do you weld safely?
TRANSCRIPT
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A Guide to Welding Respiratory Protection
Do You
Weld Saely?
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Dont let your health go up
in smoke !!!
Increasing knowledge about the health hazards
associated with breathing welding umes and gases
above certain concentrations, and the serious illnesses
that can result emphasizes the need to educate, train, and
provide welders with appropriate protection.
Sae welding practice requires recognition o the hazards,
evaluation o the risks and implementation o control
measures to protect workers.
In general:
Welders do not wear respiratory protection when they
should.
They are unaware o the many hazardous materials
they can breathe while working.
Health eects rom long term exposure can be deadly.
Short term eects can be concerning and disrupting.
Our society is becoming ever more
health conscious, as science becomes
better able to explain cause-and-eect
o diseases and ailments
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What is welding ume ???
Welding umes are very ne, solid particles o metal
oxides that orm during the welding process. The specic
substances and amount a welder inhales depend on the
welding method, conditions under which the welding
takes place, and the types o metals being welded. Many
types o metals may be ound in welding umes, including
arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper,
iron, lead, manganese, nickel, selenium, vanadium, and
zinc.
Gases commonly associated with welding are carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone, fuorine
compounds, and phosgene. These gases may be present
as the result o:
Combustion o fux shielding.
Ultraviolet radiation interaction with shielding gases,
oxygen, carbon dioxide, and solvents.
Burning metal coatings.
Factors eecting respiratory exposures
in weldingThe base material being welded or the ller material
that is used
Coatings and paints on the metal being welded, or
coatings covering the electrode
Shielding gases; and chemical reactions which result
rom the action o ultraviolet light rom the arc and
heat
Reaction with other contaminants in the air,
or example vapours rom nearby cleaners and
degreasers.
Work position
Ventilation (area/local)
Voltage/Amperage
Welding ume particles can be
eciently ltered due to their unique
structure
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Health eects linked to
welding contaminants
Short term eects
Eye and skin irritation
Nausea and other gastrointestinal eects
Headache and muscle ache
Dizziness
Metal ume ever
Chills
Pulmonary oedema (fuid in the lungs)
Long term eects
Increased risk o cancer in lung, larynx and urinary
tract
Bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia
Emphysema, siderosis
Ulcers, kidney damage
Heart and skin disease
Damage to the central nervous system (Parkinsons
Disease etc.)
Welders run a 40% greater risk than other proessional groups o being aectedby lung cancer*
* US Department o Health & Human Services (NIOSH) Pub. No. 88-
110p iii.
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The occupational exposure standard or general carbon
steel welding over an 8-hour period is 5mg/m3 inspired air.
However, even i you are within this occupational exposure
limit, you inhale up to 11 grams o carbon steel every
year*!!!
The welding ume canister to the right
contains 11 grams o welding ume
particle. Year ater year this is the
quantity o ume inhaled by an
unprotected welder*.
The health eects o welding
exposures are many and
varied, because the umes cancontain so many dierent harmul
substances.
Long term welders need to protect their health
over many years o exposure. Short term eects
can be readily reduced or avoided and the long
term eect risks can be minimised.
Good engineering controls and work practices are
imperative. For example, its important, when easible,
to use local and source-exhaust ventilation to remove
harmul umes and gases. Where possible, less hazardous
materials should be substituted. Material Saety Data
Sheets (MSDS) should be reviewed to identiy any hazards
that might be associated with the welding job.
In many cases, engineering controls alone cant reduce
exposure levels adequately. For maximum protection
simply provide the welder with a Speedglas powered
air respirator system.
How much is your saety, or the saety
o your welders worth???
* Under normal working conditions the respiratory rate is about 20 litres o air/minute. Over a working year (100%), a welder breathes in about
2300 m3 o air. Under working conditions with 5 mg/m3 o welding particles in the air, a welder breathes in 11 grams o particles/year.
How many grams o ume particulate
do you ingest every year?
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The Adfo powered air respirator systems smart, compact
design is made to suit welders and their specic working
conditions.
Thanks to special electronics the airfow is always a
constant nominal rate o 170 litres/minute, regardless o
the batterys charge or the particle loading o the lter.
For hot, humid jobs welders can increase the airfow by
almost 25% by simply pushing the ON button a second
time. By using the Adfo respirator, welders get both
increased protection and comort all day long.
The Adfo system conorms to Australian Standard AS/
NZS1716 and has a nominal protection actor o at least
50. Which means that the air you breath through the Adfo
system is 50 times cleaner than the air that you would
otherwise breathe.
For example: A manuacturer o galvinised ences
measures 30 mg/m3 o zinc oxide in the workplace air.
The statutory Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) is
only 5 mg/m3. The airborne zinc oxide exposure to the
welder, thereore, must be reduced by at least a actor o
6 (30 mg/m3 divided by 6 = mg/m3). A respirator with a
minimum protection actor o 10 or better is required.
Respiratory Protection: Cooler, cleaner
and more comortable welding
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Integrated Protection,
Increased Productivity
Studies show that welders can increase eciency by up
to 50% when using Speedglas auto-darkening welding
shields as opposed to conventional fip-ront welding
shields. Not only can welders literally move aster when
they can always see, but they move more eciently,
placing electrodes more precisely. Most bad weld starts
can be eliminated. Fewer bad welds mean less grinding
and higher overall quality levels. Furthermore, this
conservative estimate does not take into account the loss
in productivity caused by eye injuries and time o work.
In general it is the responsibility
o the employer to identiy any
hazards that are to be ound in
the working environment and to
provide the workers with adequate
protection.
However, even with all the available
inormation on the hazards o
welding, eye trauma is still the
leading cause o blindness worldwide. Welding and
grinding were responsible or 29% o all eye injuries*.
Illnesses due to welding umes can be instant or insidious,
taking weeks, months and sometimes years to become
apparent. In recent years, welding with limited ventilation
has been linked to toxic damage to the brain.
Because you only have
one pair o eyes. Because
you only have one pair o
lungs. Because there is
only one Speedglas
The multiple benets o personal
respiratory protection
The Adfo powered air puriying respirator provides a
nominal minimum protection actor o 50.
Improved worker comort: a cool, rereshing
atmosphere within the shield.
Integrated ace and eye protection
Increased productivity
* Imberger, A. Altman., Watson, W., Altmann, A., Unintentional adult eyeinjuries in Victoria., Monash University Accident Research Centre
Report #137 1998
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Our ocus is welders
Our integrated production enables us to achieve
outstanding quality control in
all processes. As a result, 3M
Speedglas is the worlds leading
brand o protective equipment or
welders. And just as hundreds
o thousands o users rely on
Speedglas products every day or
their best welding perormance, we
rely on welder comments or utureproduct designs, developments and
improvements.
3M 2007 All rights reserved. Speedglas and Adlo are trademarks o 3M.
Australian Welding Supplies Pty. Ltd
Unit 5, 6 8 McLachlan Avenue Artarmon NSW 2064 Australia
Tel: (02) 9439 0111 Fax: (02) 9439 0100
E-mail: [email protected] www.awsupplies.com.au