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2. Weld Fume Production and Control
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3. Dave Vanest 11/8/04 Age 58 Lowell Myers 2/7/05 Age 44
Deceased
Lowell Myers and Dave Vanest worked side by side for several years. Lowell was a welder and Dave was his fitter. Lowell was diagnosed with a sinus cancer. It ate a hole into through his skull and spread through his spinal fluids. He was a nonsmoker and nondrinker. Dave was diagnosed with an esophageal cancer. He was a smoker and a drinker. The cancers were similar to ones that come from nickel and or chrome exposures. Surely welding stainless steels played a role in these cancers. Providing clean breathing air is essential to a long healthy life. Note: The instructor may strip this story and picture and replace it with one of a local person.
Dave Vanest 11/8/04 Age 58 Lowell Myers 2/7/05 Age 44
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4. Objectives What are Welding Fumes ?
What are the Hazards of Welding Fumes?
What are some methods of controlling weld fumes?
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5. How Fumes Are Formed Metals heated beyond melting point will emit
Fume sizes vary from
0.001 µm -100 µm
Fumes enter the body mainly through inhalation
The instructor should spend a few moments discussing how fumes will pass through the bodies defenses and deposit themselves in the deepest parts of the lung. Fume sizes of 10 µm are considered respirable. Notice the smoke plume of rising hot fume. When the fume cools it forms into the very small droplets of the µm size.
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6. Fume Content Base Metals Filler Materials Coatings
Impregnated chemicals
Gases
This is a list of the items that may be part of the weld fume. The bulk of which are in the metals but the most hazardous may be in the other parts.
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7. Fume Acute Chronic Chromium Irritant Respiratory & Skin Cancer
Iron Oxide
Respiratory Irritant
Siderosis
Manganese
Metal Fume Fever
Parkinson Like Symptoms
Nickel
Eye, nose & Throat irritant
Respiratory cancers, Dermatitis
Carbon Monoxide
Headache - Death
Sensitivity to Exposure
Ozone
Fluid in lungs ,Hemorrhaging
Decrease in Lung Function
Use Handout to illustrate the contaminants are as varied as there are welding processes. Cover three main components of fumes (the fume, gases, and vapors). If the instructor has more time some of the contaminants can be looked up by the students in the NIOSH Pocket Guide. This also could serve as a review for the Guide.
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8. Survey Results of a group of workers
Acute Symptoms
47% suffered Welding Fume Fever
80% reported a cough
78% reported headaches
76% reported dirty sinus drainage
These are acute or short term symptoms of exposure to weld fumes about welding fume fever or Galvanized poisoning ,(fluelike symptoms).These were reported by a group of pipefitters when asked about exposures on welding jobs.
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9. Chronic Symptoms 17% diagnosed lung disease
11% diagnosed cardiac problems
7% diagnosed mood disorders
63% reported regular stiffness
62% reported Anxiety/irritability/depression
54% reported Sudden mood Change
78% reported Short term memory loss
Chronic symptoms develop after long-term exposure to weld fumes, sometimes years. These were reported by a group of Pipefitters. One striking item was the mental deficiencies reported on the welding jobs. One wife said her husband became a (gfdvxxkk) every time he got onto a welding job. What other accidents may occur when your mental abilities decline?
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10. Control Measures Coating Removal Body Position Leather
Local Exhaust Ventilation
Direct Ventilation
Natural Ventilation
Respirators
This is a list of different control measures to be covered in the next few slides
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11. Coating Removal Soap and water Needle Gun Scraping Wire Brush Chemical
Cleaning the metals with a variety of methods reduces the amount of extra material that gets placed into the welding fume.
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12. Body Positioning
Work on metals at arms length if possible to keep your head out of the welding fume
The plume will follow the air currents so position your body so the clean air is entering at your back is preferrable.
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13. Leather Flap
A leather flap fastened to the base of the welding helmet allows breathing air to enter from the back of the helmet instead of the front where the fumes are located
Some welding helmets have this as an addon and some people will attach them on their own
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14. Local Exhaust Ventilation
Provides good engineering control
Does not require extra PPE
Must be placed close to the source
Protects all workers in the area
The small unit on the right i9s designed for field use. It removes the particles and has a flash arrested
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15. Shows good use exhaust ventilation with good breathing air passing over the welder.
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16. Direct Ventilation
Uses fans or air movers to move contaminants away from workers
Need to be positioned to work with natural ventilation
Mixes fumes into the breathing air for all workers in the area
Be aware of where the fumes are being moved to
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17. Natural Ventilation Allows natural plume production
The most common form of fume control.
Relies on mother nature to provide protection
Can be used to assist direct/mechanical ventilation
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18. Shows using natural ventilation to move air through a vessel.
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19. Respirators
Used after engineering and administrative controls cannot reduce the exposure
Require the use of a written Respirator Program
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20. Review
Weld fumes are produced when metals are heated beyond their melting point
They enter the body though inhalation
They can cause a number of health effects
Control measures- Coating Removal, Ventilation, Respirators
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