Homebrew PCBs

In article <jv6jen+v8b6@...>,
   zawy <zawy@...> wrote:
> An interesting thing is that ACGIH says hardwood dust is 5 times more
> dangerous.  This isn't to say fiberglass isn't really unhealthy, but
> that you should take serious precautions to not breath hardwood dust,
> which goes against my intution, but I'll try to remember it.

MDF is worst of all. I use

http://www.trend-uk.com/en/UK/product/AIR_PRO/4/178/airshield_pro_respirator_230v_uk_.html  

(usual disclaimer) (Also available in US)

when machining wood. I hadn't considered its use for drilling PCBs but I
do have my face pretty close to the drill bit in order to see what I am
doing so maybe I should.

> This is not off topic because OSHA doesn't regulate DIY, so I think
> protecting ourselves is integral to our efforts.  BTW, weller says lead
> fumes result from soldering, and some rosin turns into benzene (a
> carcinogen). The ACGIH recommendation for rosin is not a value but "as
> low as possible".

Concerns were expressed at the place I used to work; about half a dozen
guys in a smallish repair workshop with not particularly good ventilation.
An advisor was brought in but the outcome was that with the amount of
soldering done (probably about equivalent to what we might do at home) no
special precautions were needed. If it had been a production line it would
have been different but with repairs a good proportion of time is spent in
testing and fault diagnosis.

Check out  www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg249.pdf

-- 
Stuart Winsor

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