Metal working safety

[PhysAssist]

Very few if any of these chemicals will be in contact with a welder who works on Carbon steel material only. CS has a very small amount of manganese in it to start with so a welder would need to inhale a heck of a lot of fumes in order to even be slightly approaching a THL of chemicals. I would be more afraid of any chemical contact with the material, like degreasers, that may produce fumes that are not so good for you. Basically if it smells bad or is irritating to the nose, I would take action to eliminate it. Lead and zinc contamination is the most frequent culprit to damaging a person in the metal trades.

Proper PPE (personal protective equipment) is essential when handling or welding on any product. Most times this is just leather gloves and a welding hood with proper shade of lens, or it could mean fresh air mask (not from a compressor with oiled bearings), fully enclosed suit to prevent any contact (similar to a biohazard suit) but this is very rare in the metal trades and requires special training to use.

As you stated, ventilation is the key to any contamination issues. Proper smoke removal, even if it is just an open door with air mover of any type with cross ventilation is basically all that is needed for normal welding operations on carbon steel.

Hi Gary,

You are correct, but exceptions do happen, and most importantly, no one knows what they may have inherited or acquired that could make them more at risk for one of the more serious complications or worse case scenarios despite only having some mild, even perhaps unnoticed exposure.

That is why I posted the (sorry about the size of the post) massive list of occupational syndro,es associated with metal-working and welding.

Knowledge is power.
Thomas

 

[Dr Dave]

I watched a u tube video, on how shipping containers were built, all the employs were wearing resporators in the factory.

Dave

 

[Depmandog]

If you have an oiled compressor, aren't you supposed to avoid breathing the air?

NEVER breath air from a oil type compressor. A condition called lipoid pneumonia can develop. If the oil becomes vaporized - your lungs cannot process / filter the oil. Death is quite possible.

Airline equipped respirators (Type C) is supplied air that is continuously monitored / filtered. The type C filter board has all sorts of bells, whistles and alarms that immediately sound in the air you are breathing becomes contaminated or unfit (lack of oxygen, presence of carbon monoxide, etc). Some systems have a backup escape filter if the air system goes down. The type C system is designed to provide Grade D breathing air.

An ambient air pump is what you would need (what I would use). This is a certified pump that is placed in a fresh air environment. You can have 100' of hose between you and the pump (and 200' ft. from the pump to the fresh air intake.

Short duration tasks could be supplied by SCBA (think SCUBA - only without being underwater.). Firefighters, rescue workers - typically used where the toxins are unknown.

Tons of info out there on the subject. PLEASE PLEASE don't cobble something together and breath your shop air!!!

 

[OutbackL130]

Thanks for all the feedback! I figure you just cant be too safe when doing this work everyday and I want to plan ahead for the long haul. There are some steps I've taken to improve safety including mounting two 5,000 cfm exhaust fans into the gable of my shop which is about 22' x 75'. I am rearranging it to make an 18' x 21' welding room, walled off from the rest of the shop. This welding room will contain the two exhaust fans and my welding table will be positioned so that I stand upwind from the fumes. That way I can keep the rest of the shop heated during the winter where I spend 85% of my time on the saws, tube bender, notcher, shear, press brake and drill presses. I dont mind if the welding room is cold. Plus in hot summers I will be able to open up a door from the welding room to the rest of the shop to allow the exhaust fans to draw cool air through the entire shop. When the welding room is closed off I will only run one fan for a complete air exhange every 1.5 minutes. On days I want the entire shop ventilated quickly I can opt to run both fans.


I also picked up a Speedglas 9002x with adflo welding helmet. It has flex view to use for grinding too. I'm going to love breathing in clean filtered air while welding! The other benifit with PAPR helmets is that they completely surround your head therefore sparks and reflected UV arc flash wont be getting into the hood.

 

[stuckmotor]

Outback,
After a few weeks, please let us know how the helmet is working out. The ones I found in a search were pricey and I'd sure like to know whether they provide enough comfort to use long term.

 

[PhysAssist]

Thanks for all the feedback! I figure you just cant be too safe when doing this work everyday and I want to plan ahead for the long haul. There are some steps I've taken to improve safety including mounting two 5,000 cfm exhaust fans into the gable of my shop which is about 22' x 75'. I am rearranging it to make an 18' x 21' welding room, walled off from the rest of the shop. This welding room will contain the two exhaust fans and my welding table will be positioned so that I stand upwind from the fumes. That way I can keep the rest of the shop heated during the winter where I spend 85% of my time on the saws, tube bender, notcher, shear, press brake and drill presses. I dont mind if the welding room is cold. Plus in hot summers I will be able to open up a door from the welding room to the rest of the shop to allow the exhaust fans to draw cool air through the entire shop. When the welding room is closed off I will only run one fan for a complete air exhange every 1.5 minutes. On days I want the entire shop ventilated quickly I can opt to run both fans.


