From: Alan Hall 
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] Welding Fumes
Date: October 12, 2011 3:42:12 PM EDT
Laura,

There are various issues not completely described.  Will the students be welding or cutting?  What metals or alloys?  And how?  Oxy-acetylene, Heli-Arc, or Arc.  On what types of metals or alloys?

Obviously, the usual welders "flash burn" eye protection (ARC Welders) would come to mind and is the obvious safety concern (readily addressed with proper PPE).  The rest on a short-term basis should be able to be addressed by general or local exhaust ventilation.  There are others much more expert than I am to address this issue.

Naturally, all applicable workplace standands should be met, but consider that students in this situation might eventually be long-term employees in the medical sense that they might just go on to a career in the field.  All chronic exposures are, well, chronic, over a total orking lifetime.

But, and this is a big but, I'd remind you, based on the circumstsnces, of the possibility of Metal Fume Fever (doing this on galvanized steel is classic, but there are other alloys containig cadmium, magnesium, etc. etc., that will give the same negative health impact).  Usually "Monday Morning Fever", but in some cases results in nasty chronic lung disease.  Cadmium Fume Fever comes to mind.   Best prevented.

There's beaucoups and beaucoups of issues regarding the long-term health of welders, best left to another discussion.

Alan
Alan H. Hall, M.D.

==
From: "templin**At_Symbol_Here**charter.net" 
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Welding Fumes
Date: October 12, 2011 3:55:13 PM EDT
You can review the OSHA welding standard for a list of metals as well.  You should know what metals, filler, rods etc they are using.  If stainless steel is used you should test for Cr VI.

Sent from my Android

==From: "Long, Don" 
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] Welding Fumes
Date: October 12, 2011 3:57:57 PM EDT
This sounds like a cop-out, but it's really dependant on what's being welded, the type welding being performed and the type of welders being used. Materials containing substances such as cadmium, lead, etc are a little more dangerous that mild steel or iron for instance. Certain types of welding can even produce ozone and nitrogen oxides.

Although it won't answer your question exactly, check out the attached link. It's a fairly good article from the ASSE which might help you understand some of the potential items to look for and deal with. The end of the article also has a fairly decent list of references that might help as well.

http://www.aiha.org/localsections/html/NTS/0602News1.pdf

Don A. Long
CAIH, CEAS I
Southwest Research Institute Laboratory
Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility
PO Box 20130
White Hall, AR 71612
870-541-4930

==From: Ferm Barret A 
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] Welding Fumes
Date: October 12, 2011 4:01:08 PM EDT
I suggest looking for chromium if stainless steel is welded.  Iron-based stainless alloys contain 13-29% Cr. [ASM Metals Reference Book]

Barry Ferm
Chemical Hygiene Officer
Biology & Chemistry Laboratory Coordinator
St. Ambrose University
(563) 333-6162

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