Prime wrote:I Just had a thought,
Since some of us will be soldering the museum are aware that we in general have a prefference for NON Lead free solder? It might be a problem if members of the public are going to be allowed into the room?
Cheers.
Phill.
So there are two sets of regulatory issues. The first are the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2008 (RoHS regulations). These relate to the use of lead in electronic and electrical equipment that is placed on the market. Very few of us place goods on the market in the sense required by the RoHS regulations – they do not apply to hobbyists. In any event, the location where the product is designed and manufactured is irrelevant. So the fact that we are doing it at the museum is neither here nor there.
The other issue relates to quite extensive and complex regulations regarding what goes on in a workplace. The museum is undoubtedly a workplace (because a few people work there). So the regulations do apply. The duties that arise under these regulations apply to employers and, sometimes, workers. Since we will neither be employers or workers, there will be no duty on us to comply. There will, of course, be a duty on Jason Fitzpatrick as employer of the people who work at the museum and if what we are doing is hazardous, he will be under a duty to stop us. In any event, there is considerable debate as to whether the legal duty is owed only to workers or whether it extends to visitors to a workplace.
In reality, both legally and practically, I seriously doubt that the microscopic amount of lead we will release into the atmosphere will be a worry to anyone. If I were Jason (or his lawyer) I would be much more concerned about visitors tripping over all the cables we will be using - a source of personal injury claims on a fairly regular basis.
There is so much wonder in the universe; why should you want to imagine that there is more?
I've got to ask WHY?
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