Welding is a dangerous job due to risks such as asphyxiation, skin and eye damage, fires, and long-term effects of fumes. Sparks and arcs pose a risk, but equipment can reduce exposure. Carcinogenic or toxic chemicals are the leading cause of health problems, and welding produces dangerous gases. Proper equipment, safe materials, and common sense measures can prevent these risks.
Compared to other industrial jobs, welding is quite dangerous. The occupational and health risks of this job can be avoided with proper equipment, safe materials, and some common sense measures. The risks associated with welding include asphyxiation from harmful inhalants, skin and eye damage from ultraviolet light, electrical or chemical fires, and the long-term adverse effects of fumes.
Most people think that sparks and arcs are the most dangerous aspects of welding because they call attention to themselves, but they only pose a risk. The brightness of the sparks, with their strong UV light, can cause cancer of unprotected eyes and skin. Yet there is a range of equipment, such as automatic blackout helmets and thick gloves, to reduce exposure. Also, the sparks are usually not hot, however general precautions should be taken to keep wood or other combustible material out of reach of the welder’s arc. Setting heated metal on a flammable surface is more likely to start a fire.
The leading cause of health problems in welders are carcinogenic or toxic chemicals. These chemicals could be in a sealant or coating on the metal surfaces being welded. Extreme heat releases molecules into the air, where they are easily inhaled.
Some substances may also be incorporated into the material itself, such as lead, cadmium, manganese, chromium or nickel in metals such as stainless steel, copper or zinc. These metals should only be welded with extreme caution. Make sure you know exactly what they contain and that you are working in an area with plenty of air circulation. Inhalation symptoms can range from a temporary flu-like illness to serious damage to the lungs, liver and other organs. For example, manganism resulting from exposure to manganese is related to Parkinson’s disease.
Even when you are careful with sealants and metal varieties, the welding process still produces other dangerous gases. For example, a change in oxygen called ozone is created with each arc. Ozone exists naturally in the atmosphere, but large concentrations of ozone displace oxygen. If you work in an enclosed space, normally safe gases can become too concentrated and cause edema, filling your lungs with water. Ozone, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide build up, causing you to pass out, hit your head or suffer brain damage.
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