Protection for welders
April 1st 2006

At one time, debilitating conditions such as Arc Eye and Metal fume fever were often accepted as common hazards of a welder's job. Now, employers are able to protect their workers from the risks associated with welding. Jamie McCallum of 3M UK looks at the hazards and the solutions

As our society becomes ever-more health conscious, many people consider welding to be hot, dirty and potentially dangerous. Health and safety legislation, scientific developments and innovative technologies are now enabling employers to protect workers from the risks associated with welding.

Welding hazards have the potential to cause electrocution, burn injury, respiratory, hearing and eye damage. To protect welders, employers must take steps to minimise the potential for injury in line with workplace health and safety requirements and if necessary, appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be supplied and worn.

Exposure to some contaminants found in welding fumes can cause immediate symptoms including headaches, sore throats, nausea, dizziness and general fatigue. Potentially insidious conditions caused by exposure to the same contaminants can take weeks, months or sometimes years to become apparent. Chronic illnesses can include respiratory tract and lung damage, lung cancer, and damage to the central nervous system (Parkinson's Disease and so on).

Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) are set for specific fume contaminants, but welders who are regularly exposed to contaminant levels - even within WELs - can inhale significant amounts of harmful matter. To reduce levels of contaminants, engineering controls such as fume containment can be implemented. The two most common methods of containing welding fumes are local exhaust ventilation and 'on-gun fumeextractors'.

However, these methods can remove valuable shielding gases which in turn, may tempt the welder to turn down the ventilation. Therefore, in many situations respiratory protection should be used to complement the exhaust ventilation systems, thereby reducing contaminant exposure.

In addition to the potential release of harmful metal fumes and gases, many welding and cutting procedures emit dangerous light radiation, which can result in major injury to the eyes. The most likely eye injuries from UV/IR radiation are retinal burns and flash burns to the cornea.

These high intensity light injuries are preventable when the proper protection is worn and used appropriately, although even 100 years after the invention of the arc shield, eye injuries continue to be one of the most common acute injuries suffered by welders.

Auto-Darkening Welding Shields enable constant, comfortable vision for welders. They provide constant protection from ultraviolet and infrared (UV/IR) radiation.

And the filters consistently auto-switch from clear to dark, and back again; in just the way the welder wants. Auto- Darkening Shields also eliminate the neck-strain of noddown/ shield flipping while greatly increasing the accuracy of electrode placement. This, in turn, reduces the need for grinding and rework. In addition, welders can get into tight, cramped spaces with their eye and face protection already in place. Their constant, clear view makes even awkward welding a lot easier.

To help the PPE specifier select the correct protective product for a specific occupational hazard, EN standards specify the minimum performance requirements a product must meet. The specifier must ensure that the PPE selected offers the appropriate level of protection for the specific hazard and circumstance, and is CE marked as this is the manufacturer's guarantee that the product conforms to specific EN requirements.

The Health and Safety Executive states: "For many welding and related operations, several items of PPE are liable to be worn and it is therefore important in selecting PPE that due consideration is given to the compatibility of different items of PPE. It may be better to select one item in which the protective components are integrally combined by one manufacturer."

3M offers a wide range of CE marked products that meet EN Standards for protection against welding hazards. For example, the Speedglas Auto-Darkening Welding Shield combined with the Adflo Powered Air Turbo is a light, compact, all-in-one system that affords excellent eye, respiratory and face protection. 3M can offer advice and guidance on legislative issues and the correct specification and use of PPE in the workplace.

Bulletin 3M is launching two new products for the welding industry at MACH 2006 - 15th to 19th May at the NEC, Birmingham

A new Speedglas Welding Shield will be launched, together with an upgraded Adflo Powered Air Turbo with filter life indicator.

The company will be holding a free prize draw at the show in which one lucky winner will be given a Speedglas welding shield worth £260.

Entry to the draw may be made online at www.3M.com/uk.MAC H06.

More articles from 3M UK PLC: