I am looking for information specific to possible lead exposure to pregnant
operators that are manually applying solderpaste to PCB's for assembly and
also these same operators that are hand soldering with a soldering iron. We
have fume extractors for the hand soldering and our operators wear finger
cots when pushing solderpaste.

How do I determine the possible lead exposure to the unborn child?
What are companies doing to ensure the safety of their operators that are
doing mostly manual assembly operations?

This is my first opportunity as a Safety officer for an assembly company.
Any help/ recommendations are greatly appreciated. 

Debbie Kenney
Engineer
M-Flex / AMT 
Direct  (714) 688-5242
Fax     (714) 996-3834
[log in to unmask]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Alison Day [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2002 12:47 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: [EN] Operator Exposure Limits
> 
> Hi Brian,
> I hope the following info, that applies to solder paste manufacture, helps
> to satisfy your curiosity.....
> Every three months we test occupational exposure for inhalable dust and
> lead
> and also organic vapours and specifically IPA which is used for cleaning.
> Personal samples for dust and lead are taken onto Whatman GF/A filter
> papers
> mounted in IOM total dust heads.  The sampling rate is 2lt/min.
> Short-term
> exposure to IPA and total hydrocarbons is determined by collection onto
> activated charcoal.  A sample of air from the operators breathing zone is
> drawn through a tube at a rate of 1 lt/minute.
> All our results are well below exposure limits.
> Best regards, Alison
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: EnviroNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Brian Ellis
> Sent: 06 February 2002 16:55
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [EN] Operator Exposure Limits
> 
> Hi!
> 
> The environment of the worker is probably more important than THE
> environment, in a way. I recently went into a factory that literally
> stank of solvents from a coating (not electrical) drying process. My
> nasal chromatograph analysed the stuff as mainly aliphatic paraffins,
> with a soupçon of simple esters, neither of which are horrendously toxic
> and my nasal detection tube said that the ppm of both substance types in
> the actual workshop was way above the limit in the country concerned. As
> this was not of direct concern to the purpose of my visit, I could not
> take any action other than to make a simple remark, en passant, to my
> interlocutor and to also query the fire hazard.
> 
> This has led me to wonder whether we, in industry, systematically
> measure the exposure levels that operators are exposed to to check
> whether they are within the limits. If so, are spot checks made
> (detection tubes), passive carbon buttons or tubes worn or active tubes
> worn. If so at what frequency and for what chemicals? What chemicals do
> we use where no measurement is made (other than dihydrogen oxide).
> 
> Simply curious!
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Brian