Scrap metal Recycling Risks & Exposures
The recycling industry includes a variety of facilities, each with its own set of risks. Metal from home appliances, cars, rail tracks, automobiles, etc is the common source of recycled metal. Metals are recycled into two types: ferrous which contains iron and is magnetic, nonferrous metals are tin, copper, zinc, brass, lead. Vehicles provide the majority of ferrous metals for recyclers, whereas nonferrous metals are more valuable and command higher prices. Metal scrap recycling operations pose a wide range of hazards, including health risks from chemical exposure and safety risks from material processing operations and the equipment used in these tasks. Toxic metal exposure is far more common than you might think. While you may be under the impression that toxins are not easily absorbed, this is not the case. Even non-toxic precious metals can combine with toxic metals to form alloys that can harm you. You can be exposed to toxins if you are exposed to metal shavings, inha...