The problem and difficulties on a big electroplating bath is when electroplating process being operated many of gas will vapor from the bath. To make an electroplating process on a closed system is very difficult because if no ventilation system on the equipment, the gas will exposed to the room and will danger to the operators who control the process.
The main source of exposure to the room is tank content such as mists, gases, vapors that become airborne due to tank agitation, tank temperature, dipping of parts, parts moving along on hanging on hanging conveyors as well as batch changing activities and tank recharging.
Before plating, most metal surfaces are cleaned in a degasser, conditioned for the plating process in a series of acid and caustic baths and then rinsed to remove remaining bath liquids.
The most hazard of electroplating process commonly because of some acids like sulfuric acids, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and nitric hydrofluoric acid. Also the substance called a bright dip, this is a sulfuric acids are combined to give a shiny, mirror like surface to metals and alloys such as cadmium, copper, and silver metal.
Direct contact to those kind of acids can injure to the skin, like skin burns, if repeated contact can cause scarring and open wound, ulcerated wounds which are slow to heal, if contact to eye can make impaired vision and even blindness.
Concentrated sulfuric acid can cause unusually severe burns and eye damage. Hydrofluoric acid in contact with skin destroys tissue. It penetrates deep where it can destroy soft tissue and bone, and cause electrolyte imbalance. These acids can release vapors, gases and mists which can cause serious damage to the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.
Vapors and mists release by acid baths can dissolve in the moist tissue of the eyes, nose troat and lungs can cause irritation and burns of the tissue. Before this vapor get deep into the lungs, it will irritate the respiratory system, the nose and throat and also in the eyes. A chronic exposure can discolor, damage and even dissolve the surface enamel of the teeth. In particular, hydrogen chloride, fluorine, and nitric acid vapor can discolor the teeth, and both sulfuric acid and hydrochloric acid vapor can also cause erosion of the enamel in exposed teeth.
In the case of sudden and extreme exposure, these vapors can reach deep into the lungs and cause severe lung reactions and even death, usually from pulmonary edema (buildup of fluid in the lungs).
