Personal protection for welders
March 1st 2006 3M UK's Jamie McCallum, product specialist for 3M Welding, looks at some of the hazards found in the welding industry and discusses the protective solutions available
Years ago, debilitating conditions like 'Arc Eye' and 'Metal Fume Fever' were often accepted as common hazards of a welder's job. As our society becomes ever-more health conscious, many people consider welding to be hot, dirty and potentially dangerous. Health and safety legislation, scientific developments and innovative technologies are now enabling employers to protect workers from the risks associated with welding.
Welding hazards have the potential to cause electrocution, burn injury, respiratory, hearing and eye damage. To protect welders, employers must take steps to minimise the potential for injury in line with workplace health and safety requirements and if necessary, appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be supplied and worn.
Exposure to some contaminants found in welding fumes can cause immediate symptoms including headaches, sore throats, nausea, dizziness and general fatigue. Potentially insidious conditions caused by exposure to the same contaminants can take weeks, months or sometimes years to become apparent. Chronic illnesses can include respiratory tract and lung damage, lung cancer, and damage to the central nervous system (Parkinson's Disease etc).
Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) are set for specific fume contaminants, but welders who are regularly exposed to contaminant levels - even within WELs - can inhale significant amounts of harmful matter. To reduce levels of contaminants, engineering controls such as fume containment can be implemented.
The two most common methods of containing welding fumes are local exhaust ventilation and 'on-gun fumeextractors'.
However, these methods can remove valuable shielding gases which in turn, may tempt the welder to turn down the ventilation. Therefore, in many situations respiratory protection should be used to complement the exhaust ventilation systems, thereby reducing contaminant exposure.
In addition to the potential release of harmful metal fumes and gases, many welding and cutting procedures emit dangerous light radiation, which can result in major injury to the eyes. The most likely eye injuries from UV/IR radiation are retinal burns and flash burns to the cornea.
These high intensity light injuries are preventable when the proper protection is worn and used appropriately, although even 100 years after the invention of the arc shield, eye injuries continue to be one of the most common acute injuries suffered by welders.
Auto-Darkening Welding Shields enable constant, comfortable vision for welders.
They provide constant protection from ultraviolet and infrared (UV/IR) radiation.
And the filters consistently auto-switch from clear to dark, and back again; in just the way the welder wants. Auto-Darkening Shields also eliminate the neck-strain of nod-down/shield flipping while greatly increasing the accuracy of electrode placement. This, in turn, reduces the need for grinding and rework. In addition, welders can get into tight, cramped spaces with their eye and face protection already in place. Their constant, clear view makes even awkward welding a lot easier.
To help the PPE specifier select the correct protective product for a specific occupational hazard, EN standards specify the minimum performance requirements a product must meet. The specifier must ensure that the PPE selected offers the appropriate level of protection for the specific hazard and circumstance, and is CE marked as this is the manufacturer's guarantee that the product conforms to specific EN requirements.
The Health and Safety Executive states: "For many welding and related operations, several items of PPE are liable to be worn and it is therefore important in selecting PPE that due consideration is given to the compatibility of different items of PPE. It may be better to select one item in which the protective components are integrally combined by one manufacturer."
3M offers a wide range of CE marked products that meet EN Standards for protection against welding hazards. For example, the Speedglas Auto-Darkening Welding Shield combined with the Adflo Powered Air Turbo is a light, compact, allin- one system that affords excellent eye, respiratory and face protection. 3M can offer advice and guidance on legislative issues and the correct specification and use of PPE in the workplace.
3M is launching two new products for the welding industry at MACH 2006, 15-19 May at NEC Birmingham. A new Speedglas Welding Shield and the upgraded Adflo Powered Air Turbo with filter life indicator. 3M is holding a free prize draw at the show in which one lucky winner will be given a Speedglas welding shield worth £260. To claim a free pair of safety specs and enter the draw, just take the wrap from this issue of IPE, fill in your details and hand it to a 3M representative on Stand no. 4671. Alternatively, entry to the draw may be made online at www.3M.com/uk/MACH06 More articles from 3M UK PLC: | 
