Well, take for example the OEL (Occupational Exposure Limit) for zinc oxide, which is 5 mg/m³. Evenif you're within this OEL, you inhale up to 11 grams of zinc oxide every year*).

� Eye and skin irritation� Nausea� Headache� Dizziness� Metal fume fever

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Chronic insidious, injuries on:

Injuries from welding fumes are insidious…

The level of pollution is determined by the welding method, amperageand ventilation in the workplace. Comprehensive information aboutregulations, legislation, limits etc. is often specific to each country. Insome municipalities, authorities have set their own air quality standardsfor the city at large. By comparison, the standards for weldingenvironments can be up to 100 times lower (that is, worse than) the city'sstandards.

� Respiratory tract and lungs (including lung cancer)� The central nervous system (Parkinson's Disease etc.)

All welding fumes contain pollutants and the injuries they can cause areinsidious. Illnesses due to welding fumes can take many weeks, months andsometimes years to become apparent.

The choice of protective equipment is often made after consultation betweenemployers and users. Always contact your Safety Engineer, company healthrepresentative or other experts if there are any doubts or unclear pointsregarding pollution of the working environment or choice of product.

*) Under normal working conditions the respiratory rate is about 20 litres of air/minute. Over a working year(100%), a welder breathes in about 2300 m³ of air. Under working conditions with 5 mg/m³ of welding particlesin the air, a welder breathes in 11 grams of particles/year.

What does this mean for the welder?

Acute Symptons from exposure to welding fumes: