Legal requirements and standards for fume extraction
Because of the threat to health, extractors must be used to remove fumes from solders with rosin based flux. These are subject to a number of legal requirements which cover three main areas; the extractors used, the safety of the workers using the equipment, and the spent extractor filters, as these may be classed as hazardous waste.
The safety and suitability of the extractors is the responsibility of the manufacturer. In Europe this is covered by European Standard EN-14175. This consists of several parts under the general title Fume Cupboards. Part 2-2003, which is also available for the UK as BS EN-14175-2:2003 covers safety and performance requirements. These standards outline the technical specifications required for fume cupboards’ design, manufacture, installation and containment testing. Another UK standard, BS7989:2001, is used for specifying recirculatory filtration fume cupboards.
The safety of the workers using the equipment is the responsibility of the employer. The role of the extractor, usually described as local exhaust ventilation (LEV), is to capture harmful dusts, fumes or vapours which would otherwise pose a health hazard to the operators. Legislation is in place in most countries to prevent exposure to such harmful substances and to ensure that equipment installed in the workplace is performing correctly. The EU issues guidelines for Europe, but most countries have their own occupational exposure limits (OELs). In the UK the Health and Safety Executive is the legislative body and the requirements are covered by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations whilst the exposure limits are set out in the HSE booklet EH40.
The COSHH regulations require the employer to ensure that the employee's exposure to substances hazardous to health is either prevented or if not practically possible, adequately controlled. OELs in the UK can be divided into Maximum Exposure Limits (MELs) and Occupational Exposure Standards (OESs). Exposure should be reduced as far below an MEL as possible, while reduction to the substance-specific level OES is considered adequate. The exposure times are averaged for eight hours (8-hour Time Weighted Average (TWA)) and 15 minutes (short-term exposure limit STEL).
The Health and Safety Commission's Advisory Committee on Toxic Substances (ACTS) recommends new OELs or revision on a current OEL value. The Working Group on the Assessment of Toxic Chemicals (WATCH) is a technical sub-committee of ACTS, which considers the evidence on the occupational exposure and health effects of substances, including whether a MEL or OES would be appropriate by the agreed indicative criteria, and if an OES, its value.
As the solder fume extractor captures particulate, fume or vapour its spent filters may be classified as hazardous waste; end users are responsible for disposing of this safely and in line with appropriate legislation. In Europe this is covered by EU Directive 2008/98/EC. The Directive lays down some basic waste management principles: it requires that waste be managed without endangering human health and harming the environment, and in particular without risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals, without causing a nuisance through noise or odours, and without adversely affecting the countryside or places of special interest. The Directive also introduces the "polluter pays principle" and the "extended producer responsibility".
Managing Solder Fume Extraction. Date published: 24th July 2015 by Farnell