The Dangers of Welding Fumes in Australian Industries
Welding fumes pose a significant threat to worker health, with short term exposure resulting in acute effects such as metal fume fever and long-term exposure potentially leading to chronic conditions affecting the nervous and respiratory systems as well as certain types of cancer. Despite the inherent danger of welding fumes, it is an essential process required in almost all industries relating to construction or manufacturing.
In Australia, the Workplace Exposure Standards (WES) for Airborne Contaminants govern the exposure limits which apply to specific fumes emitted through welding as well as a separate exposure limit for welding fumes not otherwise classified in the WES. These exposure limits are set and regularly reviewed by Safe Work Australia to ensure the safety of workers.
The composition of welding fumes can depend on a range of factors including but not limited to:
Welding method and process used
Material being welded
Electrode composition
Coatings on the metal
It is essential that businesses identify what types of fumes workers are being exposed to from welding and whether those fumes are prescribed limits under the WES. For example, welding fumes may contain iron oxide and ozone which both already have prescribed limits of 5mg/m3 8-hour time-weighted average and 0.2mg/m3 peak limitation respectively under the WES. Once the types of airborne contaminants have been identified, suitable monitoring programs must be implemented to assess worker exposure to welding fumes and the effectiveness of mitigation measures.
Change to the Workplace Exposure Standard for Welding Fumes in Australia
Reflecting the danger that welding fumes pose, the Work Health and Safety ministers have agreed to reduce the exposure standard for welding fumes (not otherwise classified) from an 8-hour time weighted average of 5 mg/m3 to 1mg/m3. This change will take effect as soon as it is implemented in the work/occupational health and safety laws of the Commonwealth and each state or territory.
There are several resources available to gain a deeper understanding behind the change and how workers may be protected from the dangers of welding fumes:
The responsibility for monitoring welding fumes for Australian businesses primarily falls on the employers themselves. It is the duty of employers to ensure a safe work environment for their employees, which includes managing and mitigating occupational health hazards such as exposure to welding fumes.
Businesses may engage various professionals such as occupational hygienists to monitor welding fumes at their workplace. Occupational hygienists specialise in identifying, assessing, and controlling workplace hazards, including exposure to welding fumes. They conduct air sampling and monitoring to assess the levels of welding fumes in the air and provide recommendations, specific to the workplace, for control measures to minimise exposure.
One common method employed by hygienists to monitor worker exposure to welding fumes is through personal air sampling. Personal air sampling involves the use of a constant flow personal air sampling pump such as the SKC AirChek Touch to draw air through a sampling head or other collection device for the duration of the worker's shift. It is important that the sampling head is worn under the welding helmet but outside any respirator to gather a true sample of the metal fumes that the welder is being exposed to. The collected sample undergoes laboratory analysis to determine the types and concentrations of airborne contaminants the worker encountered throughout the shift.
Real-time personal dust and aerosol monitors like the SKC HAZ-DUST 7204 Particulate Monitor also play a role in monitoring welding fume exposure by assessing the effectiveness of control measures at the site. While real-time dust monitor measurements may not be as precise as those obtained through laboratory analysis, they are valuable for identifying how different behaviours, techniques, or controls can impact exposure during various tasks. For example, a real-time dust monitor can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the new control measures put in place during welding compared to the outcomes observed before the implementation of these measures.
The significant reduction in the exposure limit for welding fumes makes it more important than ever for businesses to monitor welding fumes to ensure they are complying with the new exposure limit and workers are adequately protected from the dangers.
