I read with interest the effects of exposure to lead, even though Harvey
Miller provides an interesting side view.
Trouble is we have a very small production facility, all soldering are done
by hand, this has been so for about 10 tears.
Could someone please answer if the following concerns need to be addressed
:-
1. Exposure to hand soldering
2. Soldering environment, should this be revamped. i.e. suction tubes for
fumes, breathing masks.
3. Periodic medical examination for employees.
4. Am I being paranoid and fearful based on all the recent literature
floating around.
5. Is this the latest version of Y2K.
6. Should I bide my time and take a cue from bigger industry role players.
Please understand I am a people orientated employer, where possible I
employ people rather than buy expensive machines, I however do not want to
be caught up in PRATAP's IBM example (litigation and stuff). My company has
always used or investigated enviro friendly alternatives where possible. My
fear is that I could be forced to change, this change could be expensive, in
a small operation these changes could mean closure or retrenchments.
any advise would be sincerely appreciated.
Billy Bharath
-----Original Message-----
From: Harvey Miller [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 9:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [LF] Compliance Question/ The Lead Free solder issue has
nothing to do with lead toxicity.
Pratap's discussion of lead toxicity is completely beside the point.
Of course lead is a poison. We are surrounded by poisons and other
threatening
challenges. That is why we have developed such great defenses. And, in
turn, we have
survived as a species, so far, in spite of our own suicidal stupidity. Time
and again, we
have followed leaders who have narrow agendas, not ours, in insane
adventures.
On a very minor scale, by comparison, lead free solder falls in the same
category, I am
very sorry to say.
I wrote a report a couple of years ago that dissected the costs of lead free
solder and
compared those to the benefits. Everything reported since confirms my
conclusions. What
will we buy with over $100 billion U.S. for lead free solder? Increased
energy
consumption, increased toxic pollution load, unreliable electronic equipment
are some of
the answers. What will we gain in reducing exposure to poisonous lead by
taking lead out
of solder ?-- absolutely nothing.
And the reason is simple-- we are already exposed to enormous amounts of
background lead.
From 1922 to 1946, lead spewed forth from vehicle tailpipes all over the
world, still does
some places. All around us the soil is contaminated, but nowhere more so
than in estuary
alluvia. Yet lead is so bio-unavailable in most of its forms that the
bivalves that live
on the alluvia are not contaminated-- and they take in everything!
Let me cite myself as an example of a good guinea pig. My formative years
were spent
during the years of mass poisoning by tetraethyl lead in fuels. Oh oh, my
friends say,
that accounts for you being so.... whatever.
So, seriously, I had myself tested-- blood, urine, plasma, hair-- for all
minerals, toxic
traces and biologically needed.
Lead was so low, it couldn't be measured. Sorry, friends, it must be
something else.
The answer is that lead and life dislike each other so much. Lead is easily
chelated out.
I take lots of Vitamin C, upwards of 5 grams a day-- maybe that helps.
Lead Free is a great advertising slogan, though.
Harvey Miller
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bev Christian" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 4:50 AM
Subject: Re: [LF] Compliance Question
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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