Editor’s Note: “Welding Fumes Health Hazards” by Vicki Bell was published March 11, 2004 by thefabricator.com and served as the source of much of this article. It is an excellent reference for more information on the subject.

A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is raising concerns about the risks faced by welders from exposure to fumes. Sources of welding fumes are numerous and include the base material and filler, oil and coatings on the material, electrodes, shielding gases, vapors from cleaners and degreasers, and chemical reactions from the ultraviolet light of the arc and the heat generated.

What contaminants pose a health risk? The list is daunting: nickel
chromium, asbestos, manganese cadmium, nitrogen oxides, lead,
arsenic, selenium and others. Adverse health effects linked to
welding smoke include ‘metal fume fever’; irritation of eyes,
nose, chest and respiratory tract; bronchitis or fluid in the lungs -
all from high, short-term exposures. Long-term, chronic exposure
may cause asthma, lung cancer, cancer of the larynx and even
nervous system disorders such as a Parkinson’s-like disease.

Researchers acknowledge it's hard to draw conclusions about
the hazards of welding fumes due to the variety of materials
used in welding and a lack of laboratory-controlled toxicology
studies of biochemical reactions to welding fumes. Still, welders
need to take proactive measures to reduce exposure to fumes.
A source for ideas is the American Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) welding hazards fact sheet,
(see AFSCME web site www.afscme.org/health/faq-weld.htm).

SCS is a big help in minimizing welding smoke. Replacing P&O
with SCS eliminates the oil that can be dangerous in two ways.
First, burning the oil itself generates toxins. Second, the excess
smoke generated from burning oil creates an effective medium
for transporting fine particles of metals, electrodes, insulators and
other materials that comprises the toxins from welding. So while
one of the reasons many fabricators have switched from P&O to SCS was to reduce the ‘nuisance’ of P&O’s
excess welding smoke, those same fabricators are now learning that, in fact, they may have also taken an
important step toward safeguarding the health of their employees.

If you’re concerned about the health effects of welding P&O, contact TMW to get SCS
samples. Perform welding tests on SCS to see the reduction in fumes versus P&O.
TMW has entered into a joint venture with Heidtman Steel Products, Inc., the USA’s largest privately-held
flat-rolled service center network, to build the first coil-to-coil SCS production line. Bringing the SCS oil-free,
‘white-glove clean’, rust-inhibitive surface to coils, the inaugural SCS Coil Line will run up to 150 fpm.
Currently being built by Red Bud Industries, it's projected to enter service in April 2005. The ability to supply environmentally-friendly SCS in coil form will greatly expand the market’s access to this patented process
and its many advantages.
Heidtman Steel is uniquely qualified to bring those advantages to the flat-rolled market. In its 50th year of operation, Heidtman serves automotive,
truck and bus, construction, appliance, furniture, pipe and tube industries. With expertise in high-strength
steel, Heidtman processes nearly five million tons of steel annually through its own facilities and joint ventures.
To learn more, visit www.heidtman.com
TMW recently launched an updated version of the SCS web site with the new URL www.scsprocess.com.
The site is organized to address the information needs of three different audiences:

  - USERS who wish to purchase SCS for use in the products they manufacture;
  - SERVICE CENTERS wishing to use the SCS process to bring greater value to their customers;
  - INTERMEDIARY PROCESSORS who see SCS as superior to P&O, temper pass and other processes.

The new web site educates visitors as to exactly what SCS is, how it is being used, what benefits it delivers,
plus ongoing developments. Whether you're new to the SCS process or have been investigating it for some
time, www.scsprocess.com can be a valuable resource for assessing this breakthrough process.

copyright 2004 The Material Works, Ltd.