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Published by Safety Equipment Australia in the interest of industrial safety in Australia ISSN 1031-7996

Volume 4 Number 13, October 1989 Price: $5.00

W.A. GOVT.BLITZ ON PAINTSHOPS

The West Australian governmentis staging a blitz on paint shops aftera British report warning that paintersrun a greater risk of contracting can-cer. That is the message in an articlein the Perth-based newspaper, TheWest Australian.

The British research had found a clearconnection between painters and severalkinds of cancer. In fact, the report statedthat painters stood a chance of contractinglung cancer 40 times greater than theaverage person. The incidence of cancergenerally among painters were 20% abovenormal. Spray painters were also found to bemore likely to have cancer of the testicles.

The report has worried WA painters andthe Department of Occupational Health,Safety and Welfare. To combat the problem,paint retailers would be checked for ade-quate advice and printed informationmaterial on the hazards of paint. Althoughretailers are obliged by law to warn cus-tomers of the hazards, this was often notdone, according to the article.

Professional painters were betterprotected by strict safety regulations.However, home handymen and hobbypainters were less aware of the hazards.

Ms Janis Baily of the Operative Paintersand Decorators' Union said that workers hadbeen concerned for some time about haz-ardous chemicals. The union's answer was toemploy a full-time researcher to identifydangerous substances in paint.

Building unions have said that paintscontaining the identified compounds wouldbe banned and, presumably, replaced withless hazardous products.

Source: Brendan Nicholson, The West Australian, 03 Aug1989.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Blitz on paint shops 1

Back Pain Seminar 2

Ear plugs and chewing 3

Safety training pitfalls 4

Wall chart: NOISE LEVELS 6-7

WELDING SPECIAL:

Hazards 8

Infertility 10

Brain damage 11

Protection guide 12

"PREVENTION PAYS"SEMINAR

BACK PAIN costs the Australianindustry some $255 million per yearin workers' compensation pay-outs,and is out of proportion with all othertypes of injury. If you take into con-sideration consequent factors, suchas less productivity, greater staff turn-over and industrial relationsproblems, the figure could rise to asmuch as $600 million.

Another great loss to the industry and itsworkers is sickness due to chemicals. Theproportion of workers affected by hazardouschemicals could be as high as 10 per cent.

Migrants with a limited knowledge ofEnglish are worst hit by these problems, main-ly because their knowledge of risks andprevention is generally low due to poor com-munication.

PREVENTION PAYS is a one-day seminarthat seeks to establish effective ways of com-municating the problems and their solutionto workers with English as a second lan-guage.

The seminar comprises both lecturesand small-group workshops, and will be ofgreat benefit to health and safety commit-tee members, employers of migrant workers,and other people in the safety field.

The seminar will be held from 8:30 to4:45 on Thursday, 02 Nov 1989 at theMasonic Club, Parramatta. Tickets are $20.00.

To reserve a seat, please call DougMicovic on (02) 895 8632.

PROFESSIONAL PROTECTION MAGAZINE ispublished by Safety Equipment Australia Pty. Ltd.The annual subscription rate is $20.00.Views and opinons expressed in this newsletter arenot necessarily those of the editor, nor of thepublisher.The information given in this newsletter is accurateaccording to the sources. The editor takes no respon-sibility for incorrect information due to errors insource material, nor does the publisher.Comments, views and queries are welcome. Theeditor reserves the right to edit and publish sub-mitted material in whole or in part, unless requestedotherwise.This publication is copyright throughout the worldunder the Bern Union and the Universal CopyrightConvention.Subscribers are welcome to use pictorial material,provided the source is acknowledged, but are re-quested to inform the publisher before doing so.

Two reasons to avoid anear muff that's TOO EFFECTIVE:

1) Too much attenuationcreates a sense of isolation

2) Communication be-tween workers is impossible, andthe wearer removes the muffs tohear

EXTINGUISHER ON FIRE!ALWAYS make sure you've

got the right fire extinguisher —the wrong choice might helpspreading the fire or intensify it.

Find the most suitable extin-guishers for the materials you'reusing.

