The dust that will kill you is too small to really be seen when it is airborne. If your dust collectors or shop vacs are returning "filtered" air to your shop you need "HEPA" filters (MERV 17) or at least MERV 15 filters. Otherwise you are just blowing the fine dust around. If you are blowing the fine dust outside, great, as long as it does not just come back in an open door or window.
I have spent a lot of my bosses' money over the decades buying the wrong filters and equipment and wondering why there was still a thin film of dust over everything despite all the dust collection equipment. It took a lot of research, education, and work modifying tools and building hoods to improve the situation. I just now have the woodworking part of the shop to the point that we can have fewer particles in the shop air while working than there are outdoors,...if we are diligent to use the dust collection properly with every tool.
Dylos makes pretty good and fairly cheap particle meters. They just give a particle count, and won't tell you mg/M3 like some professional meters will, but then a Dylos meter costs a couple hundred $ versus the $6,000-10,000 a professional particle meter does. A particle meter is a useful tool to see if your dust collection efforts are making the air better or worse
I have spent a lot of my bosses' money over the decades buying the wrong filters and equipment and wondering why there was still a thin film of dust over everything despite all the dust collection equipment. It took a lot of research, education, and work modifying tools and building hoods to improve the situation. I just now have the woodworking part of the shop to the point that we can have fewer particles in the shop air while working than there are outdoors,...if we are diligent to use the dust collection properly with every tool.
Dylos makes pretty good and fairly cheap particle meters. They just give a particle count, and won't tell you mg/M3 like some professional meters will, but then a Dylos meter costs a couple hundred $ versus the $6,000-10,000 a professional particle meter does. A particle meter is a useful tool to see if your dust collection efforts are making the air better or worse