If you are working on an electronics project, you are probably soldering. Soldering can be dangerous: solder produces toxic fumes, your soldering iron is extremely hot, the solder gets very hot as well, and you may get air pockets or impurities that can pop as you heat the solder, sending molten solder flying unexpectedly and unpredictably. Because of these potential hazards, you need to follow some rules while soldering.
1) Wear goggles to protect your eyes. You must be careful when you trim leads or solder dross because a flyaway could injure you and others working in the vici
nity.
2) Never inhale fumes while soldering. Always work in a well-ventilated space, preferably with a fume extractor.
3) You must return the soldering iron to its stand (if you have a soldering station, it will be built-in) when you are not using it — do not leave it sitting on your workbench for any amount of time. The soldering iron tip is around four hundred degrees Celsius, so be careful; avoid touching wire insulation, plastic, and all other nearby flammable materials with the soldering iron. If you won’t be using the soldering iron for a few minutes, switch the soldering station to standby or turn off your soldering iron. Once you have finished soldering, turn off the unit and/or unplug it.
4) Another important way to avoid nasty burns is to use helping hands, clamps, pliers, tweezers, or a circuit board vice to hold your components. Ensure that your arms and legs are covered to avoid being burned by splashed solder.
5) Keep food and drink away from the working area. Traditional solder is a tin/lead alloy, and the lead is toxic. Flux is used to help metal pieces stay soldered together, and it is both acidic and toxic: flux will damage clothing and cause acid burns to your skin which, if they occur, you should immediately flush with water. If you spill any flux, clean it up immediately. Be sure to wash your hands after soldering.
6) Always thoroughly wash your hands after you have handled flux or leaded solder. Use lead-free solder — if you can — to reduce potential hazards.
7) After you’ve finished soldering, completely clean the area and discard any leftover lead and silver solder as well as dross in a lidded container, and then label the container (e.g. “Solder Waste”). Contaminated rags and solder sponges should be discarded as hazardous waste.