CHEWING THE FAT ONEAR PLUGS

Recent studies indicate that earplugs provide much less protectionin "real life" than under laboratoryconditions. There may be three dis-tinct reasons for this:

• The user may not know how to insert the plugcorrectly

• Individual build of the ear canal may preventproper insertion

• Head and jaw movements work the plug looseover a limited period of time

A recent American survey set out to ex-plore the stability of ear plugs as a functionof jaw movement. After all, the jaw is rarelystatic: you talk, give instructions, chew bub-ble gum, yawn, cough, grit your teeth andotherwise move the jaw during work. Sowhat does this have to do with ear plugs?Jaw movements cause the ear canal tochange shape, and repeated jaw motionsmay cause the plug to dislodge.

CHOOSE WHO CHEWS23 young adults (mainly women) from

the speech and hearing classes at theArizona State University were selected for thetest. Each individual tested five differentbrands of plugs (Bilsom Soft, Corn-fit, 3M-6300, Pura-foam and E.A.R.). The test in-

volved chewing bubble gum for thirtyminutes without adjusting the ear plugs. Afteran initial hearing test without plugs to estab-lish that all test persons had normal hearing,they were then tested before and after the30 chewing minutes with the plugs inserted.Yet another reference test was conductedwithout plugs after the experiment.

RESULTSThere were significant differences in the

stability of the various ear plugs. Some ofthem even fell out during the test!

It was established that a good ear plugshould have the following characteristics:

• Exerting pressure perpendicular to the walls ofthe ear

• As large area as possible between the plug andthe ear canal

• Coarse surface

• Compatible with the texture of the ear canalwall

• Resistant to lubricants, such as perspiration andear wax

The report stresses that the experimentwas not conducted to show which ear plugis "better" than the others. However, the testshows that education in how to fit the plugsis important, and that certain plugs will haveto be re-rolled or pushed in more frequentlythan others.

KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR EARS

The attenuation (noise absorption) ofan ear plug depends on how it sits inside theear canal. If you suddenly remove or loosenthe plug, you'll immediately sense the dif-ference. However, a plug that gradually letsmore and more noise through may not beeasily detected. Therefore, it is important toremind workers to re-insert or exchange theirplugs at more or less frequent intervals,depending on the brand used.

CONCLUSIONThe tests indicated that the greatest

stability was attained by self-expanding vis-cose foam protectors. Flanged plugs andglass- fibre plugs were found to be more sen-sitive to jaw movement.

PLEASE NOTE: We have not displayedproduct-specific information in this article.People interested in how the various brandsfared in the test should refer to the originalsource.

Source: Gordon L. Clutf, Dept. of speech and hearingscience, Arizona State University — American IndustrialHygiene Association Journal, vol. 50, no. 3, March 1989

SAFETYTRAINING CANBE HAZARDOUSTO YOURHEALTH!

SAFETY TRAINING PROGRAMScome in all shapes and forms, span-ning from the home-made "cut, glueand photocopy" schemes to hi-techvideo productions and computerprogrammed slide shows. Yet, thesimplest program may be just as ef-fective as the most elaborate. The fol-lowing light-hearted look at trainingtells of some major pitfalls.

HAZARDSThe three main hazards in devising a

training program are Complexity, Inflexibilityand Interminability.

Complexity• Cause: The information concentration is at a

dangerously high level — well over thethreshold limit value that's bearable for normalhuman beings. Tell-tale signs include largetomes of tightly typed copy, hour-long slideshows and, if there are any overhead visuals,there are hundreds of them, and they all lookthe same.

• Symptoms: Excessive fatigue. Confusion.Headache. Those hardy employees who some-how manage to sit through the entire trainingsession end up with a knowledge of next tonothing about almost everything.

• First aid: Major revival attempts are essential.Clear the program from any extraneousmaterial. Administer fresh air. Most important-ly, eliminate the congestion of information. Theprogram should be distilled and boiled down toan essence.

Inflexibility• Cause: The training program dates from some-

where around 1956, but nobody knows exactlywhen it was made, or who made it. It workedthen, and it should work now. Therefore, thesame program is shown over and over again toall employees, whether they are fork-liftoperators, welders, storekeepers or typists.

• Symptoms: Prolonged and repeated exposureresults in total mental paralysis. Staff enter thetraining room carrying the only personal protec-tion available: magazines, cross word puzzles,"The Best of Irish Jokes" books and SonyWalkman headsets.

