Tuesday, February 12, 2019

CHANGE IN ENFORCEMENT EXPECTATIONS FOR MILD STEEL WELDING FUME

There is new scientific evidence from the International Agency for Research on Cancer that exposure to mild steel welding fume can cause lung cancer and possibly kidney cancer in humans.

The Workplace Health Expert Committee has endorsed the reclassification of mild steel welding fume as a human carcinogen.

With immediate effect, there is a strengthening of HSE’s enforcement expectation for all welding fume, including mild steel welding; because general ventilation does not achieve the necessary control.

Click here, for the guidelines, and what you need to do next.

This link from the HSE below holds essentially background information but it may help you assess the level of risk at your workplace and hence decide if you need additional ventilation, fume extraction or Respiratory Protective Equipment RPE.

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