Occupational Health Hazards and Preventive Aspects in Welding

Welding, although not an industry in the strict sense in which the term is used, is in fact an ubiquitous process for the application of welding, is now so widespread that there is no metal industry or branch of engineering, where welding is not used in one form or the other. Occupational health hazards in welding pertain to visual hazards, exposure to metal oxide fumes and other fumes generated as a result of high intensity arc. Exposure to non-ionization radiation like U-V rays and infrared rays are discussed with particular reference to aluminium welding. Incidence of approximately 1.2 percent of ‘arc eyes’ of all eye injuries in metal fabrication is reported. OH complaints among welders show high incidence (41.3%) of conjunctival involvement compared to controls (12.9%). No evidence of infrared cataract has been found among the 41 welders with over 10 years of welding exposure. Chronic lung changes in 41 welders engaged in arc welding work having more than 10 years of exposure and 19 healthy unexposed males as control group were taken for study on random basis. Minimal restrictive and obstruction disability was observed among smoker welders only compared to non-smoker group. A case report of metal fume fever' due to inhalation of copper fumes is described. Preventive measures towards visual hazards and control of fumes in welding environment are discussed in detail.