WHAT ARE THE HAZARDS OF WELDING FUMES?

There are many substances harmful to health in the fume generated during the welding process.

Welding fume contains heavy metals. In welding and cutting processes, various gases are produced as a result of the combustion or evaporation of welding consumables, cutting fluid on the welded base material, residues such as oil, grease and coatings such as paint, galvanising, etc. with the effect of arc temperature.

Welding fumes contain harmful substances

In addition to gases such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide as a result of combustion of flammable gases such as acetylene, propane, butane, methane used in gas welding and brazing processes with oxygen gas, as well as particles and vapours of metals such as zinc, copper, cadmium, lead and fluoride, chloride-based gases are formed depending on the filling material, decapsulants and the main material on which the process is performed.

In welded manufacturing workshops, gases, dust and fumes that are formed due to the production process and spread to the working environment enter the body by respiratory tract. Some of these air pollutants can cause chronic (long-term) diseases as well as acute (sudden-suddenly) disorders depending on the level of exposure. For example, metal fume fever, which is frequently seen in welders, is usually a temporary discomfort, but it also helps the development of chronic diseases.

If there are more pollutants than the permitted concentration in the working environment in welded manufacturing workshops and if this air is inhaled, depending on the duration and intensity of exposure; respiratory difficulties, blood diseases, cancer, chronic bronchitis, headache, pulmonary oedema, metal fume fever, irritation of the mouth and nasal mucosa may occur. In addition, various damages may occur on the central nervous system, kidney, liver, blood-forming system and bone structure and related diseases may occur.

Occupational diseases called pneumoconiosis occur when metal-containing dust, gas and fumes are inhaled for a long time and accumulate in the lungs. While carbon, tin, iron, aluminium pose a low level of risk, cadmium, chromium, chromium, lead, vanadium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, titanium and zinc, which are among the metals that workers in welded manufacturing workshops are affected by dust, gas, fumes and oxides, cause much greater health problems and permanent diseases as they create irritant and toxic effects.

In summary, dust, fumes, gases and vapours, which are frequently encountered in welded manufacturing workshops and which enter the body by inhalation, cause irritation in the respiratory tract due to the presence of the above-mentioned chemicals and cause permanent diseases if inhaled at high concentrations for long periods of time. A similar effect is observed in the eyes and health problems such as irritation, conjunctivitis, keratitis and allergy occur in the eyes.

Some gases in welding fumes:

Aluminium oxide (Al2O3), Barium (Ba), Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), Hexavalent chromium (Cr (VI)), Cobalt (Co), Hematite (Fe2O3), Formaldehyde (CH2O), Carbon dioxide (CO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Nickel (Ni), Nickel oxide (NiO), Ozone (O3), Phosgene (COCl2), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), Nitrogen monoxide (NO), Zinc oxide (ZnO), Zinc (Zn), Tin (Sn)

EWC codes of the content of welding fume particles:

1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1008, 1201

How do welding fumes affect our health?

Some short-term health effects:

-Eye irritation

-Cough

-Respiratory collapse

-Bronchitis

-Pulmonary oedema

-Pneumonitis

-Loss of appetite

-Cramps

-Nausea/vomiting

Short-term exposures:

Exposure to zinc, magnesium, copper and copper oxide can cause metal fume fever.

Symptoms of metal fume fever may appear 4 to 12 hours after exposure.

Symptoms include chills, thirst, fever, muscle pain, chest pain, cough, wheezing, fatigue, nausea and a metallic taste in the mouth.

Some long-acting health problems:

- Chronic lung problems (pneumonia, emphysema, silicosis, siderosis, inhalation injury, smoke fever, heavy metal disease, COPD, AB)

- Lung cancer

- Laryngeal cancer

- Urinary tract cancer

Toxic fumes alone can cause special health problems:

- Chromium: Difficulty breathing, sinus problems, problems with the inner wall of the nose

- Manganese: Parkinson's disease

- Cadmium: Kidney problems

- Welding fumes may contain cancer-causing agents such as cadmium, nickel, beryllium, chromium and arsenic.

Clinical studies have analysed the relationship between the occurrence of lung cancer and stainless steel welding fumes. The results show an association between lung cancer and steel welding fume exposure. In more than 8,000 metal workers, the relationship between lung cancer and welding fumes was evaluated and a causal relationship was concluded.

Personal respiratory protection must be used. The selection and duration of use of these respiratory protectors is very important.

This software will be especially helpful for gas mask cartridge change times:https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npptl/multivapor/setup/MultiVapor%20Installer.exe

Our recommendation for welding operations is to use at least FFP2 and, if possible, FFP3 and P3 masks.

Dust masks are used for respiratory protection against dust in the working environment.

Dust masks must be manufactured in accordance with EN 149, EN 14683 and EN 143 standards.

The amount of dust determined as a result of personal exposure measurements in the working environment is up to 4 times the limit value;

- FFP1 where up to 4 times

- FFP2 where up to 12 times

- FFP3 mask is used in places up to 50 times.

Points to be Considered in the Use of Dust Mask:

The inner part of the dust mask should not be touched, after removal, it should be placed in its packaging or in a ziplock bag.

- Masks with expired shelf life and expiry date should not be used.

- CE marking and standard number must be written on the mask.

- Difficulty in breathing while using the mask indicates that the mask has expired.

- If fogging occurs in the glasses when protective glasses are worn with the mask, the mask should be removed and put on again correctly, the nose part should be fully fitted. The cause of fogging is usually the water vapour that comes out of the mouth with breathing comes into the goggles because the mask is not completely closed or leaks. For this reason, masks with valves and with the valve part facing downwards should be preferred.

- The NR symbol on the mask indicates that it cannot be reused, the R symbol indicates that it can be reused, the D symbol indicates that it has passed the dolomite test and can be used for more than 8 hours, and the V symbol indicates that it has a breathing valve.

It should not be forgotten that; using only masks is not enough to protect against the damages of welding fumes. The use of fume extraction systems is mandatory.

Professional welding fume extraction and filtration systems should be used. Mobile or centralised fume extraction systems protect human health and the environment.

Please refer to the document published by the European Welding Association (EWA) on the subject.

HiVent's expert team will always be at your side when choosing the most suitable welding fume extraction system.