Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
developing countries still have significant issues with lead being in solder as
well as in many other products. With respect to welding, the use of fluoride
producing fluxes and the generation of heavy metal particles and fumes during
the joining process are the major human health concerns which must be dealt
with effectively. While regulatory limits and standards vary from country-to-
country, the majority do have established OELs for the stressors produced
during these type of joining processes.
As far as environmentally-related concerns, the majority of the regulations
pertain to airborne emissions of particulate matter and heavy metals, which are
released to the environment via an exhaust stack. In addition, for those
manufacturers that require a significant amount of joining from welding and/or
soldering in their process, solid wastes can be generated at levels that will
catch the eye of regulators. Accumulation quantity/time limits are often
required in situations where heavy wastes are generated, and
transportation/disposal restrictions and requirements can cause a drain on
company resources. Normally, contaminated water and oil is not a significant
by-product of the welding and/or soldering operations; thus, regulations
pertaining to liquid wastes involving these processes are minimal.
EH&S
AND
G
ENERAL
M
AINTENANCE
A
CTIVITIES
While the majority of the possible activities found in general maintenance
at a device manufacturing facility have already been covered in the previous
paragraphs, the distinct nature and extent of some of these operations have
merited a separate coverage in this section. These activities differ from those
found during production processing in three ways: pre-event planning
uncertainty, time duration, cross-over contamination potential for other
employees. For example, intermittent maintenance operations, such as
machining and welding, can result in noise levels exceeding the established
legal limits. In addition, these same activities and others can produce elevated
concentrations of airborne stressors such as particulate matter, fibers, gases,
fumes, and vapors. The potential for slips, trips, and falls and heat stress
concerns for all employees is also increased during both localized and plant-
wide maintenance activities.
While localized stacks typically exist wherever stationary welding set-ups
are located, most ambient air pollution concerns are minimal. In addition,
maintenance activities typically only add minor amounts of water, sludge, and
solid/hazardous waste to the overall waste stream accumulated in-house and
