Welding companies and metal manufacturers are well aware of the hazards of welding. As the most common method of joining metals, welding uses heat and pressure to fuse metal pieces together to create strong and sturdy bonds. Unfortunately for those working in the welding industry, this process can cause a variety of health hazards to its employees if the proper precautions are not taken. At  Bisco Enterprise, we’re proud to be an industry leader in air cleaning and dust collection products for industrial applications. While there are a number of ways to improve the welding ventilation and the safety of your facility, we’ll discuss some of the most popular in this article.

Welding in the Workplace

Some general hazards of welding may include harmful dust, smoke, fumes, heat and light radiation. The smoke that is created during the welding process is a mixture of fine particles, fumes and gases. Many of the substances found in welding smoke can be extremely toxic, especially when it comes to the lungs of your employees.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) stresses three lines of defense in order to eliminate or reduce the potential exposure to welding hazards. The first line of defense is to research engineering controls, such as a ventilation system, to help reduce hazardous air contaminants from floating around your facility. The second line of defense set forth by OSHA are administrative controls. This is a responsibility often left up to manufacturing managers, as they are required to monitor and properly limit their welder’s exposure to hazardous contaminants.

The third and final line of defense is personal protective equipment or PPE. This can include requiring employees to wear a respirator to limit their exposure to welding fumes. Proper eye shields and helmets can also protect employees from arc rays and weld sparks.

At Bisco Enterprise, we offer a large selection of dust collection systems and fume collectors that have been proven to significantly reduce the amount of airborne contaminants in the workplace. If you’re interested in learning more about our air purification solutions, contact us today!

Different Types of Welding

Since there are a variety of conditions and demands for welding, the welding process has grown significantly over the past twenty years. Some of the most popular welding types include:

Arc Welding

Arc welding is one of the most popular types of welding processes available today. This welding process involves the use of a power supply and electrodes to form a welding arc between the electrode and the material that is being welded, in order to melt the materials and fuse them together.

Gas Welding

Gas welding is when two metals are joined by directing a gas flame over the metals until a molten puddle is formed. The energy source for this type of welding comes from the combustion of a fuel with the surrounding oxygen. Since gas welding tends to be easier to control than other forms of welding, it is often used in applications that include soldering and brazing. As one of the oldest welding processes, gas welding is often found in industries such as pipe and tube welding.

Welding Ventilation

Before any welding can be performed at your facility, it’s important to make sure you have an efficient ventilation system in place. Ventilation is a great way to provide adequate breathing air to your employees and it must be provided for all welding, cutting and brazing related operations. The proper ventilation of your welding facility will depend on several factors, including:

• The volume and configuration of your welding space
• The number of operations running that are generating contaminants
• The natural air flow rate where welding operations are taking place
• The location of your welder's’ breathing zones in relation to the contaminant sources

In order to eliminate the risk of injury in your welding facility, follow the safe work practices below:

• Keep all welding areas free of any equipment that could cause employees to trip or fall
• Avoid welding on painted or coated parts of metal
• Remove all nearby flammable and combustible materials before striking an arc or lighting a flame

Welding Gas Health Hazards

One of the biggest health hazards to welders is the inhalation of hazardous fumes and gases. The degree of the damage can depend on the amount of time the welder was exposed to the airborne contaminants. Fumes are very fine solid particles that are created by condensation from the gaseous state. Welding fumes in particular can be tricky to confine because the fume particles are almost all less than one micrometer in diameter. This allows them to penetrate deep into the respiratory system of welders which can cause serious health issues down the line. Some short-term health effects to welding smoke may include:

• Exposure to metal fumes like zinc, copper and magnesium can cause what is known as metal fume fever. Symptoms may occur four to 12 hours after exposure and can include chills, thirst, muscle aches, coughing, fatigue, and nausea.
• The smoke created from welding can irritate the eyes, nose, chest, and respiratory tract of employees. This can lead to coughing, wheezing, bronchitis and even pneumonitis.
• Welding smoke can lead to gastrointestinal effects such as nausea, loss of appetite and vomiting. 
• Reproductive risks, especially for those who work with stainless steel.
• Chronic respiratory problems including asthma, pneumonia, emphysema and decreased lung capacity

Welding Heat Hazards

The welding process can create a dangerous amount of heat which can lead to eye injuries from contact with metal chips, sparks and hot electrodes. In addition to eye injuries, excessive exposure to heat can result in heat stress or heat stroke. In order to combat the rising temperatures associated with welding, proper focus should be placed on ventilation, rest breaks and keeping employees hydrated.

Welding Electrical Hazards

While the welding process generally uses low voltage, welders are still at risk of electric shock. If the welding environment is located in a cramped space, this could increase the likelihood of electric shock. In order to lower the risk of electrical hazards in your workplace, make sure all of your welders are wearing dry gloves throughout the work day.

Browse Welding & Downdraft Tables

At Bisco Enterprise, we understand how critical it is to maintain proper ventilation and safety guidelines in a welding facility. With more than 40 years of industry experience, we’re proud to be a leading provider of air cleaning and dust collection products throughout the nation. Whether you’re in the market for a fume collection system or dust collector, we can help you choose the best appliance for your workplace. Browse our assortment of industrial collectors online or contact us today!