What are the health risks of welding?
Metal welding for sheet metal fabrication is a skilled craft and one that comes with certain health and safety risks. As well as chronic and acute health risks, including lung disease, the skin and eyes can also be damaged by welding.
Chronic respiratory health risks
Fumes associated with the welding of stainless steel have been associated with lung cancer and there is a slight excess of lung cancer among all welders. There is some evidence that the fumes can also lead to Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, which causes chest tightness, wheezing and shortness of breath.
Welder’s lung, when metal deposits in the lung, is a type of pneumoconiosis which is benign, but can make COPD symptoms worse. All of these chronic illnesses develop gradually over time.
Acute respiratory health risks
Exposure to welding fumes which is experienced during sheet metal fabrication can lead to acute illnesses. These include metal fume fever, which gives welders flu-like symptoms and is associated with high heat working on galvanised metals. Fabrication firms like https://dkmsheetmetal.co.uk will take extensive measures to mitigate the risk.
Other acute illnesses include acute pneumonia, acute irritant-induced asthma and throat irritation
Asphyxiation and other health risks
More rare is asphyxiation caused by working in confined spaces and less serious but concerning effects include skin irritation, an acute injury of the eye called arc-eye and ocular melanoma – a rare eye cancer.
There are some studies which suggest that those who are exposed to manganese may be at risk of neurological symptoms that are similar to Parkinson’s disease.
