Pratap,
I used to work for Nortel Networks, which had over 20 electronics manufacturing plants world-wide. The one I was in, which I think was typical, used to have all wave solder machines before SMT. Workers were routinely tested for blood lead and in YEARS of testing no cases of even significant levels of lead were ever found. Testing was then made voluntary for wave solder operators. I would presume this was the case for other Nortel plants. If there were lead poisoning problems I think I would have heard about it. Anyway, the wave solder machines had a negative air flow, workers wore gloves and dust masks when drossing and drossing was done in a controlled, smoooooth fashion. This is probably typical of most major electronics manufacturer in the western world. And as Brian pointed out, I hope everyone is practicing good general hygiene before eating, before drinking, before smoking or before touching certain body parts when using the washroom.
With regards to the IBM case, are you sure that was even about lead? I thought it was about other materials.
I'm glad lead is out of gasoline and household paint, but I don't see the point of ripping all the roofing material off ancient English country churches. I think we have to have rational safety legislation. It always amazed me that people would be afraid of flying but would not wear car seat belts.
Bev Christian
Research in Motion
The opinions are mine and not those of my employer.
-----Original Message-----
From: Pratap Home [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: January 22, 2004 9:09 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [LF] Compliance Question
Joe,
There are instances which industry would not publish, especially IBM.
Women workers were given alternative jobs after they developed pregnancy
related problems at one of the plants. More recently, a court case is
being heard in California where some workers claim to have problems
after working at San Jose plants for last > 20 years. Unfortunately
these type of indications have following issues:
1. Takes long time exposure for symptoms ( since concentrations are
low) to develop.
2. May be confounded with other non work exposures like smoking, long
term medication etc.
3. May be confounded with your current living environment - for
example some mexican workers were using chemical storage
containers to store drinking water and developed some problems.
4. I have seen factory workers in India exposed to all kinds of
hazardous materials and who in later years develop medical
problems. Major companies provide safe working environment but
there are smaller ones ( hundreds of thousands) that do not and
workers pay a heavy price.
5. Even in US if you complain too much about the working environment,
you get fired .
So you see it is not a clear cut case where you can prove a specific
chemical from manufacturing to be responsible unless it was something
like a chlorine or ammonia leak that has an immediate visible effect on
human body. The other factor is that some of the symptoms ( like slow
lead poisoning) mimic other ailments causing further confusion even for
medical professionals.
We as technical professionals have to keep this in mind and should not
oppose legislation that in long term may prove to be of benefit.
It is very hard for manufacturers to admit that their products can cause
harm to public ( cigarette manufacturers continued to deny liability for
decades that cigarettes are harmful). Latest example is the fast food
industry where it has taken 30-40 years for the effects to be visible -
that effect is obesity of school age kids. The industry always claimed
that their food is safe and nutritious. Now the obesity problem is so
obvious, they have started some actions so as to minimize the impact on
their sales.
pratap singh
512-255-6820
www.rampinc.com
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