Q. What is a fume plume? A. A fume plume is the clearly visible column of fume that rises directly from the spot of welding or cutting. Welders and cutters should take precautions to avoid breathing this area directly. Ventilation can direct the plume away from the face. (Fume removal is most effective when the air flow is directed across the face of the welder, rather than from behind.)
Ventilation is a means of providing adequate breathing air, and it must be provided for all welding, cutting, brazing and related operations. Adequate ventilation depends on the following factors:
OSHA stresses its three lines of defense philosophy to help eliminate or reduce potential exposures to hazards. The first line of defense is to utilize engineering controls to eliminate the hazard. Adding ventilation to reduce air contaminants from a welding operation is an example of an engineering control.
Welding processes release harmful fumes made up of solid particles that are formed when the vaporized metal condenses and oxidizes. These particles travel to and become accumulated in the gas-exchange region of the lungs, where it can produce a range of adverse effects.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) helps keep welding operators free from injury, such as burns – the most common welding injury – and exposure to arc rays. The right PPE allows for freedom of movement while still providing adequate protection from welding hazards.
Organizations such as the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) and OSHA offer safety guidelines to help employers and workers avoid welding hazards. Employers should ensure all workers have an opportunity to comply with the following important guidelines in the workplace:
Welders risk many workplace accidents including:
Electrical shock. Electrical shock is one of the most common accidents welders face. It can be caused when two metal parts that have a voltage between them touch or by secondary voltage shock where the welder touches part of the welding or electrical circuit at the same time his body touches a part of the metal he is welding.
New fan from SonicAire is UL approved for operation in Class II, Division 2 locations
April 20, 2018
SonicAire, Inc., leading manufacturer of overhead dust control fans, has announced the company’s latest product offering: a UL approved fan designed for operation in hazardous locations. The new SA XD2 is UL approved for Class II, Division 2 environments.
In 2018, ACGIH® published on the Notice of Intended Changes, a statement on the occupational health aspects of new lighting technologies. It describes the circadian, neuroendocrine and neurobehavioral effects of light. Over the past decade a revolution in indoor lighting has been underway, fueled partly by the new technologies of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and solid-state, light-emitting-diode (LED) lamps, and partly by efforts to reduce the consumption of electrical energy.
Electric car maker Tesla is being accused of underreporting and mischaracterizing worker injuries at its Fremont factory in order to make its safety record appear to be better than it, claims a new report. Reveal, a news site from the Center for Investigative Reporting, says Tesla has been lowering its official injury count by classifying musculoskeletal injuries, toxic fume exposure and other work-related injuries as personal medical issues or minor accidents.
