Prohibitions
No Food or Drink
When hazardous materials are being handled in the lab, food and drink consumption is prohibited.
PPE
Safety Glasses
Safety glasses must be worn while soldering, operating the PCB mill, handling chemicals, or using hand tools.
Protective Gloves
Nitrile protective gloves must be worn while handling hazardous materials such as fiberglass PCBs, chemicals, or other electronic debris.
Hazards
Hot Surfaces
Soldering irons, hot air guns, preheating plates, and reflow ovens generate significant amounts of heat and regularly exceed temperatures of 200 degrees Celsius during operation. Similarly, many electrical components can become hot when powered on.
Poisonous Substances
Solder and solder paste contain lead and other heavy metals which are toxic. Appropriate PPE and fume mitigation should be used when soldering. Additionally, many circuit boards contain fiberglass or other compounds with toxic properties and should be handled with caution.
Entanglement & Pinching
Rotating machinery in the lab may present entanglement and pinching hazards during operation. This includes the PCB mill spindles and vacuum pumps.
Combustible & Flammable Materials
Many of the materials frequently utilized in the space present flammability hazards, especially when using alcohol or ethanol-based cleaners or heated tools such as soldering irons.