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ENVIRONMENT,
SAFETY & HEALTH
Semiconductors are
turning up just about every place you look. From the everyday to the extraordinary,
semiconductor technologies and products are everywhere. And that's just
one reason we're so committed to the safety and health of our workers
and our world.
The U.S. semiconductor industry ranks in the top 5 percent of durable
goods manufacturers for safety, with only 1.5 reportable injuries and
illnesses per 100 employees, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data
for 2005. SIA member companies participate in an internal injury and illness
reporting system modeled after the BLS system, the Occupational Health System (OHS). OHS data for 2005
identified only 0.87 injuries and illnesses per 100 employees. This outstanding
safety record is due in large part to the SIA's long and close involvement
in matters related to environment, safety, and health:
- Studying potential health risks to cleanroom workers,
- Working to reduce emissions of global warming gases,
- Evaluating the impact of environmental regulations, domestically and
globally, and
- Preserving the ability to use PFOS and PFAS in leading-edge processes.
Ensuring the Health of Workers
In recent years, the semiconductor industry completed an evaluation of
cancer risk among cleanroom workers. A Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC)
composed of experts in occupational medicine, epidemiology, industrial
hygiene, and cancer biology evaluated existing data from available literature
and participating companies.
The committee concluded there was no evidence of increased cancer risk
to cleanroom workers, although it could not rule out the possibility that
circumstances might exist that could result in increased risk. To study
the matter further, SIA embarked on three initiatives:
Retrospective scoping study - A retrospective cohort mortality
scoping study to determine the feasibility of conducting retrospective
epidemiology. To carry this out, a research team was retained under
the direction of Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
Health surveillance study - Exploring health surveillance programs
in non-semiconductor companies. This information will be provided to
SIA member companies who can then assess what measures may be useful
in their own programs.
Primary prevention initiatives - Developing programs to better
understand properties of new chemicals and chemical processes; to investigate
how non-semiconductor manufacturers introduce new chemicals into the
workplace; and to evaluate whether it is possible to further reduce
potential chemical exposure during maintenance of semiconductor manufacturing
equipment. Teams of nationally renowned consultants are conducting these
programs, which are also being funded by SIA member companies.
Based on the study conducted by Johns Hopkins, it
was determined that it would be feasible to conduct a meaningful, retrospective
cohort epidemiology study. With the approval of the SIA Board of Directors
to fund and proceed, a Request for Proposal was prepared and distributed
to qualified researchers. From the proposals received, Vanderbilt University
was selected to conduct the research. On August 2, 2005 the Semiconductor
Industry Association (SIA) announced that it had signed a contract with
Vanderbilt University to conduct a retrospective epidemiological study
to determine if there is an increased cancer risk among wafer fabrication
workers compared to other semiconductor industry workers and the general
population.
SIA reported that the multimillion-dollar study will review records of approximately 85,000 workers who worked in wafer fabrication facilities of member companies during the past 30 years. SIA member companies are funding the study, which will be one of the largest privately sponsored epidemiological studies ever conducted. The study, being conducted by researchers at the Vanderbilt University-Ingram Cancer Center, has been underway for just over two years. Overseeing the study for SIA is a Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) consisting of world renowned experts in the fields of Epidemiology, Industrial Hygiene, Industrial Medicine and Toxicology. Results of the study are expected to be reported to the SIA in mid-2009.
Good For Our Workers, Good For Our Industry
SIA has a long history of involvement with health and safety issues. In
1981, SIA created a forum for US chip companies to develop a consensus
on priorities and share information about state-of-the-art programs. We
also established the Occupational Health System (OHS) in 1983 to track
health and safety trends and document injuries and illnesses in the industry.
In 1989, in response to conflicting reports about potential cleanroom
hazards to reproductive health, SIA funded and implemented one of the
largest epidemiological studies ever performed by private industry. The
study's findings and recommendations led the industry to voluntarily agree
to eliminate certain solvents that had been used in photolithography formulations.
Working Together To Address Environmental Issues
The US semiconductor industry leads the way in developing alternatives
to hazardous chemicals and pollutant emissions, and shares information
about best practices with companies from other nations.
By eliminating the use of ozone-depleting substances and substituting
environmentally benign solvents in manufacturing, the industry has reduced
reportable emissions by nearly 75 percent in the United States since 1987
Government Agencies
In 1995, SIA members voluntarily committed to significantly reduce atmospheric
emissions of perfluorocarbons (PFCs), identified as global warming gases,
by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA). This voluntary agreement has served as a model for voluntary
agreements between industries and governments worldwide.
In 1999, the global semiconductor industry, through the World Semiconductor Council, agreed to reduce absolute PFC
emissions to 10 percent below their respective baselines by 2010. In 2000,
SIA members and the EPA signed a new Memorandum of Understanding for reducing
PFC emissions based on the global agreement and inventory methods determined
by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This new agreement
is expected to carry the industry through to the next decade.
