Page 44 - Occupational Health & Safety, April 2019

WELDING
Welders should not weld in confined spaces without ventilation, and they may require respiratory protection if ventilation and the work practices being employed fail to reduce exposures to safe levels.
can cause neurological effects similar to Parkinson’s disease. Where LEV alone does not adequately control exposure, it should be supplemented by adequate and suitable respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to protect against the residual fume. Appro- priate RPE should be provided for welding outdoors. You should ensure welders are suitably instructed and trained in the use of these controls. Regardless of duration, HSE will no longer accept any welding under- taken without any suitable exposure con- trol measures in place, as there is no known level of safe exposure.”
The notice reminded stakeholders that their risk assessments should reflect the change in the expected control measures.
Welding fume is one of the hazards on which CPWR—The Center for Construc- tion Research and Training’s Exposure Control Database1 is focused. The ECD is an interactive tool for the construction industry that helps users predict exposure to those hazards, which also include silica, noise, and lead. When a user on the web- site selects Welding Fume, it prompts the person to select a type of hot work, con- sumable, base metal, control method, and environment in order to predict exposures.
An OSHA Fact Sheet2 on controlling ex- posures to hazardous fumes and gases dur- ing welding explains that welding outdoors or in open work spaces doesn’t guarantee that there is adequate ventilation. Local exhaust ventilation systems can be used to remove fumes and gases from a welder’s breathing zone, it says, pointing out that exhaust ports should be kept away from other workers. Employers should consider substituting a lower fume-generating or less toxic welding type or consumable, in order to reduce fume exposures.
Welders should not weld in confined spaces without ventilation, and they may require respiratory protection if ventilation and the work practices being employed fail
The most common injuries suffered by welders are burns and
eye injuries. The right PPE for them—including protective apparel, protective footwear, gloves, welding helmets, respiratory protection— is covered by both 1910.252 and 1910.132, OSHA’s general
PPE standard.
40 Occupational Health & Safety | APRIL 2019
www.ohsonline.com
to reduce exposures to safe levels, the fact sheet states. In fact, at 1910.252 (b)(4), the OSHA Welding, Cutting, and Brazing stan- dard simply says, “Ventilation is a prerequi- site to work in confined spaces.”
Welding Standards
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported that the employment of welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers is projected to grow 6 percent from 2016 to 2026, about as fast as the average for all oc- cupations. The nation’s aging infrastructure will require the expertise of welders, cut- ters, solderers, and brazers to help rebuild bridges, highways, and buildings, accord- ing to BLS.
The protective measures and equip- ment that welders require are spelled out in OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.252, the welding, cutting, and brazing standard. Section (b) (2) of the standard addresses eye protection
that must be provided. The standard refers to OSHA 1910.133, which contains charts listing the minimal shade numbers needed for protecting welders’ vision. 1910.133 also states that welders’ lenses must comply with the ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2015 standard,3 the American National Standard for Occu- pational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices.
This standard encompasses the design, performance specifications, and mark- ings of all types of eye and face protec- tion, including welding helmets, goggles, faceshields, and spectacles.
The most common injuries suffered by welders are burns and eye injuries. The right PPE for them—including protec- tive apparel, protective footwear, gloves, welding helmets, and respiratory protec- tion—is covered by both 1910.252 and 1910.132, OSHA’s general PPE standard, which directs employers to perform a haz-
Chookiat K/Shutterstock.com