gases that may be harmful to the health of those working in such processes.

With a new generation of welders needed for industry, safe practices and training are essential. The AWS offers the following safety fact sheet on gases and fumes:

.                       • Fumes are solid particles that originate from welding consumables, the base metal, and any coatings present on the base metal;

.                       • In addition to shielding gases that may be used, gases are produced during the weld­ing process or may be produced by the effects of process radiation on the sur­rounding environment;

.                       • Acquaint yourself with the effects of these fumes and gases by reading the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) for all mate­rials used (consumables, base metals, coatings and cleaners);

.                       • For help, consult a recognized specialist in Industrial Hygiene or Environmental Services; and

.                       • The amount and composition of these fumes and gases depend upon the compo­sition of the filler metal and base material, welding process, current level, arc length and other factors.

Possible Effects of Overexposure

.                       • Depending on material involved ranges from irritation of eyes, skin and respiratory system to more severe complications. Re­member, steel melts at 2,800º F.

.                       • Effects may occur immediately or at some later time.

.                       • Fumes can cause symptoms such as nau­sea, headaches, dizziness and metal fume fever.

.                       • The possibility of more serious health effects exists when highly toxic materi­als are involved. For example, man­ganese overexposure can affect the central nervous system resulting in im­paired speech and movement.

.                       • In confined spaces the gases might displace breathing air and cause asphyxiation.

How to Avoid Overexposure

.                       • Keep your head out of the fumes.

.                       • Do not breathe the fumes.

.                       • Use enough ventilation or exhaust at the arc, or both, to keep fumes and gases from your breathing zone and general area.

.                       • In some cases, natural air movement pro­vides enough ventilation and fresh air.

.                       • Where ventilation is questionable, use air sampling to determine the need for corrective measures.

.                       • Whenever the following materials are identified as other than trace constituents in welding, brazing, or cutting operations, and unless breathing zone sampling un­der the most adverse conditions has es­tablished that the level of hazardous constituents is below the allowable lim­its specified by the authority having juris­diction, special ventilation precautions shall be taken: Antimony, Arsenic, Bar­ium, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chromium, Cobalt, Copper, Lead, Manganese, Mer­cury, Nickel, Ozone, Selenium, Silver, and Vanadium.

Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes.

.                       • Use mechanical ventilation to improve airquality.

.                       • If engineering controls are not feasible, use an approved respirator.

.                       • Work in a confined space only if it is well ventilated, or while wearing an air-supplied

respirator. Fumes from Welding or cutting and oxygen depletion can alter air quality causing injury or death. Be sure the breathing air is safe;

.                       • Follow OSHA guidelines for permissible exposure limits (PELs) for various Fumes;

.                       • Follow the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists rec­ommendations for threshold limit values (TLVs) for fumes and gases; and

.                       • Have a recognized specialist in Indus­trial Hygiene or Environmental Services check the operation and air quality and make recommendations for the specific welding or cutting situation. U.S. gov­ernment agencies estimate that there are about 2,000 eye injuries each day in American workplaces. Most injuries are caused by not wearing eye protection or wearing the wrong kind of eye protec­tion needed for the job. Additionally, nearly 70 percent of eye injuries are caused by flying particles.  

Nature of the Hazard

The major eye and face hazards during welding and cutting include arc and heat rays, flying metal, slag from chipping, dirt, and particles from grinding. Because these hazards are so common in welding and cutting environments, proper selec­tion and consistent use of eye and face protection are vital to avoid injury and blindness.  

Avoiding Eye and Face Injuries

• Select the proper protection for the job

— including other work going on nearby.

Eye and face protectors for welding and related tasks, such as grinding and chip­ping, should comply with the require­ments of ANSI Z87.1. Look for labels or markings indicating compliance. De­pending on the specific work task, appro­priate eye/face protection may include safety glasses with side protection (side shields or wrap-around frames), goggles, face shields, welding helmets, curtains, or combinations of the above.

.                       • Always wear safety glasses with top and side protection under your welding helmet.

.                       • Keep eye and face protectors in place when­ever the hazards are present. Not using them

 is the main cause of eye injury.

.                       • Use the correct shade of filter in your welding helmet or goggles.

.                       • Be sure eye protection devices are not damaged or missing parts, and be sure they fit properly.

                        • Whenever radiation or flying particles and spatter are a hazard, welding hel­mets should be selected that protect the face, forehead, neck, and ears.

                        Additional protection may be needed for overhead welding, where spatter and rays can bounce back from nearby sur­faces, and where hazards are created by nearby workers.

.                       • Where feasible, welding areas should be isolated from other work areas by parti­tions or curtains designed to absorb harmful welding rays.  

For all types of electric arc processes, a welding helmet complying with ANSI Z87.1, equipped with the correct shade filter, is required. In recent years welders have been able to choose be­tween traditional “fixed-shade” welding filters and the newer “auto darkening” filters.