• First Aid: Evacuate the training room.Thoroughly disinfect the program through in-cineration. Make sure no trace remains of theold program. Replace with more effective, lesshazardous material.

Interminability• Cause: The training program does not feature a

safety shut-off. Although the training programis effective in small doses, the time-weightedvalue is exceeded, and staff are subjected toprolonged exposure.

• Symptoms: Initial symptoms include generaldiscomfort, fidgeting, inability to concentrate,making paper aeroplanes from the trainingmaterial, and cleaning fingernails on thecorners of the note pad. Eventually, the patientbecomes susceptible to outside stimulation,such as counting the cracks in the ceiling, beingmesmerised by the pattern of the carpet or wallpaper. This is compounded by a certain kind ofasphyxiation expressing itself in the form of ex-cessive sighing, yawning and, in severe cases,unconsciousness.

• First Aid: Discontinue training as soon as thelimit is reached (about 30 minutes). Instead, ad-minister information in small doses at regularintervals. This assists absorption through thebrain.

TRAINING ADVICE FROMAMERICA

Wayne A. Johnson is director ofsafety at the large American DialCorporation, and is responsible forthe training and instruction of some4,500 employees in a wide array ofprofessions.

Mr. Johnson's experience takes incountless success stories, and a fewmemorable failures, such as the paint opera-tion where workers were required to wearrespirators because of the vapours.

Despite intensive training in the benefitsof personal breathing protection, oneveteran painter flatly refused to wear amask. Only when the safety officials put thepressure on did he relent. However, thepainter cut a hole in his respirator to makeroom for a cigar, which he chewed whileworking.

Mr. Johnson does not divulge the even-tual outcome, but the painter was told in nouncertain terms that "either he or his succes-sor" would wear the gear properly.

Wayne Johnson has a number of sug-gestions for training personnel when select-ing or devising a training program:

Written pre- and post evaluation from theworkers is a good idea to gauge the attractive-ness and effectiveness of the program.

Workers are "volunteer learners", i.e. theywill probably retain their jobs even if they don'tlearn anything. To make learning attractive, theprogram should be interesting, and the audienceshould be rewarded for taking part.

Use more than one medium. Different peoplelearn in different ways. A smooth blend of writ-ten material, audio-visual material, demonstra-tions, work shops, quizzes etc. make an effec-tive program.

Keep the duration down to 30 minutes or less.

Be relevant: do not include segments thataren't directly connected to the audience.

Know what you want to accomplish, andstick closely to the subject without deviating.

If purchasing a ready-made program, makesure the program relates to the particular in-dustry, or that there is a facility to include in-dustry-specific material.

Be positive. Scare tactics don't work. "Thiscould happen to you", has a negative, short-lived effect.

Source: Gregg LaBar — Occupational Hazards magazine,Cleveland, Ohio, 9/1989

a,

HOW LOUD?Do you know the level of the noise you're hearing? Remember

that any noise above 85 deciBel may be hazardous to your hear-ing, even if it only lasts for a short while.

CompressorBlasterMining drillAir gougerAbrasive cutterDiesel generatorGas turbineMetal sawImpact wrenchRevving truck

101—123107—120108—113105—115100—115107—11192—112

105—108104—107100—102

Cross cut sawWelding machineRouterBrake rivetterProfile cutterBlower/pumpWood planeBand sawPrime moverCrusherBack hoeBelt sanderRestaurantOfficeClass room

98—10199—10098—100

97—99

94—9694—9590—9489—9482—94

40—5030—4020—30

WIII.DINEXPLORINGTHE HAZARDS

Welding can be broken downinto two main types: (a) fusing themetal pieces directly under veryhigh temperature, and (b) joiningthem by using an additional metal asa kind of "glue".

The actual techniques number over 80different processes,Shielded Metal Arc Weld-ing being by far the com-monest, followed by GasMetal Arc, Gas TungstenArc and Oxy-fuel GasWelding. More than 50% ofall welding jobs are per-formed using ShieldedMetal Arc Welding.

During the weldingprocess, certain healthand safety hazards maybe present in the form ofmetal fumes and gases.

METAL FUMES

• Aluminium has untilrecently been regarded asa harmless substance. However,new research points to health problems inwelders who are exposed to the metal (see spe-cial article elsewhere in this issue).

