How harmful are welding fumes and how do I comply with the stricter regulations?
Welding is a common and critical process for manufacturers across a wide range of industries. Unfortunately, welding generates fumes that expose welders to serious health risks and must be controlled in an effective and safe method to protect the welder.
Weld fumes are cancerogenic and studies have concluded that welders have a 20-30% higher likelihood of developing lung cancer. Welders produce 35-75 kg of toxic welding fumes on average per year that contain harmful materials including arsenic, chromium, lead, and manganese. Greater than 90% of these fume particles are less than 1 μm in diameter which is 75 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair - posing a significant risk for the welder to inhale, and in the long run risk serious health effects. However, a proper extraction system, used correctly in accordance with best practices of global health and safety organizations such as OSHA, HSE, and global ISO standards, can help manufacturers ensure the health and safety of both workers and production.
With increased knowledge of the health risks associated with welding fumes, local legislations around the world has been strengthened to protect workers. And as a new generation of welders enter the workplace with a higher level of awareness, expectations of a safe and clean workplace have also increased.
It´s a must for all industries with welding applications to be compliant with local requirements and provide solutions for capturing and filtering welding fumes and effectively train their welders on the importance of clean air and how to effectively utilize the fume extraction equipment to maximize protection. Simple changes including automation tools, proper hood placement and regular maintenance practices can make a big difference in performance.
As world leading experts in air filtration, fume extraction and work safety, and with members in the numerous health and safety committees including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Nederman offers leading expertise and provides you with battle tested, premium products to ensure you and your workers a healthy and ISO compliant working environment.
Our full range of welding products are CE marked and tested to meet all the current regulations and more. With all products tested and approved separately, together with training for all Nederman installers on how to best follow standards when building a full system, we can provide not only compliant products but also complete systems that are compliant with the latest standards within welding and allied processes, e.g. thermal cutting.
For us, it´s important that you are aware of the health risks, involved in the measures and that every worker at your workplace knows how to use the equipment in the best way to always be safe. Together we can make that a possibility.
Do you want to know more? Contact your local welding fume expert and we help you ensure a safe and compliant working environment.
We have extensive experience of various challenges in the different industries and our experts are very skilled, helpful and professional. With us, you can feel secure that we take care of you and your needs. You are always welcome to contact us regardless if you have a short question or a more complex and complicated one. A warm welcome to Nederman.
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