Occupational Health Hazards in the Welding Industry
Welders might be at risk for certain health hazards. Luckily, there are ways to mitigate them.
- By Alex Saurman
- Mar 01, 2023
When welding, either as a full-time job or every once in a while as part of another occupation, workers can be exposed to multiple hazards that present serious concerns. In the past, OH&S has addressed the need for welder PPE, like hearing protection and eye protection, to protect workers from these hazards.
But welders are exposed to metals and chemicals that pose additional risks. These workers can suffer a range of health effects, from more mild effects such as throat irritation or occupational asthma to more severe effects, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, commonly known as COPD. Understanding what health risks welders may face is the first step to preventing them.
Welder’s Anthrax
Identified just last year, welder’s anthrax is “pneumonia in a metalworker caused by bacteria within the B. cereus group that produces anthrax toxin,” as defined by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Although it is rare, it can cause serious problems.
One 2022 study found that from 1994 to 2020, six welders and one metalworker had welder’s anthrax. They all shared some commonalities: “abnormal chest radiographs,” pneumonia and) hospitalization. If the person survived, they were moved to the intensive care unit.
Over 50 percent of people experienced “fever or chills,” a hard time breathing (known as dyspnea) and blood when coughing (known as hemoptysis). Broad-spectrum antibiotic treatment was given to everyone, and raxibacumab, a treatment used for inhalational anthrax caused by a specific type of bacteria, was only given to one. Of the seven, only two survived, including the person who was given raxibacumab.
Although data on work and worker demographics were limited, it is known that of the two people who were diagnosed in 2020, one person worked on A36 mil carbon steel on an oil tank roof using a shielded metal arc welding process. The other worked on low-carbon mild steel in a wood fabrication shop using Metal Inert Gas.
The seven cases' demographics included six men and one woman, six people who were welders and one who was a metalworker, a median age of 39 and four people who worked in Texas and three in Louisiana.
This article originally appeared in the March 1, 2023 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.