Welding fumes are just one of the many hazards construction workers are exposed to while working on site. As a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you’re responsible for ensuring your site workers aren’t exposed to welding fumes above the workplace exposure standard (WES) set out by Safe Work Australia. 

Before we get into how to protect your workers from welding fumes, let’s take a quick look at what welding fumes are and the potential impacts of inhaling welding fumes. 

What are welding fumes?

Welding fumes are a complex mixture of very small particles, often referred to as particulates, and gases that are produced when metals are heated above boiling point during welding, soldering or cutting processes. As these fumes cool down, they condense into tiny solid particles small enough to be inhaled into the lungs. 

The composition of welding fumes varies depending on the materials being welded, the welding process used and the filler materials involved. That said, common components of welding fumes include:

• Metal oxides: Iron, manganese, chromium, nickel, copper and other metal oxides, depending on the materials being welded.
• Gases: Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides and shielding gases like argon or helium.
• Other toxic substances: Depending on the welding materials, fumes can also contain small amounts of fluorides, lead, cadmium, beryllium and other toxic or carcinogenic substances.

Side effects of inhaling welding fumes

As you can imagine, inhaling tiny metal fragments can lead to a number of serious health effects. Exposure to welding fumes can pose various health risks, including both short-term and long-term impacts. The severity of these side effects often depends on the type of materials being welded, the duration and intensity of exposure and the effectiveness of protective measures.

Common short-term side effects from inhaling welding fumes include:

• Metal fume fever,
• Respiratory irritation,
• Ozone poisoning, and
• Nausea and dizziness. 

Long-term exposure to welding fumes can lead to chronic side effects, such as:

• Chronic respiratory diseases,
• Lung cancer,
• Neurological effects,
• Reproductive impacts, and
• Kidney and liver damage.

With this in mind, it’s essential that PCBUs and construction site workers take precautionary measures to minimise exposure to welding fumes and avoid the side effects of inhaling welding fumes.

How to prevent inhaling welding fumes 

Like any workplace risk, the most effective protective measure is complete elimination. That said, if you’re not able to eliminate welding and its associated risks from your construction site, you’ll need to implement a combination of different control measures to prevent the inhalation of welding fumes.  

Here are some of the most effective measures to help minimise welding fumes on site.

Ensure adequate ventilation

When it comes to reducing the risk of inhaling welding fumes, ventilation is key. If possible, welding activities should be performed outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces, which can help to disperse fumes more effectively. Where this isn’t possible, a fume extraction system can help remove hazardous fumes and particles generated during welding processes. 

Positioning the system close to the welding source will help to capture fumes at the point of generation. Air scrubbers and mobile welding fume filters can be stationed near the welding area to trap and remove hazardous fumes and gases. Industrial fans can also be used to extract fumes and improve ventilation on site.

Designate specific welding areas

To reduce other construction workers’ exposure to welding fumes, it can be worth setting up a designated welding area separate from other site activities. That way, other site workers who aren’t involved in welding activities are less likely to come into contact with welding fumes and gases. 

Wear appropriate respiratory protection 

Workers carrying out welding activities should be provided with the right respiratory protective equipment. It’s essential that they wear a respirator designed for welding fume protection, especially in enclosed or poorly ventilated areas. This can include half-face or full-face respirators with particulate filters and gas cartridges.

Alternatively, powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) provide a continuous supply of filtered air, reducing the effort required to breathe and offering greater comfort over extended periods.

Welders should also wear protective clothing, including long-sleeved shirts and pants, thick gloves, and steel-capped boots to prevent skin contact with harmful fumes and potential UV radiation.

Limit exposure time

Minimise the time workers are exposed to welding fumes and gases by rotating workers through different tasks. Ensure welders take regular breaks away from the welding area to reduce continuous exposure to welding fumes.

Provide employee training

Lastly, it’s important to ensure all welders and site workers are trained on the hazards of welding fumes and the importance of using protective measures. 

How to measure welding fumes

Welding fumes are subject to exposure limits to protect workers from the health effects posed by exposure to this hazard. 

According to Safe Work Australia, workers must not be exposed to levels of total welding fumes greater than 1 mg/m3 over an eight-hour working day, based on a five-day working week. This workplace exposure standard (WES) has been reduced from 5 mg/m3 to 1 mg/m3 with immediate effect, so it’s essential to make sure your site complies with the updated requirements. 

You can use an air monitor to measure welding fumes and ensure your workplace isn’t exceeding the WES. Welders can wear personal air samplers to measure their exposure. Alternatively, environmental monitors can be placed around your construction site to measure the concentration of fumes in the general workspace. Air samplers work by collecting airborne particles or gases, which are then sent to a laboratory for analysis.

You can also get real-time monitoring devices, like like particulate monitors, gas analysers and optical particle counters. These devices measure specific components of welding fumes, such as metal particulates or gases, while welding is occurring. That way, you can adjust welding activities as you go without having to wait on lab results.

At Control Hire, we understand that the health and safety of your site workers is your top priority. That’s why we offer a range of fume and ventilation control solutions. Contact our team of construction hire experts to chat about your next project or arrange a free on-site consultation.