips into particleboard and MDF, so material that would go to landfill replaces solid timber in carcases and panels. Both stretch the limited supply of new logs, which became tight after plantations burnt in the 2019–20 bushfires and demand rose during the 2021 housing boom, therefore easing shortages and prices.

Memorise pack: T14

• Demonstrates a sound understanding of how recycling and reusing can
 4
 address timber shortages
• Demonstrates some understanding of how recycling and reusing can
 3
 address timber shortages
• Identifies some ways of recycling and reusing that address timber
 2
 shortages
• Provides some relevant information 1

NESA sample answer

Older timber structures such as wooden bridges and power poles can easily be recycled as
they often contain much-valued hardwoods harvested many years ago from species not now
readily available. These can make their way into specialist furniture producers, where their
use is valued. Timbers which are chemically untreated may be repurposed as wooden
pallets.

Answers could include

Some timber may be chipped and used for mulch with chemically treated timbers going into
landfill. Builder’s waste could also be better managed as much timber is wasted in the
production of domestic dwellings.
NESA 2022 HSC Industrial Technology – Timber Products and Furniture Technologies Marking Guidelines

Knock-down fittings such as cam locks, cross dowels and connector bolts let furniture be assembled and dismantled. Because parts can be shipped flat, the packed volume is much smaller, so freight and storage costs fall and products are cheaper (e.g. IKEA flat-pack). Customers can assemble the product with basic tools, and it can be taken apart to move house or replace a part. The holes are drilled quickly and accurately by CNC or multi-boring machines, so parts are interchangeable, which suits mass production and lowers labour costs. KD fittings also work well in particleboard and MDF, where traditional joints are weak, although they are generally less strong and less refined than glued joints.

Memorise pack: T7

• Provides a detailed explanation of the advantages of using knock-down
 5
 fittings
• Provides a sound explanation of the advantages of using knock-down
 4
 fittings
• Provides some explanation of the advantages of using knock-down
 fittings OR a sound explanation of an advantage of using knock-down 3
 fittings
• Provides detail of an advantage of using knock-down fittings 2
• Provides some relevant information 1

NESA sample answer

KD fittings are used for flat pack furniture as they can exert more pressure on a joint than
using a screw or nail. KD fittings are used without adhesives and hold together by
mechanical strength. Bolt and barrel fittings can be used to assemble items which are much
larger than the entry to the room in which it is to be used.

Answers could include

• Speed of assembly
• Fewer tools required
• Lower degree of expertise required
• Adds strength to joinery.
NESA 2022 HSC Industrial Technology – Timber Products and Furniture Technologies Marking Guidelines
Section III

In NSW, the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the WHS Regulation make the business (the "person conducting a business or undertaking", PCBU) legally responsible for ensuring, as far as reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers. The law requires a furniture factory to provide safe machinery with guards, safe systems of work, training and supervision, PPE, first aid, safety signage and consultation with workers through health and safety representatives or committees. For example, wood dust (especially hardwood dust) is classified as a cause of nasal cancer, and noise from saws and planers damages hearing. The legislation therefore requires dust extraction, hearing protection and monitoring to control these hazards. Workers also have duties: to follow safe work procedures, use PPE and report hazards. SafeWork NSW polices the law through inspections, improvement and prohibition notices, fines and prosecution. This gives employers a strong financial and legal reason to comply and reduces injuries and lost time.

Memorise pack: S1

• Provides a detailed description of the role WHS legislation has in
 5
 workplace safety
• Provides a sound description of the role WHS legislation has in workplace
 4
 safety
• Provides some description of the role WHS legislation has in workplace
 3
 safety
• Provides a limited description of the role of WHS 2
• Provides some relevant information 1

NESA sample answer

Workplaces must ensure the safety of their employees by law. The law exists to protect the
welfare of employees. WHS law requires employers to provide safety training, safe
equipment, safety inspection, evacuation procedures, safety signage and safety committees
to ensure a safe workplace. Failure to comply with legal requirements may result in penalties
or prosecution.

A timber and furniture workplace has serious hazards: rotating blades, kickback, wood dust, noise, manual handling of heavy sheets, and flammable finishes. Safety is best improved by applying the hierarchy of control, backed by training and a positive safety culture.

Elimination and substitution: the most effective strategies remove the hazard. For example, buying panels pre-cut to size removes a dangerous manual ripping task, and switching from solvent-based to water-based finishes removes flammable, toxic fumes.

Engineering controls: these isolate workers from hazards without relying on behaviour. Examples are blade guards, riving knives, and table saws with flesh-sensing blade-brake technology (such as SawStop), which stops the blade on skin contact. Dust extraction and spray booths remove carcinogenic dust and fumes, and vacuum lifters and roller tables reduce manual handling of heavy 2400 × 1200 mm sheets. CNC machining centres also keep operators away from the cutting zone.

Administrative controls: risk assessments and safe work procedures for every machine, induction and machine-specific training with sign-off, signage, lockout/tagout for maintenance, and job rotation to reduce repetitive strain. Regular WHS committee meetings and reviewing the accident and near-miss log help identify hazards early. These are cheaper but depend on people following them, so supervision is essential.

PPE: as a last line of defence, workers wear safety glasses, hearing protection, P2 dust masks, steel-capped boots and gloves where appropriate (never near rotating blades). Culture and consultation: involving workers in identifying hazards, rewarding safe behaviour and making managers model safe practice builds a culture where safety is normal, not an afterthought.

Overall, the most effective strategy is to combine engineering controls, which work every time, with thorough training and consultation. This reduces injuries, lost-time costs, workers' compensation premiums and the risk of prosecution, while improving productivity.

Memorise pack: S2

• Provides a detailed explanation of strategies that could be implemented
 9–10
 to improve safety in the workplace
• Provides a sound explanation of strategies that could be implemented to
 7–8
 improve safety in the workplace
• Provides some explanation of strategies that could be implemented to
 5–6
 improve safety in the workplace
• Outlines some strategies that could be implemented to improve safety in
 3–4
 the workplace
• Provides some relevant information 1–2

Answers could include

• Hierarchy of control • Tagging & testing
• Employee training • Regular equipment inspections
• WHS signage • Taking regular breaks
• Provision of PPE • Have regular WHS meetings and
• Fire safety equipment discussions
• Ergonomic workstations • Access to First Aid
• Manual handling techniques and • Accident log review
 equipment • Chemical signage / storage.
• RCD electrical safety
 NESA 2022 HSC Industrial Technology – Timber Products and Furniture Technologies Marking Guidelines
 2022 HSC Industrial Technology
 Timber Products and Furniture Technologies