11/18/2018

Weld Fume Production and Control 11/18/2018

Dave Vanest 11/8/04 Age 58 Lowell Myers 2/7/05 Age 44 Deceased Lowell Myers and Dave Vanest worked side by side for several years. Lowell was a welder and Dave was his fitter. Lowell was diagnosed with a sinus cancer. It ate a hole into through his skull and spread through his spinal fluids. He was a nonsmoker and nondrinker. Dave was diagnosed with an esophageal cancer. He was a smoker and a drinker. The cancers were similar to ones that come from nickel and or chrome exposures. Surely welding stainless steels played a role in these cancers. Providing clean breathing air is essential to a long healthy life. Note: The instructor may strip this story and picture and replace it with one of a local person. Dave Vanest 11/8/04 Age 58 Lowell Myers 2/7/05 Age 44 11/18/2018

Objectives What are Welding Fumes ? What are the Hazards of Welding Fumes? What are some methods of controlling weld fumes? 11/18/2018

How Fumes Are Formed Metals heated beyond melting point will emit Fume sizes vary from 0.001 µm -100 µm Fumes enter the body mainly through inhalation The instructor should spend a few moments discussing how fumes will pass through the bodies defenses and deposit themselves in the deepest parts of the lung. Fume sizes of 10 µm are considered respirable. Notice the smoke plume of rising hot fume. When the fume cools it forms into the very small droplets of the 0.001-100 µm size. 11/18/2018

Fume Content Base Metals Filler Materials Coatings Impregnated chemicals Gases This is a list of the items that may be part of the weld fume. The bulk of which are in the metals but the most hazardous may be in the other parts. 11/18/2018

Fume Acute Chronic Chromium Irritant Respiratory & Skin Cancer Iron Oxide Respiratory Irritant Siderosis Manganese Metal Fume Fever Parkinson Like Symptoms Nickel Eye, nose & Throat irritant Respiratory cancers, Dermatitis Carbon Monoxide Headache - Death Sensitivity to Exposure Ozone Fluid in lungs ,Hemorrhaging Decrease in Lung Function Use Handout to illustrate the contaminants are as varied as there are welding processes. Cover three main components of fumes (the fume, gases, and vapors). If the instructor has more time some of the contaminants can be looked up by the students in the NIOSH Pocket Guide. This also could serve as a review for the Guide. 11/18/2018

Survey Results of a group of workers Acute Symptoms 47% suffered Welding Fume Fever 80% reported a cough 78% reported headaches 76% reported dirty sinus drainage These are acute or short term symptoms of exposure to weld fumes about welding fume fever or Galvanized poisoning ,(fluelike symptoms).These were reported by a group of pipefitters when asked about exposures on welding jobs. 11/18/2018

Chronic Symptoms 17% diagnosed lung disease 11% diagnosed cardiac problems 7% diagnosed mood disorders 63% reported regular stiffness 62% reported Anxiety/irritability/depression 54% reported Sudden mood Change 78% reported Short term memory loss Chronic symptoms develop after long-term exposure to weld fumes, sometimes years. These were reported by a group of Pipefitters. One striking item was the mental deficiencies reported on the welding jobs. One wife said her husband became a (gfdvxxkk) every time he got onto a welding job. What other accidents may occur when your mental abilities decline? 11/18/2018

Control Measures Coating Removal Body Position Leather Local Exhaust Ventilation Direct Ventilation Natural Ventilation Respirators This is a list of different control measures to be covered in the next few slides 11/18/2018

Coating Removal Soap and water Needle Gun Scraping Wire Brush Chemical Cleaning the metals with a variety of methods reduces the amount of extra material that gets placed into the welding fume. 11/18/2018

Body Positioning Work on metals at arms length if possible to keep your head out of the welding fume The plume will follow the air currents so position your body so the clean air is entering at your back is preferrable. 11/18/2018

Leather Flap A leather flap fastened to the base of the welding helmet allows breathing air to enter from the back of the helmet instead of the front where the fumes are located Some welding helmets have this as an addon and some people will attach them on their own 11/18/2018

Local Exhaust Ventilation Provides good engineering control Does not require extra PPE Must be placed close to the source Protects all workers in the area The small unit on the right i9s designed for field use. It removes the particles and has a flash arrested 11/18/2018

Shows good use exhaust ventilation with good breathing air passing over the welder. 11/18/2018

Direct Ventilation Uses fans or air movers to move contaminants away from workers Need to be positioned to work with natural ventilation Mixes fumes into the breathing air for all workers in the area Be aware of where the fumes are being moved to 11/18/2018

Natural Ventilation Allows natural plume production The most common form of fume control. Relies on mother nature to provide protection Can be used to assist direct/mechanical ventilation 11/18/2018

Shows using natural ventilation to move air through a vessel. 11/18/2018

Respirators Used after engineering and administrative controls cannot reduce the exposure Require the use of a written Respirator Program 11/18/2018

Review Weld fumes are produced when metals are heated beyond their melting point They enter the body though inhalation They can cause a number of health effects Control measures- Coating Removal, Ventilation, Respirators 11/18/2018