A significant danger in the workplace today is welding fumes. Welding exposure is so common that up to two percent of the world’s population in industrialized nations have been affected in some way. Exposure to welding fumes can have debilitating effects on the human body for many years and has the capability of causing serious long-term effects. Proper procedures need to be implemented and monitored in order to make sure that employees do not fall victim to life threatening illnesses. As an employer, it is your responsibility to make sure employees are protected against hazardous conditions in the workplace.
Why are welding fumes so dangerous?
Welding fumes include a variety of dangerous elements, each of which can affect different parts and systems in the body in varying ways. Every chemical compound found in these fumes comes with its own hazards to the human body. Nickel and chromium are considered to be occupational carcinogens, and manganese has been linked to Parkinson’s disease. Cadmium can be fatal when inhaled, whether it’s over time or in short spurts. The amount of time that it would take for the chemical’s fatal effects to set in depends on two factors: the amount time spent around the fumes and the concentration of the fumes being inhaled.
