Welding Fume Exposure

Managing Occupational Exposure to Welding Fumes

How IOM can help

Drawing on decades of experience across IOM is here to support in measurement, analysis and guidance on how to implement suitable and effective control measures.  IOM’s expertise also covers COSHH assessments and LEV testing , keeping your workplace compliant and healthy.

The Risk

New evidence requires employers to provide suitable control measures to reduce welding fume exposure to as low as reasonably practicable. In the UK there are around 200,000 welders, with around 40% of them working as professional welders and the remainder carrying out welding as part of their job. Welders are exposed to metal fume, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, noise and other hazards. All welding fume is carcinogenic.

The HSE recommends elimination and reduction of welding fume exposure in the first instance. If unavoidable, HSE states that no welding should be undertaken without control measures in place, ideally local exhaust ventilation systems to remove the fume at it’s source and therefore controlling it. This can be done in a number of ways such as on-torch extraction, extracted benches / booths or moveable LEV all of which IOM can validate and verify for you.

Welding Fume Regulations

Welding fume falls under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations with HSE offering the following recommendation:

You can control risks to health from welding fumes by:

• local exhaust ventilation (LEV)
• maintaining control measures and good general ventilation
• welding in a way that produces less fume
• making sure welders understand the risks and how to use controls
• using alternative cold joining techniques
• using respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and personal protective equipment (PPE)

Welding Fumes and Cancer

In 2019 HSE issued an alert for all workers undertaking welding fumes in any industry. Stating that ‘…all welding fume, including mild steel welding fume, can cause lung cancer. There is also limited evidence linked to kidney cancer.’  This makes the threat to human health very clear with HSE strengthening it’s enforcement expectation because ‘general ventilation does not achieve the necessary control.’  IOM’s perspective here is simple. If a threat as serious as this exists to human health, double checking the exposure of not only those welding but people in the surrounding area is paramount to have a healthy and effective workforce. Doing so also ensures compliance and avoids any unintentional workplace exposures which could effect the ongoing health of your workers.