Cadmium free solders are available for soldering jobs. Casting Silica dust is created when cured investment is broken up to free the cast trees. Investment dust contains silica that can cause silicosis, a disabling lung disease, and cancer. Keep flasks under water while breaking up the investment. To clean the investment from the casting, hydrofluoric acid is used.
Hydrofluoric acid can cause serious, painful burns when it contacts skin.
Safer techniques, such as dilute hydrochloric acid, are now available. Polishing Polishing wheels can cause tripoli dust, which is composed mainly of silica-like investment plaster. Make sure the dust collectors on all polishing wheels are strong enough to pull most dust away from workers. Non-cyanide alternatives are now available, and some companies produce jewelry without any stripping at all. Other areas where worker safety should be maintained are in the tooling and metal stamping area, press operations, assembly and finishing, degreasing, and electroplating.