TrainingConfined Space (various)Working at Height (various)Safety Competence (including IOSH, qualitative kit training, spill response, fire marshal, manual handling, abrasive wheels, CDM Awareness, first aid etc.)Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health Wellbeing

ServicesCCTV InspectionPrecise SurveysRescue TeamsSupport TeamsSafety TeamsExtra Manpower TasksRope Access SurveysRope Access CleaningAbseil Window CleaningRope Access MaintenanceStructural InspectionSafety Boat InspectionsScour Surveys

ConsultancyRisk Assessments (including DSEAR, COSHH and Fire Risk Assessments)Confined Space and Working at Height Audits/ClassificationSafe System of WorkRescue Plans

Occupation Health and RespiratoryQuantitative Face Fit TestingAir Quality TestingWork Place Exposure (Dust) MonitoringLEV MonitoringAudiometry TestingNoise MonitoringHand Arm Vibration MonitoringLegionella Testing and AssessmentHealth Surveillance

Welding Fume Support

Hazards and Controls

Background:

ALL welding fume (including mild steel) is now classed as a carcinogen which can cause lung cancer and potentially kidney cancer. This is based on the outcome of recently published research by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It is also a potential cause of occupational asthma.

As a result of this all businesses, which undertake ANY welding operations, now have to ensure adequate controls are in place to prevent worker exposure to fume, indoors (through a combination of engineering controls and RPE) and outdoors (through the provision of appropriate RPE).

The regulations in brief:

Assess risks to healthfrom hazardous substances

Prevent exposure

Control exposure

Use control measuresUse storage provided

Report defects

Ensure control measures usedReg8Maintain, examine & test

control measuresReg9

Monitor exposure

Health surveillance

Provide informationInstruction & training and have

emergency arrangements

Reg10Reg11

Reg12

Reg13

Be available for health surveillance (if required)

Reg11

Report incidents relating to certain releases or

exposures

Reg13

Reg7

Reg8

Employer’s responsibilities

Employee’sresponsibilities

How do we know the level of exposure?

• To get a full understanding, workplace monitoring is required.

• Usually this is undertaken using a personal sampler and pump.• A filter within the sampler collects any particulate

materials within the atmosphere and fume is trapped as well.

• Gravimetric analysis will generate particulate levels which need to be controlled against a Workplace Exposure Limit or WEL.

• Analysis for metal content can then provide concentrations for specific metals generated by the specific welding process.

What metals are we likely to find?

Typical results from sampling?

Recommendations from this sampling set?

Based on these levels, over the sample period, the customer would:Appear to be able to continue to use existing control measures and only use general dilution ventilation within the workshop;Not be required to install expensive LEV in the general workshop area; and Ensure continued use of RPE by the welder (supported by the particulate exposure levels) but FFP3 filters should be changed to specific welding filters to assist in avoiding exposure to metal fumes.

So have things changed for the better?

Do you need to have LEV?

• To prevent exposure whilst working indoors (workshops, confined spaces, etc.) engineering controls appropriate to the workspace and the operation are required.

• Local Exhaust Ventilation is the most common approach employed to remove welding fume at source used within the UK. Consider mobile units for occupied work area’s?

• As LEV systems are not always 100% effective at capturing all fume, Respiratory Protective Equipment must also be worn if data indicates this is the case.

• Whilst working outside, general air movement dilutes the fume, and LEV would not be effective so RPE must be used.

• Health Surveillance assesses the impact on workers lung function

Is LEV and RPE enough control?

• In short…..NO.

• The above prevents exposure (or should) if available, it is in good working order and used by the workforce, but how do you prove there is no exposure?

• Biological Sampling will prove effective controls are in place

Biological Sampling

• Biological monitoring can assess exposure by all routes including inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption.

• A simple urine sample can provide information about an individual worker’s exposure to the metals commonly found in welding fumes.

Biological Sampling

• Biological monitoring for welders should include the measurement of nickel and chromium in a urine sample and this should be undertaken on an annual basis where there is shown to be good controls in place. Samples should be collected at the end of a typical working week.

• It may also be necessary to also monitor for other metals depending on the type of metal being welded, for example cadmium or lead should be measured if the stainless steel has been cadmium plated or if lead paint (lead oxide primer) is present.

• To determine recent exposure to both cadmium andlead a blood sample is required.

What can Arco Professional Safety Services do to assist?

• Risk Assessment – A robust Risk Assessment needs to be in place so we can either do the Risk Assessment as Consultancy offering or provide Risk Assessment Training for you to have competent risk assessors.

• Air Monitoring – There are several welding fume components that need to be considered as they have Workplace Exposure Limits (but not the fume itself). General particulate concentrations have a WEL depending upon their particle size, whilst various metals have WELs listed in EH40 (e.g. chromium and nickel). Other gases and vapours may also be present within the fume which have WELs (e.g. ozone and various COx, NOx or SOx gases)

New HSE Guidance http://www.hse.gov.uk/welding/index.htm

What can ARCO Professional Safety Services do to assist?

• LEV Product (where applicable / practical) – From a product perspective we partner with Nederman either for installations of LEV or portable LEV stations.

• LEV Monitoring – LEV needs to be monitored every 14 months and we can also offer this through a 3rd party supplier.

What can ARCO Professional Safety Services do to assist?• RPE Management Report / Product – We can offer to support the correct

selection of RPE based on findings of air monitoring reports, from powered respirators to disposable P3 welding mask or reusable half mask if appropriate.

• RPE Training – Training in RPE chosen, including use, cleaning, maintenance etc.

• Servicing of RPE – Powered Units need an annual service and we can also do maintenance and servicing of reusable half masks if used.

• Face Fit Testing – If disposables / reusable half masks are used then we can undertake face fit testing (either Qualitative Kit Training course or Quantitative Testing Service).

• Health Surveillance – Called out in the HSE guidance document that health surveillance (lung function tests) needs to be undertaken which we can offer through a 3rd party.

Product Support

HSE STATS

147 12000

Four Essential Parts to an RPE Protection Programme

Selection – contaminants, concentrations, task, environment, people

Training and Awareness - HSG53

Maintenance (Over 28 days recorded) – O rings, filters, cleaning as per manufacturers' guidelines (not often explained). Annual Inspection also required

Face Fit Testing – https://www.fit2fit.org/ tight fitting

Skin Care Considerations – current thinking

1 in 36 workers will die of cancer

HSE proposal that from January 2020 becomes mandatory to issue SPF 30 (minimum) sun cream to staff who weld (two year transition period)

Any itchy marks or moles do see a doctor

90% of skin cancer deaths could be prevented*

* IOSH No Time To Lose Solar Radiation Campaign

Thank You for Listening.

Any Questions?