Environmental Health & Safety

Jewelry


ID	Jewelry Tech	Ingestion Haz	Inhalation Haz	Skin Contact Haz	Other Hazards	Precautions
1	JEWELRY
2	Silver Soldering		Cadmium extremely toxic; Antimony highly toxic; flux fumes highly toxic	Silver particles cause blue-black stain	Carcinogenic; thermal burns; infrared radiation; flammable; acids corrosive	Don't use cadmium, avoid antimony; use borax fluxes, instead of fluoride; wear respirator, gloves, goggles w/#4 shade; use ventilation; use Sparex; don't use asbestos; if acid splashes, rinse off
3	Soldering	Lead highly toxic, Antimony highly toxic	Lead highly toxic; Antimony highly toxic; flux fumes moderately irritating	Zinc chloride corrosive; flux fumes irritating to eyes	Hot metal can cause thermal burns	Use lead- and antimony-free solders; avoid zinc chloride and rosin fluxes; use respirator, ventilation; avoid contact w/hot soldering iron
4	Lost Wax Casting		Silica highly toxic; cuttlebone dust irritating	Sodium silicate moderately toxic	Molten metal can splash and burn	Use nonsilica plaster; do mixing of silica in glove box; wear respirator, gloves, goggles; wet mop dust; clean cuttlebone; wet sand; make sure centrifugal casting equipment is balanced, w/protective shield
5	Electroplating	Cyanide salts extremely toxic	Cyanide salts highly toxic	Cyanide salts highly toxic; gold salts can cause allergic reactions	Acid added to cyanide forms hydrogen cyanide (extremely toxic); risk of shock	Avoid cyanide plating solution; send piece out to be plated; use cyanide solution in laboratory hood only; keep antidote kit available; if poisoning occurs, give amyl nitrite; don't touch wires; don't pour cyanide in sink
6	Annealing, Cleaning, Polishing,& Finishing	Cyanide extremely toxic	Cyanide extremely toxic	Cyanide extremely toxic	Sodium & Potassium cyanide extremely toxic	Avoid cyanide plating solution; use cyanide solution in lab hood only; keep antidote kit available; if poisoning occurs, give amyl nitrite; don't pour cyanide down sink
7	ENAMELING
8	Cleaning the Metal Surface		Kiln/torch fumes haz.; nitrogen dioxide gas highly toxic	Sulfuric, nitric acids highly corrosive; diluted acids, Sparex irritating	Kilns/torches can cause thermal burns	Wear welder's gloves, long-sleeve cotton shirts, splash goggles, protect. apron; use tongs; kiln should have canopy hood; avoid fire; if acid spills, rinse w/water; use ventilation; neutralize acid w/baking soda
9	Preparing Enamels	Lead highly toxic	Lead highly toxic		Lead-safe doesn't mean it doesn't contain lead	Use lead-free, ready-made enamels; place sifters on top of each other to minimize dust; sift in glove box; wear respirator, gloves; don't eat, smoke, drink in studio; wash hands after working
10	Applying Enamels	Turpentine moderately toxic	Gum tragacanth irritating, enamel dust highly toxic; turpenine moderately toxic	Enamel dust irritating; turpentine moderately toxic; potash corrosive	Contact w/ferric chloride or nitric acid haz. to skin & eyes	Brush/dip enamels instead of dusting/spraying; spray in spray booth; use respirator; wear gloves; avoid accidental ingestion; prevent fire; use ferric chloride instead of nitric acid; don't heat ferric chloride
11	Firing Enamels		Metals, fluorides emitted are haz.	Hot kilns emit infrared radiation, causing cataracts	Hot enamel can cause thermal burns	All enameling kilns should be vented; wear welder's gloves, long-sleeve cotton shirts; use tongs; use goggles w/shade number of 1.8 to 3
12	Finishing Enamels	Hydrofluoric acid extremely toxic; ammonium bifluoride highly toxic	Particles haz.; hydrofluoric acid highly corrosive	Hydrofluoric acid highly toxic; ammonium bifluoride highly toxic		Do wet grinding; wear protect. goggles, gloves, face shield; don't use hydrofluoric acid; use ammonium bifluoride pastes instead; use hydrofluoric acid in lab hood only; treat hydrofluoric acid as haz. Waste
13	Hazards of Finished Enamels	Metals soluble in stomach acid				Enameled pieces should never be used for holding food or drink because of the risk of toxic metals leaching into food or liquid