1. Welding fume

2. Welding Fume
Dealing with a carcinogen
Graham Twigg
MSc CFIOSH

3. Content Responding to HSE Safety Alert
How do we respond to the HSE Safety Alert
About the HSE Safety Alert
Enforcement expectations of HSE
Back to basics
COSHH assessment
Fume analysis and WELs
Personal exposure monitoring
Health surveillance
Resources
BOHS Breathe Freely
HSE updated welding fume webpages
HSE Go Home Healthy

4. Welding Fume – new problem?
Phil the Welder – HSE video

5. HSE Safety Alert February 2019 Consequences:
With immediate effect, there is a strengthening of HSE’s enforcement expectation for all welding fume, including mild steel welding; because general ventilation does not achieve the necessary control.

6. HSE Safety Alert
Control of the cancer risk will require suitable engineering controls for all welding activities indoors e.g. Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV). Extraction will also control exposure to manganese, which is present in mild steel welding fume, which can cause neurological effects similar to Parkinson’s disease.

7. Welding Fume HSE go home healthy https://youtu.be/So_2mc06jXQ

8. HSE Safety Alert
Where LEV alone does not adequately control exposure, it should be supplemented by adequate and suitable respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to protect against the residual fume.

9. HSE Safety Alert
Regardless of duration, HSE will no longer accept any welding undertaken without any suitable exposure control measures in place, as there is no known level of safe exposure.

10. HSE Safety Alert
Appropriate RPE should be provided for welding outdoors. You should ensure welders are suitably instructed and trained in the use of these controls

11. HSE Safety Alert
Risk assessments should reflect the change in the expected control measures.

12. COSHH Assessment Review COSHH assessments are we doing this already?
Can you use a welding technique that makes less fume?
                                                                                                                                         
COSHH Assessment
Review COSHH assessments
are we doing this already?
Type of metal and consumable needs to be taken into account
How competent are your welders?
What are the exposure levels? Do your controls reduce adequately?
Get it checked by competent person (Occupational Hygienist) to undertake personal exposure monitoring
Fume component or generic welding fume WEL? EH40 guidance and calculation
Do you require a health surveillance programme based on exposure levels?

13. COSHH Assessment Review COSHH assessments
Suitable control measures must be applied, regardless of welding duration and including outdoors welding;
The employer must ensure welders are suitably instructed and trained in the use of any exposure controls (e.g. LEV, RPE);
All engineering controls should be correctly used, suitably maintained and subject to thorough examination and testing (if required under COSHH Regulation 9) and RPE must be subject to an RPE programme.

14. Welding Fume
HSE COSHH Essentials

15. Resources Where to get additional support and information

16. Resources Where to get additional support and information

17. Resources Where to get additional support and information