A Breath of Fresh Air
A Breath of Fresh Air
by Claude W. “Bubba” Powers, Cooper Hand Tools—Professional Tools, Apex, NC, USA
In recent years, nearly everyone has become by contact with coniferous tree rosins/
Many manufacturers more conscious of the quality of the resins acids.
believe that converting to environment in which we live. With new • Occupational Asthma² (respiratory
lead-free applications negates
environmental regulations, such as the disease associated with the workplace)
the need to provide fume
European RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous • Bronchitis (acute bronchitis caused
extraction to the workplace,
Substances) and REACH (Research, Evalu- typically by virus or bacteria and chronic
when in reality the opposite
ation, Authorization of Chemicals) in the bronchitis caused by tobacco smoke or
actually holds true. Weller
headlines, it is difficult not to notice that ev- infectious agents)
eryone is searching for a safer environment • Physical irritations (such as reactions to
has run tests using different
in which to work and play. Additionally, isocyanate solvents, dyes, fiberglass, etc.)
flux-cored solder alloys for
more and more countries (China, South
several years and has teamed
There is typically a latent period between
Korea and Norway, for example) and even
with several European test
the first exposure and the onset of symp-
some states in the U.S., such as California,
agencies to monitor the types
toms of occupational asthma (OA). Under
are administering or considering legislation
and levels of solder con-
certain severe conditions, less than several
that requires that the processes, as well as
months of exposure to a sensitizing agent
taminants found during the
the products being manufactured, meet a
may be long enough for the appearance of
collection process. Informa-
higher standard of environmental safety.
OA symptoms to occur. It can also take as
tion about those findings is
It is extremely important in today’s
long as twenty years. However, the average
contained in this article.
world that the products people come into
time for the OA symptoms to be recognized
contact with at home and in the workplace
is approximately four years².
become safer than the products of previous
This may in part be attributed to wheth-
years. Manufacturing companies worldwide
er the exposure is over a long period of time
Keywords: Occupational
spend hundreds of millions of dollars each
with low levels of exposure to the sensitizing
Asthma, Fine Metal Particles,
year on health care. Safety in the workplace
agent or to a single exposure at very high
is critical in order to maintain a healthy
Fine Air Particulates, Fume concentrations. Some of the chemicals, ma-
workforce, especially when safety, or the lack
Extraction
terials or processes that may cause concern
of it, is not visible to the human eye. The
for workers and their employers include²:
quality of the air we breathe is one thing
that is not only difficult to see and measure • Soldering fluxes used in hand
but even more difficult for governmental soldering (including rosin/resin-
authorities to regulate. based fluxes)
Manufacturing processes of all types can • Solder paste/fluxes in semi-
produce harmful substances that the aver- automated processes
age worker is subjected to on a daily basis. V.O.C. (volatile organic
Virtually any material that is being changed compounds) in solder
or altered can release harmful substances compositions
into the airstream. For many years, com- Halides
mon cigarette smoke was not considered • Greases, oils and other lubricants
harmful in most environments, especially • Corrosion inhibitors
the workplace, but today smoking is banned • Printing inks
in many private and public areas because of • Solvents
the discovery of the negative health effects • Cutting fluids
of secondhand smoke. • Abietic acids
Common conditions that are caused • Abietic/abietyl/methyl abietate
by direct contact, continuous breathing or alcohols
inhalation of harmful chemicals include: • Certain brands of pipe joint
compounds
• Allergic Reactions:
• Hydrochloric and primaric acids
Lacrymation² (runny eyes) – Acute irrita-
• Carbon monoxide
tion of the eyes caused by high exposure
• Machining, de-burring, cutting,
to fumes.
polishing or grinding of metals
Rhinorrhoea² (runny nose) – Acute
irritation of the nose caused by high In electronics, as well as in general manu-
exposure to fumes. facturing processes, many different types of
Colophony¹ ² – A contact allergy caused harmful chemicals or materials can be intro-
32 – Global SMT & Packaging – September 2008 www.globalsmt.net
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