Welding Safety

Presented at the 2019 Mining Health and Safety Conference by Judit Nelson, Workplace Safety North

Welding is a common process in many industries. It is used in a variety of applications such as working on feeders underground, welding stainless steel bins the food industry, fixing farm equipment, or even at home for simple welding jobs. Due to the limited number of professional welders, welding is not always at the forefront of occupational health. The welding environment contains gaseous and particulate complex components which can cause both acute and chronic health effects. The presentation covers hazards of welding fumes (general), how to assess fume extraction effectiveness, and available controls for different applications.