• Cadmium occurs in some alloys. It may alsobe part of the coating of the welding electrode,or in other protective coatings. Cadmium cancause serious pulmonary irritation and oedema(fluid in the lungs). Chronic effects are em-physema and kidney damage. Cadmium fumesshould be avoided at all cost.

• Chromium is used as an alloying agent in stain-less steel. Prolonged excessive exposure tochromium may result in skin irritation and agreater risk of lung cancer. Welders may alsobecome sensitised to chromium, and developeczema when exposed to small amounts.

Copper is found in many alloys, such asmonel, brass and bronze, as well as in weldingelectrodes. Copper can cause respiratory irrita-tion, nausea and metal fume fever.

Fluorides are present in some electrodes and influx. Long-term exposure to very high con-centrations may cause bone changes and jointdeterioration. Milder excessive exposure mayhave chronic effects such as pulmonary oedemaand skin rashes.

Iron is a very common constituent in weldingfumes. Acute effects include respiratory irrita-tion. Iron is also capable of causing siderosis,fibrosis of the lung.

• Manganese is used inmost stainless carbon al-loys and weldingelectrodes. Welders are un-likely to be exposed to haz-ardous concentrations, butsmall amounts of man-ganese may contribute tofume fever.

• Lead is found in solder,brass, bronze, and is alsoused as a metal primer andsteel coating. Welders arevery unlikely to show anyacute effects. However,blood testing should be car-ried out to establishedelevated levels of lead.Chronic effects from ac-cumulated lead in the

blood include anaemia, fatigue,abdominal pains, reduced fertility, kidney con-ditions and nerve damage.

• Molybdenum can cause respiratory irritationand impaired breathing, but welders are unlike-ly to be exposed to excessive amounts.

• Nickel is found in many alloys and stainlesssteel (monel, inconel, incoloy, for instance).Eye and throat irritation are acute effects. Scien-tists are currently disagreeing on whether nickelcompounds are capable of causing or promot-ing cancer in welders.

• Tin is present in some bronze alloys andsolders. Tin fumes are known to cause stan-nosis, a form of pneumoconiosis but it is im-probable that soldering work could place theworker at risk.

WIII.DINTitanium fume is found in stainless steel, al-loys, flux and coatings, but is not known tohave any ill effects in welders.

Vanadium is present in certain alloys and weld-ing electrode coatings. Acute symptoms are eyeand respiratory irritation. Chronic conditionsmay comprise bronchitis, rhinitis, pulmonaryoedema and pneumonia.

GASES• Ozone is formed when air is exposed to

ultraviolet radiation, as happens in the weldingarc. Ozone may be very detrimental to health,causing pulmonary congestion,oedema, and haemor-rhage. Minute concentra-tions of about 1 ppm —even for short periods —dry out the eyes and causeheadaches. Prolonged ex-posure may result insevere changes in lungfunction.

• Nitrogen Oxides (NO2and NO) can cause eyeand throat irritation at 10-20 ppm. Higher concentra-tions may result in pul-monary oedema and othersever lung conditions. For-tunately, welders are un-likely to sustain chronicpoisoning.

• Carbon Monoxide iscolourless and odourless. The gas is an as-phyxiant, causing headache, dizziness and con-fusion.

DECOMPOSITIONDecomposition products may also be

hazardous to health. Solvents used to cleanand degrease metal before welding mayrelease toxic gas when welding starts. Thesegases include:

• Phosgene

• Phosphine

• Hydrogen chloride

• Chloroacetic acids

• Acrolein

• Formaldehyde

• Acetaldehyde

• Teflon welding (thermoplastic welding) mayalso include several dangerous gases, such ascarbonyl fluoride, hydrogen fluoride andperfluoroisobutylene.

Out of these substances, phosgenemay warrant a particular mention. Phosgeneis formed through the decomposition ofchlorinated hydrocarbons (trichloroethylene,perchloroethylene) which are quite com-mon degreasing agents in places where

welding is carried out.Metal inert gas weldingelectrodes are particularlyprone to create high con-centrations of phosgene.Normal welding is unlikely tocause excessive amounts,but care should be taken to

^ keep these substances wellaway from all welding work.

