Hi all,
Curiosity question here. I noticed in the last Walthers flyer that came out (Oct. ’18) that there is now a Prop 65 lead warning for Bachmann locos. My question is, why is it just Bachmann? Have all the other manufacturers started using silver only solder or something? Just wondering…not trying to hash out CA’s public safety regs.
hi,
Bachmann has been a “global” player for many years. That’s probably why they install radio suppression (RF) chokes on all their motor circuits.
In order to sell your products to a world-wide market you have to be compliant with many different regulations. Digitrax has been in the same situation with their duplex throttles. Ones made for North America can not be sold in Europe, for instance.
RoHS compliance is a big deal, too.
Lead free components and such.
I have seen the warning on other manufacturers’ products. Maybe smaller manufacturers haven’t put so much effort into compliance but if you intend to sell your product in a greater market you are going to have to comply with health and environment regulations.
Sometimes dangerous chemicals or metals find their way into products, either intentionally or not, cadmium in plated toys, lead paint also in toys, melamine in baby formula, etc.
Some of my friends work in industries that have to run compliance tests on many of their products intended for export and be able to certify the sources for ALL the components used in the production.
Actually, I have become “sticker-numb” and I simply peel off or throw away the warning label since, it seems, everything has a Prop 65 label on it. Even the plywood I used for my layout causes cancer!
Plywood_warning by Edmund, on Flickr
https://oehha.ca.gov/proposition-65/general-info/proposition-6
If they haven’t I’m sure they’ll be “coerced” to eventually. Just another blanket implication because of a knee-jerk reaction, IMO…
Tom
The Digitrax throttle thing is because of which channels are alloowed in the 2.4GHz band, the same ones allowed in the US are not allowed in Europe. it has nothing to do with RoHS.
As for lead in locos - don’t eat it or lick it and there’s really no danger. It’s still the most affordable denisty per volume way to add weight to things.
–Randy
Totally agree, Randy.
Never said it did.
In other words, beside Proposition 65, RoHS is yet another regulation that has to be complied with for any manufacturer that exports.
I just used it as an example without getting into FCC regs and EU regs. so they have to sell a different product for export than the one used in North America.
I really should proof-read my posts better,
Or like many others here lately, simply not reply at all.
I am truly sorry for being so misleading.
Ed
Wait, you mean we’re not supposed to eat the train-candy?
Only if you’re lead to do it, Dan…[:-^]
The title had me concerned that the flyer might be hazardous. Just to be sure I’ll get some latex gloves. Oh, wait…
Iam sure the suit as atleast a dozen warning lbels.
Well, if you are allergic to latex, you might appreciate the warning.
I realize that it’s great fun to poke at the California labeling requirements, but given the severe hazardous effects of exposure to lead, you really need to be careful handling it. Especially if you are cutting it or soldering with it.
Given the consumer desire for lowest price, manufacturers cut costs with some not so safe materials. At least a warning lets you know to be careful.
Paul
What is the metal in typical loco weights? It’s too hard to be pure lead, I’m guessing but is it a mixture? Maybe I should not take a grinder to it.
Quick google indicates it’d probably be either zinc or antimony for making “hard” lead.
Thanks everyone for the interesting commentary. So have the other manufacturers somehow gotten out of labeling requirements, or are Bachmanns (being cheapest) the only ones with significant amounts of lead in them?
God help model train hobbyist’s if you live in California, notorious for banning such items…politics bad “JUJU”
False. Some of the best modelers in the world live in California and have no trouble building fantastic layouts. Which product, specifically, do you think is banned in California that is available in other US states?
If you go without the Prop 65 lead warning you are saying that there is absolutely zero lead. As in you aren’t going to find lead no matter what lab you take our product to. Some find it easier to just post the warning and be done with it.
I don’t know if they are banned in California, but I do remember looking at the websites of some vendors which say they won’t ship paint to California.
Every brand of model paint seems to be available in California, as well as a wide variety of general spray paint products such as Krylon.
Vague hearsay is rampant on the Internet – but quantity of claims does not equate to accuracy.
I’m not an expert on anything, but the CA law seems pretty involved, so I think some folks, like Bachmann, just labeled everything rather than go through every single item in their catalog to see where it applies.
Along those lines, styrene is listed as a carginogen, but what we refer to as styrene is actually polystyrene and is not listed. Styrene is the liquid chemical used to make plastic. So an all plastic kit wouldn’t have to be listed. But would that change if the parts were painted? I don’t know. That might be why Bachmann decided to label everything. Otherwise, it seems hard to believe that a Plasticville kit would have to listed.
Jim