In addition to the more » worker-related hazards, estimates of process-related emissions and wastes are also provided. This qualitative hazard assessment addresses both the relative toxicity and the exposure potential of substances in the workplace. To facilitate a risk comparison of the four processes, the number and severity of process-related chemical hazards were assessed.
Although such differences tend to discourage any absolute comparisons among the four photovoltaic cell production processes, certain relative comparisons are warranted. These health statistics are less applicable to the gallium arsenide and cadmium sulfide manufacturing processes, primarily because of differences in the materials utilized. The use of these statistics to characterize the two silicon processes described herein is defensible from the standpoint that many of the same process steps and materials are used in both the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries. The occupational health statistics derived from the semiconductor industry were used to predict injury and fatality levels associated with photovoltaic cell manufacturing. The qualitative risk assessment was performed using a variety of both governmental and private sources of data. Quantitative risk values were determined by use of statistics from the California semiconductor industry. The purpose of this study is to estimate both quantitatively and qualitatively, the worker and societal risks attributable to four photovoltaic cell (solar cell) production processes.