do you weld safely?

8/9/2019 Do You Weld Safely?

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A Guide to Welding Respiratory Protection

Do You

Weld Saely?


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Dont let your health go up

in smoke !!!

Increasing knowledge about the health hazards

associated with breathing welding umes and gases

above certain concentrations, and the serious illnesses

that can result emphasizes the need to educate, train, and

provide welders with appropriate protection.

Sae welding practice requires recognition o the hazards,

evaluation o the risks and implementation o control

measures to protect workers.

In general:

Welders do not wear respiratory protection when they

should.

They are unaware o the many hazardous materials

they can breathe while working.

Health eects rom long term exposure can be deadly.

Short term eects can be concerning and disrupting.

Our society is becoming ever more

health conscious, as science becomes

better able to explain cause-and-eect

o diseases and ailments


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What is welding ume ???

Welding umes are very ne, solid particles o metal

oxides that orm during the welding process. The specic

substances and amount a welder inhales depend on the

welding method, conditions under which the welding

takes place, and the types o metals being welded. Many

types o metals may be ound in welding umes, including

arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper,

iron, lead, manganese, nickel, selenium, vanadium, and

zinc.

Gases commonly associated with welding are carbon

dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, fuorine

compounds, and phosgene. These gases may be present

as the result o:

Combustion o fux shielding.

Ultraviolet radiation interaction with shielding gases,

oxygen, carbon dioxide, and solvents.

Burning metal coatings.

Factors eecting respiratory exposures

in weldingThe base material being welded or the ller material

that is used

Coatings and paints on the metal being welded, or

coatings covering the electrode

Shielding gases; and chemical reactions which result

rom the action o ultraviolet light rom the arc and

heat

Reaction with other contaminants in the air,

or example vapours rom nearby cleaners and

degreasers.

Work position

Ventilation (area/local)

Voltage/Amperage

Welding ume particles can be

eciently ltered due to their unique

structure


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Health eects linked to

welding contaminants

Short term eects

Eye and skin irritation

Nausea and other gastrointestinal eects

Headache and muscle ache

Dizziness

Metal ume ever

Chills

Pulmonary oedema (fuid in the lungs)

Long term eects

Increased risk o cancer in lung, larynx and urinary

tract

Bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia

Emphysema, siderosis

Ulcers, kidney damage

Heart and skin disease

Damage to the central nervous system (Parkinsons

Disease etc.)

Welders run a 40% greater risk than other proessional groups o being aectedby lung cancer*

* US Department o Health & Human Services (NIOSH) Pub. No. 88-

110p iii.


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The occupational exposure standard or general carbon

steel welding over an 8-hour period is 5mg/m3 inspired air.

However, even i you are within this occupational exposure

limit, you inhale up to 11 grams o carbon steel every

year*!!!

The welding ume canister to the right

contains 11 grams o welding ume

particle. Year ater year this is the

quantity o ume inhaled by an

unprotected welder*.

The health eects o welding

exposures are many and

varied, because the umes cancontain so many dierent harmul

substances.

Long term welders need to protect their health

over many years o exposure. Short term eects

can be readily reduced or avoided and the long

term eect risks can be minimised.

Good engineering controls and work practices are

imperative. For example, its important, when easible,

to use local and source-exhaust ventilation to remove

harmul umes and gases. Where possible, less hazardous

materials should be substituted. Material Saety Data

Sheets (MSDS) should be reviewed to identiy any hazards

that might be associated with the welding job.

In many cases, engineering controls alone cant reduce

exposure levels adequately. For maximum protection

simply provide the welder with a Speedglas powered

air respirator system.

How much is your saety, or the saety

o your welders worth???

* Under normal working conditions the respiratory rate is about 20 litres o air/minute. Over a working year (100%), a welder breathes in about

2300 m3 o air. Under working conditions with 5 mg/m3 o welding particles in the air, a welder breathes in 11 grams o particles/year.

How many grams o ume particulate

do you ingest every year?


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The Adfo powered air respirator systems smart, compact

design is made to suit welders and their specic working

conditions.

Thanks to special electronics the airfow is always a

constant nominal rate o 170 litres/minute, regardless o

the batterys charge or the particle loading o the lter.

For hot, humid jobs welders can increase the airfow by

almost 25% by simply pushing the ON button a second

time. By using the Adfo respirator, welders get both

increased protection and comort all day long.

The Adfo system conorms to Australian Standard AS/

NZS1716 and has a nominal protection actor o at least

50. Which means that the air you breath through the Adfo

system is 50 times cleaner than the air that you would

otherwise breathe.

For example: A manuacturer o galvinised ences

measures 30 mg/m3 o zinc oxide in the workplace air.

The statutory Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) is

only 5 mg/m3. The airborne zinc oxide exposure to the

welder, thereore, must be reduced by at least a actor o

6 (30 mg/m3 divided by 6 = mg/m3). A respirator with a

minimum protection actor o 10 or better is required.

Respiratory Protection: Cooler, cleaner

and more comortable welding


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Integrated Protection,

Increased Productivity

Studies show that welders can increase eciency by up

to 50% when using Speedglas auto-darkening welding

shields as opposed to conventional fip-ront welding

shields. Not only can welders literally move aster when

they can always see, but they move more eciently,

placing electrodes more precisely. Most bad weld starts

can be eliminated. Fewer bad welds mean less grinding

and higher overall quality levels. Furthermore, this

conservative estimate does not take into account the loss

in productivity caused by eye injuries and time o work.

In general it is the responsibility

o the employer to identiy any

hazards that are to be ound in

the working environment and to

provide the workers with adequate

protection.

However, even with all the available

inormation on the hazards o

welding, eye trauma is still the

leading cause o blindness worldwide. Welding and

grinding were responsible or 29% o all eye injuries*.

Illnesses due to welding umes can be instant or insidious,

taking weeks, months and sometimes years to become

apparent. In recent years, welding with limited ventilation

has been linked to toxic damage to the brain.

Because you only have

one pair o eyes. Because

you only have one pair o

lungs. Because there is

only one Speedglas

The multiple benets o personal

respiratory protection

The Adfo powered air puriying respirator provides a

nominal minimum protection actor o 50.

Improved worker comort: a cool, rereshing

atmosphere within the shield.

Integrated ace and eye protection

Increased productivity

* Imberger, A. Altman., Watson, W., Altmann, A., Unintentional adult eyeinjuries in Victoria., Monash University Accident Research Centre

Report #137 1998


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Our ocus is welders

Our integrated production enables us to achieve

outstanding quality control in

all processes. As a result, 3M

Speedglas is the worlds leading

brand o protective equipment or

welders. And just as hundreds

o thousands o users rely on

Speedglas products every day or

their best welding perormance, we

rely on welder comments or utureproduct designs, developments and

improvements.

3M 2007 All rights reserved. Speedglas and Adlo are trademarks o 3M.

Australian Welding Supplies Pty. Ltd

Unit 5, 6 8 McLachlan Avenue Artarmon NSW 2064 Australia

Tel: (02) 9439 0111 Fax: (02) 9439 0100

E-mail: [email protected] www.awsupplies.com.au

do you weld safely?

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