Resources for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

Ensuring worker safety and health

www.weldingmag.com

The metals, fillers and electrodes used in welding produce fumes that to varying degrees can create hazardous situations for welder when they are not properly addressed in the work place. Safety considerations have long been key in avoiding preventing adverse affects from welding in all applications and materials.

Correct ventilation and air filtration are called for in welding, and there are a variety of products available to enhance and to ensure worker safety. Personal protective equipment (PPE) often is called for when working with metals and materials that pose the greatest hazards to worker health. And, some materials require extra precautions to ensure that workers are not exposed to potentially hazardous conditions.

Welding smoke is a mixture of very fine particles (fumes) and gases that could include substances such as chromium, nickel, arsenic, asbestos, manganese, silica, beryllium, cadmium, nitrogen oxides, phosgene, acrolein, carbon monoxide, cobalt, copper, ozone, and selenium. These substances are derived from a combination of the base metal, filler metals and welding rods, and from fluxes and rod coverings.

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