MetFab - Welding Fume Handbook - Flipbook - Page 8
2 Particulate fume
Irritation of the respiratory tract
Lung cancer
Irritation of the respiratory tract may
take the form of dryness of the throat,
coughing, or tightness of the chest and
difficulty in breathing.
There is new scientific evidence that
exposure to all welding fume, including
mild steel welding fume, can cause lung
cancer. There is also limited evidence
linked to kidney cancer.* All businesses
Respiratory sensitisers
Certain substances known as respiratory undertaking welding activities should
ensure effective engineering controls
sensitisers can cause occupational
are provided and correctly used to
asthma. They induce a state of hypercontrol fume arising from those
responsiveness in the airways: once a
welding activities. Where engineering
person has become sensitised, further
controls are not adequate to control all
exposure to the substance, even in
fume exposure, adequate and suitable
tiny quantities, can cause respiratory
symptoms. These symptoms may range respiratory protective equipment (RPE)
in severity from a runny nose to asthma. is also required to control risk from the
residual fume.
Fumes from the welding of stainless
steel may cause asthma, and should
be controlled to as low a level as is
reasonably practicable.
Metal fume fever
Inhaling many freshly-formed metal
oxides, notably those of zinc and copper,
may lead to an acute flu-like illness
called metal fume fever. The symptoms
usually begin several hours after
exposure with thirst, cough, sweating,
pains in the limbs and fever. Complete
recovery usually occurs in 1-2 days
without lasting effects.
Systemic poisoning
Systemic poisoning from welding
fume can result from inhaling toxic
substances such as fluorides, hexavalent
chromium and barium.
Siderosis
Inhalation of welding fume over long
periods can lead to a benign condition
known as siderosis, caused by the
presence of iron oxide particles in the
lungs.
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* HSE Safety Bulletin STSU1 – 2019, February 2019.
