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What happens if you inhale soldering fumes?
Soldering with lead (or other metals used in soldering) can produce dust and fumes that are hazardous. In addition, using flux containing rosin produces solder fumes that, if inhaled, can result in occupational asthma or worsen existing asthmatic conditions; as well as cause eye and upper respiratory tract irritation.
What should you not do after soldering?
After soldering, immediately coat the tip in fresh solder to prevent oxidation. Avoid using sandpaper or anything that is too aggressive tools to remove oxidation. This can damage the iron plating that protects the copper underneath, shortening the life of the soldering iron.
How hazardous are soldering fumes?
Exposure to solder fumes from resin or colophony-based solder flux can lead to a multitude of health hazards: Occupational asthma – one of the many risks caused by flux gases; coughing, shortness of breath, wheezing and chest pain are among the symptoms of asthma.
What are the dangers of soldering?
Soldering poses a few different dangers: The soldering iron itself gets mighty hot; the solder (the material you heat with the iron) also gets hot; occasionally you even get an air pocket or impurity that can pop as you heat the solder and send bits of solder flying. Solder also produces strong fumes.
How bad is solder fumes?
Soldering with lead (or other metals used in soldering) can produce dust and fumes that are hazardous. In addition, using flux containing rosin produces solder fumes that, if inhaled, can result in occupational asthma or worsen existing asthmatic conditions; as well as cause eye and upper respiratory tract irritation .
Are solder fumes a health hazard?
However, solder fumes contain heavy metals which are toxic to humans. As a result, the consensus is that solder fumes represent a serious occupational health hazard , and workers should be protected from these effects through proper ventilation, fume capture, and personal protective equipment (PPE).