In 2003, the SIA assisted the EPA in developing a generic photolithography
scenario. Used internally by the EPA and other worldwide environmental
regulatory bodies through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development (OECD), this document will serve as a guide for evaluating
new chemicals introduced into photolithographic formulations.
World Semiconductor Council (WSC)
SIA also seeks to reduce global warming gases worldwide through the Environment,
Safety, and Health Task Force of the World Semiconductor Council (WSC),
comprised of representatives from the United States, Europe, Japan, Korea,
Taiwan, and most recently China. Agreement to work toward reducing emissions of global warming
gases is a prerequisite for membership on the task force. In recognition
of this effort, in 1998 the EPA granted WSC one of its first Climate Protection
Awards.
That same task force also created a chemical management program focused
on understanding risks associated with new processing chemicals and ways
to promote pollution prevention. An energy savings program is also underway.
The WSC has also adopted a series of guiding principles for environment,
health, and safety. In support of these principles, the task force is
developing quantitative targets to monitor and judge environmental performance
on a global basis.
Equitable Regulations and Standards
SIA's environment subcommittee represents the semiconductor industry in
negotiations with regulatory bodies. By supplying agencies such as the
EPA with relevant data and industry perspective, these committees have
negotiated equitable and beneficial changes.
Maximum Achievable Control Technology
SIA subcommittees have assisted the EPA in defining the Maximum Achievable
Control Technology standard (MACT) for the industry, which is a technology-based
air emission standard authorized by the Clean Air Act. While the effort
to secure a semiconductor industry exemption from MACT requirements was
unsuccessful, the standard is not expected to pose an undue burden on
association members.
Perfluorooctyl and Perfluoroalkyl Sulfonates
In a joint effort, SIA and photoresist suppliers succeeded in retaining
the use of perfluorooctyl sulfonates (PFOS) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonates
(PFAS) in leading-edge photoresists and anti-reflective coatings. These
materials are essential to the future of semiconductor manufacturing in
this country.
Based on perceived toxicity and environmental concerns, the EPA had intended
to phase out PFOS and PFAS through the Significant New Use Rule (SNUR)
process under the Toxic Substances Control Act. However, the coalition
argued that these chemicals are used in small quantities and are soundly
managed, posing no risk to worker health or the environment.
As a result of the cooperative effort among SIA, SEMI, and the EPA, a
PFAS SNUR was finally published in the Federal Register in 2002. It provided
an exemption for uses in photolithography. A mass balance model developed
for use in evaluating the potential environmental impact has been adopted
by the EPA for use with other chemicals. The EPA is championing the use
of this approach in international forums with regulatory agencies worldwide.
The issue of PFOS has been expanding over the last few years. In 2006, the USEPA proposed an Amendment to the original SNUR which would add another 183 PFOS/PFAS chemicals to the current list. This proposal is still under consideration for adoption. Additionally, internationally, the EU considered banning PFOS as a persistent bioaccumulative toxic (PBT). After a long negotiation in which ESIA, SEMI and SIA provided substantial input, decided to exempt PFOS used in critical lithography applications through a marketing and use directive. PFOS bans are also being considered under two UNEP programs to ban Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) and the Stockholm Convention. SIA, ESIA, SEMI, and JSIA have joined together in an effort to maintain the continued use of PFOS in critical applications. The WSC, in 2006, also agreed to a Voluntary Commitment to eliminate non-critical PFOS uses and work towards phase-out of all PFOS uses.
NanoESH
The semiconductor industry is rapidly entering into the era of nanotechnology.
From the perspective of circuit dimensions and materials, there is a clear
shift towards nanotechnology. While most semiconductor nanotechnology
relates to the line and feature sizes, there is a clear indication that
the use of nanomaterials is close at hand. SIA member companies and their
suppliers are working together to make sure that new nanotechnologies
and new nanomaterials are introduced in a way that does not adversely
affect our workforce or our environment.
Fire and Building Codes
The SIA Fire and Building Safety (FABS) Committee works closely with authorities
to ensure that industry needs are represented without sacrificing the
integrity of fire and building codes. This is critical since semiconductor
production facilities require precision construction at considerable expense.
To better oversee important changes in the building code development process,
FABS reorganized as a national committee a few years ago. Two principal
code developers, NFPA (the National Fire Protection Association) and ICC
(the International Code Council), have taken the lead on these issues
and represent broad geographic constituencies.
Committed to a Safe and Healthy Future
All of SIA's environment, safety, and health committees are working to
develop and incorporate environmental, safety, and health solutions early
in the design of future processes, equipment, and clean rooms. Toward
this end, SIA member companies are key contributors to International SEMATECH
and the NSF/SRC Engineering Research Center for Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing.
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