Mr Ducker said the company doesn't believe neighbours will have been affected, but tests are being carried out to ensure safety standards are met.
Concerns had been raised because the company had been "very pro-active" in communicating with its neighbourhood and asking residents to make contact if they have any concerns.
He said that processes of ensuring safety in commissioning a new plant had been a "learning process".
Staff and contractors have, however, been provided with a written company reference for doctors if they have symptoms suspected of being related to breathing emissions.
From company health and safety manager Greg Lorkin, it says compounds they "may have been exposed to" include formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, formic acid, acetic acid, methanol and terpenes.
But it says it is "highly unlikely" people will have been exposed to levels which exceed New Zealand workplace standards.
The plant was installed at a cost of $2.5 million to roast wood to be more durable and moisture-resistant, opening new markets for the Whirinaki mill's radiata pine, to become particularly suitable for such uses as veranda decking.
The process, heating wood in a kiln to a temperature of 220 degrees, generates the compounds which are supposed to be burnt off, but there have been numerous "fails".
Staff concerns about health issues emerged in the first three months.
First Union stepped-in on behalf of members at the mill, and is concerned economic considerations may have led to company resistance to union requests to shut the kiln down for health and safety reasons late last year.
One worker visited yesterday by Hawke's Bay Today believes exposure to the toxic compounds was behind the swollen eyes, burning throat and blisters covering his body, and a visit to the doctor.
He says after noticing a "very distinctive smell" coming from the plant he broke out in a severe rash which covered his body, while he felt an odd "tingle" around his eyes and mouth.
"I went to the doctors with a rash on my hands," he said. "It was so bad I wanted to break my fingers to release the itch.
"The doctor said that it was not something that he sees every day."
The man, who was among staff already given the medical reference, said blisters on his feet and armpits required medical attention on several occasions, racking up a hefty personal bill in the process.
Formaldehyde has been known to cause irritation to the eyes, headaches, a burning throat, difficulty breathing and can cause death through ingestion.
The worker said his symptoms returned and his child began experiencing breathing difficulties when Pan Pac resumed its TMT kiln testing last week.
A woman who has lived in the area more than 10 years said she became ill on a daybreak walk after being hit by the pungent odour she associates with the new process, but she didn't initially relate her illness to emissions and can't specifically say it was the cause.
Along with other residents she had, however, received an open letter from Pan Pac saying the company had experienced "a number of unexpected issues."
General manager Michael Raeburn wrote in the letter: "We have thoroughly investigated this and our modelling has shown that these compounds are dispersed rapidly, within our site boundaries.
"There is an odour produced through the TMT process. It shouldn't drift further than the Pan Pac grounds, but there is a possibility that in certain wind conditions it might."
Several neighbours, and motorists passing the mill on State Highway 2 between Napier and Wairoa, have told Hawke's Bay Today they have experienced the pungent smell.
