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