At the start of 2018, there were some worrying statistics released in a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP).
The report reviewed asthma related deaths across 26 states for the years 1999, 2003, 2004 and 2007 to 2012. It discovered that 19,011 women and 14,296 men died from asthma during these dates.
Of these deaths, they believe that exposures at work contributed to 11 to 21 percent of these. Industries which contributed the highest risk were in the tobacco industry and the food and beverages industry. The CDCP also acknowledged the risks that are prevalent in the welding industry, caused by welding fumes.
The conclusion of the report set an obvious agenda, that “the elimination of exposures is the preferred means of primary prevention to reduce asthma”.
Most people in the welding industry follow the general welding safety basics, such as wearing the right clothing and a welding helmet. But it would appear that some of the welding fumes guidelines set by the OSHA may have been ignored.
It can be hard to gauge the danger levels of fumes, because these gases are invisible. So we’ve highlighted some of the dangers caused by welding fumes and some of the ways you can reduce your exposure to them.
Health Effects of Breathing Welding Fumes
The OSHA require all employers to provide adequate training for workers who are dealing with hazardous materials. The main danger in welding fumes is a highly toxic fume called Hexavalent Chromium, which is produced when welding stainless steel and other non ferrous alloys. Short-term exposure to welding fumes can result in eye irritation and nausea. Extended exposure may cause cancer, stomach ulcers, and other diseases. The OSHA limit exposure to Hexavalent Chromium to 5 µg/m3 as an 8-hour time-weighted average.
Preventing Exposure to Welding Fumes
You must make all the necessary precautions to remove any exposure of yourself and others to welding fumes. Different materials and processes have different hazards, so educate yourself and any employees with the correct information defined by OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard. Typically speaking, Submerged Arc Welding (SAW) and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW or TIG) produce very little fumes. Whilst Flux Cored Arc Welding (FCAW) produces the highest levels of fumes, but this can vary depending on the work piece and the equipment used.
The work space where you’re welding must be ventilated with clean air to help reduce the levels of fumes. If you are in a confined space that is not ventilated then it is not safe to weld. The flow of air, either forced or natural, is a key for ventilation and welding outdoors does not necessarily guarantee ventilation.
There are a number of different ways you can effectively ventilate an area such as a fume extractor, a portable vacuum extraction unit, extraction fans, downdraft tables and more. The best thing is to contact your fume control manufacturer and see which solution is best for your specific working environment.
Any ventilation systems that you have in place for the removal of fumes should ideally be as close as possible to the source of the fumes to ensure the maximum removal of harmful substances. Also, make sure the ventilation exhaust is being emitted into a safe area.
Reading the OSHA regulations and investing in some effective ventilation might seem like a chore, but we can all be happier welding it if we follow procedures to ensure that fumes don’t cause us any sickness or disability.