I also picked up a Speedglas 9002x with adflo welding helmet. It has flex view to use for grinding too. I'm going to love breathing in clean filtered air while welding! The other benifit with PAPR helmets is that they completely surround your head therefore sparks and reflected UV arc flash wont be getting into the hood.

Hi Outback,

Congratulations on taking some real and positive steps o make sure that your chosen way to make a living doesn't shorten the time you have to live. Too many folks live in a constant state of denial of the risks they take for granted day in and day out, while poisoning or injuring themselves and robbing themselves of their future.

It's a difficult and mature thing to be able to do.

As the Aussies say, "Good on ya, mate".

Thomas

 

[Loadstar]

Thanks for all the feedback! I figure you just cant be too safe when doing this work everyday and I want to plan ahead for the long haul. There are some steps I've taken to improve safety including mounting two 5,000 cfm exhaust fans into the gable of my shop which is about 22' x 75'. I am rearranging it to make an 18' x 21' welding room, walled off from the rest of the shop. This welding room will contain the two exhaust fans and my welding table will be positioned so that I stand upwind from the fumes. That way I can keep the rest of the shop heated during the winter where I spend 85% of my time on the saws, tube bender, notcher, shear, press brake and drill presses. I dont mind if the welding room is cold. Plus in hot summers I will be able to open up a door from the welding room to the rest of the shop to allow the exhaust fans to draw cool air through the entire shop. When the welding room is closed off I will only run one fan for a complete air exhange every 1.5 minutes. On days I want the entire shop ventilated quickly I can opt to run both fans.

I also picked up a Speedglas 9002x with adflo welding helmet. It has flex view to use for grinding too. I'm going to love breathing in clean filtered air while welding! The other benifit with PAPR helmets is that they completely surround your head therefore sparks and reflected UV arc flash wont be getting into the hood.

What are you doing for intake air?

 

[Loadstar]

Thanks for all the feedback! I figure you just cant be too safe when doing this work everyday and I want to plan ahead for the long haul. There are some steps I've taken to improve safety including mounting two 5,000 cfm exhaust fans into the gable of my shop which is about 22' x 75'. I am rearranging it to make an 18' x 21' welding room, walled off from the rest of the shop. This welding room will contain the two exhaust fans and my welding table will be positioned so that I stand upwind from the fumes. That way I can keep the rest of the shop heated during the winter where I spend 85% of my time on the saws, tube bender, notcher, shear, press brake and drill presses. I dont mind if the welding room is cold. Plus in hot summers I will be able to open up a door from the welding room to the rest of the shop to allow the exhaust fans to draw cool air through the entire shop. When the welding room is closed off I will only run one fan for a complete air exhange every 1.5 minutes. On days I want the entire shop ventilated quickly I can opt to run both fans.

I also picked up a Speedglas 9002x with adflo welding helmet. It has flex view to use for grinding too. I'm going to love breathing in clean filtered air while welding! The other benifit with PAPR helmets is that they completely surround your head therefore sparks and reflected UV arc flash wont be getting into the hood.

What are you doing for intake air?

 

[Arc weld]

A fresh air helmet is the best way to protect yourself from breathing unhealthy air. When I went through my apprenticeship in the 80's at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), the largest training center in Canada, they said they conducted an extensive study on the hazards of welding. The results were so bad that they never made them public! Two years later they did another study and promised to release the results. The results were never released. I think the OHSA is who requested the studies. Keep in mind that a study like this would cover everything possible and if the general public saw the results, nobody would ever become a welder. There have been a lot more safety regulations put in place though. Proper ventilation in shops for one thing. A lot of it is still up to the individual welder/ worker. Miller has a very compact respirator that fits under a helmet if you don't want to spend thousands on a fresh air helmet. A fresh air helmet is better. Anything that produces fumes or dust has a Hazmat charge when you purchase it. This includes welding rods and wire, gasses, grinding wheels, etc. It's never a bad idea to use protective equipment even if it might not be absolutely necessary.

 

[ericher69]

This is the setup I use.

http://bit.ly/RkjkmH

I am a enthusiastic hobbiest at best.

Have been welding about 20yrs but only wearing the respirator the last 2 yrs. better late than never!

This respirator fits well under my miller Digital elite.