SMOKING ANDWELDING

Welders who aresmokers are likely to bemore severely affected bywelding fumes.

CONCLUSIONEvidence suggests that welding is not a

particularly hazardous occupation —provided the welder is appropriatelyprotected from the various fumes. Generalventilation, local point exhaust, and personalrespiratory protection all serve to remove theworker from the potential hazard. The tableon page 12 may be useful for weldingoperators.

Source: W. K. C. Morgan, University Hospital, London, On-tario, Canada — American Industrial Hygiene AssociationJournal vol. 50, no. 2, Feb 1989 (pp. 59-69); Am. Health &Safety Assoc. — Welding Health & Safety Resource Manual,Akron, Ohio 1984; Black's Medical Dictionary, London 1987

WIII.DINWELDERS RISKINFERTILITY

Welders are running 100%greater risk of being childless, ac-cording to Danish reports. Childless-ness hits 10 per cent of all men andwomen.

Welding, especially work on stainlesssteel, can reduce the quality of the semen.The threshold limit values for welding fumesare exceeded in more than half of all sur-veys, according to aDanish research project.

Aarhus university hasconducted a survey includ-ing 3,100 men who havetried unsuccessfully formore than a year to havechildren. The risk of havingsubstandard semen qualitywas doubled in welderscompared to other profes-sions. The most affectedgroup were stainless steelwelders, showing anadded risk of 2.3 times nor-mal. The sperm deviated inquantity, appearance andmobility.

An earlier report fromOdense in Denmark showsthat welders generally hadchildren later than others. Two other reportsfrom Aalborg show reduced semen qualityin welders. A fourth project from Denmark dis-plays a lower semen quality in welders whoare most exposed to welding fumes than inless intensely exposed welders. The effectswere pronounced even at exposures belowthe TLV.

Yet another research program is under-way to establish any connection betweenwelding and spontaneous abortions anddeformations in the foetus.

A report from the 70s pointed to the TLVbeing exceeded two times out of three atDanish wharves. Later studies have found ex-cessive concentrations in three out of every

four cases of electric welding, and in 60% ofgas welding projects.

Chromium in the urine

"It all looks like substances present in thewelding fume can be transported to the tes-ticles through the blood. One survey showedthat welders have double the amount ofchromium in the blood", says Jens T. Morten-sen, physician at the Institute of SocialMedicine in Aarhus. Mr. Mortensen is themain force in the latest report.

Apart from various gases, weldingfumes may also contain particles of iron,manganese and cancer producing nickel

and chromium compounds.Moreover, small amounts ofmolybdenum, vanadiumand copper may bepresent. Metals that areknown to damage thereproductive system, suchas lead and cadmium, aswell as phenol, may bepresent in surface treatedmaterials. Some of the me-tals have proved to causegenetic damage in animals.

Is heat a risk?

The Danish report athand shows that, in addi-tion to welding, the risk ofreduced semen quality is in-creased in the followingwork areas:

• Building and construction,especially in heating, water, panel beating andpainting.

• Iron and metals industry, especially electricalsand car manufacture.

• Office and administrative work (heat?)"We wish to point out, however, that the

semen quality normally varies greatly frommale to male", says Jens P. Bonde at the In-stitute of Social Medicine, Aarhus, Denmark.

Sperms getting worse and worse?

Involuntary childlessness affects about10 per cent of all couples. Infertility clinicshave established that the cause is in themale as often as in the female.

WEI.DINThe female's egg is fairly well protected

from external substances up until the fertilisa-tion stage. However, damage from isolatedlarge doses of chemicals or chemicals thathave accumulated in the body (such aslead) cannot be ignored.

During the 1980s, more interest hasbeen directed to the reproductive ability ofthe male. The man's sperm cells are con-stantly regenerated, and are largely un-protected from foreign substances carriedby the blood for about two months.

It is suspected that the sperm quality inScandinavian men — appearance, mobility,quantity and genetics —has deteriorated duringthe last decades,however, this has not beenproven.

Source: Borje Nenzen, Arbetsmiljo,7/1989; Jens T. Mortensen, Scan-dinavian Journal of Work Environ-ment & Health, 14/1988

New findings:

WELDINGFUMES MAYCAUSE BRAINDAMAGE

Welding fumes containingaluminium, manganese or lead aresuspected to cause brain damage.This is the disturbing result of a recent-ly completed research project con-ducted by the Swedish Work SafeInstitute.

