IWE – theory:

4. Fabrication and procedures

Chap. 4.5 Health and Safety

Introduction to health and safety requirements ……………………………...
Survey of safety and environmental aspects, risk assessment …….………
Hazards of electric power ………………………………………………….…
Electro-magnetic fields ………………………………………………………….
Connecting of equipment ……………………………………………………….
Problems with shielding gases …………………………………………………
Radiation and eye protection …………………………………………………..
Welding fume emission …………………………………………………..........
Exposure limits MAC and OEL values ………………………………………..
Ventilation and fume extraction ………………………………………………..
Ergonomics ………………………………………………………………..........
Determination of acceptable emissions……………………………………….
Tests for measuring emissions ………………………………………………..
Noise levels and ear protection ………………………………………………..
Special risks for automated processes ………………………………………..
Standards and regulations

© Birger Sørenes/Audun Tveit

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1. Introduction

The welding profession has traditionally been connected to a risk of health complaints.
The complaints could be:

a. Respiratory disorders
b. Muscle strain
c. Hearing disability
d. Eye and skin injury

The sickness may have a connection to welding methods, materials, working environment,
use of personnel protective equipment, the level of knowledge about element of danger,
ergonomics and possibilities of preventive actions. We must admit that a welder is seldom in
his welder job until pension age.

2. The security aspect

Al practical works are indeed connected to some risk. The highest element of risk is usual
connected to lack of understanding. Knowing the risk, there is always a possibility to make a
protection in advance. The most important risk of danger during welding may be organized
into four categories:

1. The danger of burning: Fire –dust explosion, splashing, handling hot work-pieces etc.
2. The danger of poisoning: Narrow room, bad ventilation and low vent capacity,
welding fume, damps and gases from the work piece etc.
3. The danger of fire: Welding spaks may combust other materials in the surroundings.
Lack of fire protection.
4. Radiation danger Eye and skin injury caused by ultraviolet radiation from the arc.
5. Electric shock : Bad isolation, bad contact surface, high level of humidity Bad
maintenance work and insufficient personal protective equipment..
6. The danger of explosion: Tanks /containers with explosive gases.

The Health and Safety Executive has made a lot of directions , describing how to avoid the
moments of danger.
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3. The environment aspect

During welding with covered electrodes, a vaporization-process takes place from electrode
cover, the core wire and from the base metal. The result is smoke particles and gases.

Typical smoke analyse on un-alloyed steel electrodes:.

Substance Chemical Variation area(%) Typical values(%)

Iron oxide Fe2O3 16 - 51 33
Zinc oxide ZnO 0.3 – 12 2
Manganese Mn 1,5 – 6,5 3
Cupper Cu 0,03 – 0,8 0,2
Chromium Cr 0,01 – 0,19 0,06
Nickel Ni 0,01 – 0,19 0,03
Fluorine (Basic) F 4,3 – 15,6 8,6
Fluorine(Rutile) F 0,3 – 2,0 0,8
Rest gas (Basic) NO+ NO2 + CO 53
Rest gas (Rutile) NO+ NO2 + CO 61

Also during cutting/burning there might be smoke problems

Typical smoke analyse from burning un-alloyed steel

Substance Chemical Variation area(%) Typical values(%)

Iron oxide Fe2O3 26,6 – 83,7 51,5
Zinc oxide ZnO 0,8 - 18 2,7
Manganese Mn 0,3 – 2,5 1,0
Cupper Cu 0,33 – 2,8 0,9
Chromium Cr 0,03 – 0,32 0,07
Rest gas(Rutile) NO+ NO2 + CO 44

Note! NO + NO2 arise as the burner is in idling position.

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Welding with shielding gas, Ozone is a problem. Typical smoke analyse on un-alloyed steel -
MAG

Substance Chemical Variation area(%) Typical values(%)

Iron oxide Fe2O3 6,1 – 81,3 56,6
Zinc oxide Mn 0,5 – 9,1 3,8
Manganese Cu 0,09 – 1,4 0,55
Cupper Cr 0,02 – 0,9 0,06
Chromium Ni 0,06 – 0,45 0,12
Rest gas(basic) O3, ( NO+ NO2 ) 39
CO

Typical smoke analyse from stainless steel electrodes

Substance Chemical Variation area(%) Typical values(%)

Iron oxide Fe2O3 5,3 – 25,3 8,6
Manganese Mn 0,9 – 8,5 3,1
Cupper Cu 0,01-1,15 0,2
Chromate Cr(VI) 0,3 – 5,4 3,9
Chromium Cr(III) 0,5 – 3,5 1,1
Nickel Ni 0,1 – 3,2 1,1
Molybdenum Mo
Fluorine F 4,4 – 27,9 15,1
Rest gas NO+ NO2 + CO 67

Typical smoke analyse welding on stainless steel -TIG

Substance Chemical Variation area(%) Typical values(%)

Iron oxide Fe2O3 3 - 44 23
Manganese Mn 0,54 – 11,5 1
Cupper Cu 0,09 – 0,88 0,26
Chromate Cr(VI) 0,05 – 0,6 0,3
Chromium Cr(III) 0,28 – 5,6 2
Nickel Ni 0,1- 3,7 1,46
Molybdenum Mo 0,4
Rest gas O3 ( NO+ NO2 ) 68
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3.1 Norms for concentration of substances in smoke:

Smoke Conc.(mg/m2) Organ which may be Possible sickness/

hurt symptom
Arsenic oxide 0,05 Mucous membrane irritation
Cadmium oxide 0,02 Lung, kidney Lung fibrosis, metal fewer
Chromates 0,5 Lung Cancer
Cupper 0,1 Liver, kidney Metal fewer, respiratory
trouble
Fluorine 2,5 Respiratory passage, Mucous membrane irritation
knee-joint rheumatism
Manganese 2,5 Nerve system, Mental confusion
connections Respiratory passage Mucous membrane irritation
Nickel-connections 0,1 Respiratory passage Cancer
Lead oxide 0,1 Bone marrow, blood Slackness, mental confusion
nerve system
Vanadium-pent- 0,05(T) Respiratory passage Mucous membrane irritation
oxide
Zinc oxide 5,0 Metal fever
Iron oxide 5,0 Lung Metal fever
Aluminium oxide Aluminosis
T- is the maximum value

Norms for gas-concentration:

Gases Chem Conc. ppm Organ which Possible sickness/

sign may be hurt symptom
Carbon monoxide CO 35 Blood Headache, vomiting,
unconscious, dead
Phosgene COCl 0,05 Lung Lunge irritation Lung
fibrosis, emphysema
Ozon O3 0,1 Lung, blood Lung fibrosis,
emphysema, in some
cases dead.
Nitrogen oxide NO 25 (T) Blood, nerve Respiratory trouble
system
Nitrogen di-oxide NO2 5,0 Lung Lung fibrosis,
Respiratory trouble, dead.
T- is the maximum value

3.2 Respiratory problems

Respiratory disorders like asthma , bronchitis emphysema

Lung fibrosis – ” Water in the lung” is a critical condition after a gas-explosion of

ozone and nitric gases. May arise in narrow room and bad ventilation  Fresh air
hose breathing apparatus demanded.
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3.3 Effects of some of the most actual smoke-particles and gases.:

Iron oxide, Fe2O3

Iron oxide may result in siderosis. Siderosis describes as none- cripple condition, but
embedding iron oxide in the lunges but none reduction of the lung capacity is detected
so far.

Carbon monoxide CO

Carbon monoxide blocks the capability of blood to adopt oxygen. The result is “inner
strangling”. CO may also have a paralysation on the lunges  Reduction of the
respiratory function. The gas is odourless and the is consider to be extreme dangerous.

Ozone, O3

Ozone may lead to dammage on the lung and change the composition in the blood.

Nitric gases, NO og NO2

The nitric gases affect on the blood, lunges and central nerve system.

Lead, Pb

Lead gone be stored in parts of the skeleton and lead poisoning may appear a long
time after the lead exposure.

Cadmium, Cd

Cadmium is stored in kidney and liver. Too strong exposure result in critical lung
fibrosis and emphysema

Copper, C and Zinc, Zn.

Copper and Zinc may result in metal fever, headache chills and fewer. The sickness is
temporary (1 – 2 days) and has none long-time effect

4. Danger using electric power

Electric power could be dangerous. The most common electric power is AC and this is more
dangerous than DC. Both types may lead to cardiac arrest ( heart stop). The extent of damage
depends on total amount of electricity passing the body over a period of time. DC 
muscular twitch when the contact establish and muscular twitch when the contact is broken.
AC  muscular spasm as long there is electric contact.

It may sometimes be very difficult to release one from electric contact. In one case the guard
went all the way back to the transformer before the mange to release the welder. The welders
life could be saved if the guard had kicked off the contact.
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The electric current chooses the shortest and easiest way between the contacts. Fire damage
may easily appear as the electricity is passing the body. This damage depends on Amps. Type
of damage:

1. Contact fire damage: Most common in legs and arms

2. Weld-arc-fire-damage: Sparkover from high-voltage wire. In narrow room this may
lead to explosion.

5. Ergonomics

Inhibited movements

Welders are special exposed to problems with the knees, shoulders, necks and elbows.
Sometimes this result in changing the profession, or turn into disability pension. To avoid
such development, ergonomics is important.

Correct lifting operation::

Evenly distributed weight over

cartilage plate

Bended knee
6. Standards and regulations

Employment Protection law.(Norwegin) No. 420

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7. Case: Lack of oxygen working in a tank ( Norwegian)

Dødsulykken i Sogn:

Sitat fra Bergens Tidende:

De tre arbeiderne døde på grunn av oksygenmangel i en skipstank 13.

februar 2005 på verftet som ligger i Leirvik i Sogn.
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Ulykken skjedde i forbindelse med ombygging av et skip.

Døde av oksygenmangel
Klokken 08.15 den 13. februar ble tre personer funnet livløse i en tank.
Livet til den ene stod ikke til å redde, mens de to andre døde senere.

De to hadde trolig tatt seg ned i tanken for å redde mannen som
omkom først.

Arbeiderne drev med sliping og skjærebrenning da de ble rammet av

akutt mangel på oksygen.

- Alvorlig svikt i HMS-rutiner

I mappen ’pekere’ er denne sak nærmere belyst.

8. Pictures without any comments

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