Lead concerns?

[Former_Member]

Hello,

I have recently started making geode jewelry with soldered edges. Solder contains lead - I'm aware of the dangers of children being in contact with lead and ingesting lead, however I'm pretty certain that lead touching the skin isn't harmful... Swarovski crystals, base metal findings, etc are known to contain the metal.

Im in the process of purchasing lead free solder for future projects to alleviate this concern. However I cant stop obsessing about the fact that I sold 2 items with the lead solder in them already. I also have several other items still listed in my shop containing the solder.

Should I remove the listings?

Should I contact the 2 people (both adults - one with no children, one with young adult children) who purchased items containing solder?

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

Your items are not for children, so CPSIA doesn't affect you. But there are jewelry laws that are in effect for items sold in Cal. Jewelrydesignsbyme should be along and give you the info.

[Former_Member]

thank you so much :-)

[Former_Member]

It really depends on a few things if you should contact the customers and inform them of the possible lead content to the pieces.
1) If the customer lives in a state; California, Illinois, & Minnesota; where warning labels about lead content are required. In which case you can inform them that you belately found out about their state's law concerning lead and are rectifying the situation with the notification. But double check a particular state's lead labeling law because your business may be small enough to be exempt from it.
2) If you represented or marketed the product as being appropriate for children under 13 then the item falls under needing CPSIA testing and tracking labels. There is no stay of testing for jewelry so without test reports you are technically required to "recall" the items for non-compliancy.
3) If in all honesty your conscience tells you must inform the customer that there is reason to believe there maybe lead then let them know so.
In all 3 cases be prepared to offer refunds or listen to a rant from the customer for not telling them sooner. Some people get outraged if they feel you knowing sold them something that they preceive as dangerous. I use to to work selling nursey furniture and baby safety equipment and everytime there was a recall on a product at least one person (& not always the same looney) would call and tell us how incompetent we were for even carrying other products from the recalled manufacturer because if 1 type of their items was dangerous then all of their products must be too.

Actually these is more danger to you working with the leaden solder (and when dabbling with the stain glass - lead in the cane and glass colorants) because it's more likely you will inhale the fumes or dust that might contain the lead than lead leaching from a finished product through through skin contact to a customer. Just to let you know many of these laws are not based on any medical fact that the lead in a product will be absorbed by a body in any way when handled correctly, they mostly concern knowing the lead content by weight of any component that went into making an item you are selling.

After you decide what to do about informing your customers then you may also want to update your product descriptions to include the fact that there could be lead in the solder used on those certain products.

[Former_Member]

Hi Faye!

[Former_Member]

JewelrydesignsbyME

you have been so helpful. thank you for all of your help and support. i truly appreciate your thorough response - you are a gem (no pun intended)!!!

what i intend to do is notify the two buyers of the lead content, and offer a refund or replacement (take off the old solder, and replace with the lead-free solder i just purchased), shipping on me.

ive removed the rest of the lead-containing items from my shop and will be replacing the solder on them with my new, lead free solder - and will re-list them once they have been "fixed."

Thanks again!

[artophile]

JewelrydesignsbyME says:
"because it's more likely you will inhale the fumes or dust that might contain the lead than lead leaching from a finished product through through skin contact to a customer"
``````````````````````

actually the fumes you inhale while soldering lead are from the flux not the lead. Just run a fume remover or extractor fan while you solder and you'll be fine.

You can get much cheaper ones than this but just to show you...

http://www.warner-criv.com/product.aspx?id=5170-300

[Former_Member]

I always thought the danger and worry with lead in small metal items like jewelry was a child accidentally eating or swallowing the item. I know that contact with things that kids put in their mouths is a big concern. I thought that this was why items were being so strictly regulated. And kids of all ages put things in their mouths without even thinking about it, so this makes sense.

I guess what I am wondering is this, how much of an issue is the exposure from touching an item with skin? I know exposure can build up over time, but what is considered exposure? I know breathing dust is also an issue, but I haven't heard much about skin contact. OP, your items are not to kids, so I don't think you need to worry about the CPSIA, but in general I don't even know how much of a worry it is that skin touches lead. I am not an expert, of course, but this doesn't bring to mind any "ooh yeah, you have to be careful, check out this link..." thoughts.

[artophile]

exposure to skin shouldn't be a problem unless you happen to have an open wound where the item would be.

I've been working directly with lead for many years and have yet to have an elevated lead level show up in any blood tests. I don't eat it, lick my fingers or smoke after touching it and I don't sand it and inhale the dust.

[FayeMaloneDesigns]

Actually, the lead issue was blown in to a crisis by the lead laden charm anklet that was a free with purchase from a sneaker company ( Reebok maybe?). The charm came off, the child, a boy, who was about 8? swallowed it, and after several trips to the emergency room where he was misdiagnosed with flu, he died. It appears that one the child was far too old to be putting jewelry in his mouth, the mother never noticed that the charm was missing, and the boy never told his mother that he had swallowed the charm. The boy died, the dr's and hospital were probably sued, the shoe company was sued, and probably fined by the gov, and the overseas company that made the "free" charm got off scott free.... And we are all paying for it.

Now, I am all for children's products to not be lethal. but don't you all think that it should be that great country that we buy everything from that should not get any more of our business since they have been the cause?

[artophile]

Good point, Faye!