Aluminium is absorbed and stored inthe human body, and could cause severebrain damage. In the mid-70s, researchersdiscovered that aluminium poisoningcaused dementia in dialysis patients.Moreover, British scientists are currently dis-

cussing whether aluminium has something todo with Alzheimer's disease.

Lung CancerFrom earlier research, we know that

aluminium welders have 100 times higherlevel of the metal in the urine than thegeneral population. The substance stays inthe body for a relatively long period. Thebiological halving period of aluminium isabout six months or longer, says BengtSjogren at the Swedish Work Safe Institute —one of the researchers behind the recentfindings.

"So far, no-one has established whetherthe aluminium also affectsthe nervous system inwelders", he says.

Nervous system effectsThe scientists conduct-

ing the new study wantedto establish whetherwelders who had been ex-posed to aluminium andother metals for longperiods displayed anysymptoms in the nervous sys-tem. These complaintscould possibly be explainedby exposure to metal fumes.

"We found severalnervous system disorders inwelders who had beenworking for more than 13years", says Bengt Sjogren.

"However, we have noabsolute confirmation. More research isneeded, including psychological testing. Still,our research clearly rings a warning bell".

There are Threshold Limit Values foraluminium, set according to the effects onthe lungs of welders. The welders who tookpart in the survey had probably been ex-posed to higher levels of metal fume thanthe current TLV, claims Mr. Sjogren.

The project also included welders whohad been exposed to manganese and leadfumes.

Both of these metals have been knownto be neurotoxic (damaging to the brain) fora long time. This part of the study includedwelders from the Swedish State Railways,

who generally work outdoors. These welders,too, showed significant effects on the nerv-ous system.

The most disconcerting finding was adegradation of brain functions in workerswho had been welding manganese steel fora relatively short time (about three years).Furthermore, these people had been work-ing outdoors most of the time, in locationswhere, presumably, the ventilation was ade-quate.

"Manganese is a well-known neurotoxicmetal, and the TLV is set according to the

hazardous effects on the nervous system.Yet, our results point to damage in welders",says Bengt Sjogren.

"Our results must be regarded as warn-ing signals, and our explorations must becontinued. Moreover, the TLV for man-ganese should be reviewed."

Source: Nora Weintraub, Arbetarskydd 4/1989 (Newspaperof the Swedish Work Safe Directorate).

WELDINGPROTECTIONGUIDELINES

This chart waspublished by theAmerican IndustrialHygiene Associationto aid welders in theselection of protec-tion.

Naturally,general ventilationand effective ex-haust are the desiredways to avoid fumes.

However, inenclosed areas, orother areas wherefume concentrationis high, personalrespiratory protectionis the best solution.

Welding Process

Shield CarbonMetal steel

Welding °ther

alloys

Arc CuttingorGouging

Oxy-AcetyleneTorchCutting

FlasmaArcCutting

GasMetalArcWelding

GasTungstenArcWelding

NOTE: This table is

Protection Guidelines for Some Welding Processes

Shop Welding

Ventilation Good: Ventilation Poor:Exhaust vent is Vent cannot be usedused to capture due to physical orfumes and gases process restrictions

Not required Not required

Not required Fume mask required

Arc cutting in shop not recommended;see field welding requirements

Not required Not required except for (

Air supplied respirator required for all plasma

Air suppliedNot required respirator No

required

Air suppliedNot required respirator No

required

Field Welding

Ventilation Good:Open area spark enclo-sure, or inside vesselwith excellent airmovement

Not required, exceptfor galvanized

Not required, exceptfor galvanized

Fume mask requiredExcept for openplant areas

alvanized

arc cutting

required

required

Ventilation Poor:Spark enclosure orinside vessel withpoor air movement

Fume mask required

Fume mask required

— Air suppliedrespirator

— Helpers to wear fumemask (minimum)

— Air suppliedrespirator required

Air supplied res-pirator required

Air supplied res-pirator required

an illustration of one approach to respirator guidelines. Each location may wish to develop guidelinesbased upon prevailing conditions and exposures.

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