Silicon Chips Industry

HC Deb 30 March 1990 vol 170 c355W

Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list all the dangerous substances or chemicals with which workers involved in the silicon chips industry come into contact.

Mr. Nicholls

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not hold detailed information on all the substances and chemicals used in the silicon chip industry.

However, in 1985–86 HSE carried out a survey among factories manufacturing semi-conductor devices, including silicon chips, and found that the following substances were widely used: arsine and other inorganic arsenic compounds, diborane, borontrifluoride, phosphorous oxychloride, organometallic compounds, hydrofluoric acid, glycol ethers, phosphine, phosphorus, silane, germane, gallium, and indium.