BODYSHOP
  • SPR riveters  and riveting tools for car body repair

    RIVETERS

  • Vehicle Plastic Repair Welders and Tools

    PLASTIC REPAIR

  • Dent Puller Equipment UK

    DENT REPAIR

  • Anti Static Gun for the perfect paint finish

    STATIC GUN

  • Car Body Chassis Pulling Equipment

    PULLING EQUIPMENT

  • car body panel tools for professionals

    PANEL TOOLS

  • Car body repair work trolleys and stands

    TOLLEY STANDS

  • Car body repair work trolleys and stands

    TROLLEYS STANDS

  • Car Body Measuring Tools

    MEASURING

  • Worklights and paint curing lights for car body repair

    LIGHT EQUIPMENT

  • WORKSHOP
  • GYS Battery Chargers

    BATTERY CHARGERS

  • VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS

  • Compressor For Sale

    COMPRESSORS

  • GENERATORS

  • Pressure Washers For Sale

    PRESSURE WASHERS

  • Workshop Heaters- Diesel_Parrafinn-kerosene

    WORKSHOP HEATERS

  • PNEUMATICS

  • VEHICLE LIFTS

  • Fibrecan Spillage Absorbant

    SPILLAGE ABSORBANT

  • WELDING
  • MIG_Welding_Equipment

    MIG WELDING

  • Induction Heaters

    INDUCTION HEATERS

  • Fronius TIG Welders UK

    TIG WELDING

  • Welder Generators UK

    WELDER GENERATORS

  • Fronius Arc Welders

    ARC WELDERS

  • GAS EQUIPMENT

    GAS EQUIPMENT

  • Plasma  Cutters

    PLASMA CUTTERS

  • USED Welding Equipment For Sale

    USED EQUIPMENT

  • Spot-welders-for-car-body-repair

    SPOT WELDERS

  • Welding Wires For Sale

    WELDING WIRES

  • TOOLS
  • AIR Tools For Bodyshop and Workshop

    AIR TOOLS

  • Cordless Tools

    CORDLESS TOOLS

  • TorAnd Calibration Servicesque Wrenches

    TORQUE WRENCHES

  • Abrasives for Bodywork

    ABRASIVES

  • TENG Tool Boxes

    TOOL BOXES

  • EV TOOLS

  • Screwdriver Sets

    SCREWDRIVERS

  • DRILLS BURRS

  • Panel Hammers and Panel Hammer sets

    PANEL HAMMERS

  • SAFETY
  • WELDING HELMETS

  • Dust Extraction for workshops and bodyshops

    DUST EXTRACTION

  • Welders Clothes and apparel

    WELDERS CLOTHES

  • Work Gloves and hand safety protection

    WORK GLOVES

  • WELDING CURTAINS

  • Safety Visors

    VISORS AND EYEWEAR

  • FUME EXTRACTION

  • Welding Blankets

    WELDING BLANKETS

  • June 24, 2019 2 min read

    As with any kind of welding process, taking the right safety precautions is key to avoiding injury. Of course, you may already know about the most common ways to do this, such as wearing protective gloves, proban clothing, welding screens and fume extractors. However, there is one recent change that you need to know about that relates to mild steel welding fume exposure.

     

    Are Welding Fumes From Mild Steel Harmful?


    The International Agency for Research on Cancer has released new evidence that confirms being exposed to mild steel welding fumes is harmful. The evidence they collected found that these fumes could cause possible kidney cancer and lung cancer in the human body. This has led the Workplace Health Expert Committee to reclassify welding fumes from mild steel as carcinogenic. The end result of this has been a strengthening of the rules from the HSE around all types of welding fumes, mild steel included.

     

    What Are The Symptoms Of Damage From These Fumes?

    The most common symptoms you will find are feeling very tired and fatigued all the time. Alongside this, you may also feel a shortness of breath in your day to day life. Fume damage from welding mild steel can also lead to bronchial disease or problems with your lungs. Metal particle poisoning is also another common sign to look out for here and this usually has all the symptoms of a heavy cold.

     

    What Are The New February 2019 HSE Standards?

    As befits such a serious discovery, the HSE has released new standards recently around welding health and safety. In general terms, these new guidelines expect all businesses who undertake welding activities to ensure the correct engineering controls are used to deal with any fumes that arise. These new welding regulations have come into effect as the HSE feel that general ventilation does not do enough to protect workers from harmful fumes.

     

    What Can Your Business Do?

    Naturally, all businesses who carry out any welding activities need to follow these new legal HSE guidelines. But what can you do to become compliant with them? Here are a few things to think about.

    • Ensure any exposure to welding fumes indoors or outdoors is controlled adequately. This can be through the use of an LEV or making sure all workers wear mandatory breathing helmets.
    • Ensure suitable and adequate RPE equipment is provided if engineering controls alone cannot limit exposure.
    • Ensure all engineering controls are used properly by workers. In addition, you should ensure all equipment is well maintained, examined regularly and tested if required.
    • Make sure your RPE kit is subject to a thorough RPE programme.

    As you can see, there are a few different things that you can do to help remain compliant with the new HSE standards around welding fumes. Whether it is mild steel or other types of welding, you must do all you can to keep your staff safe and your workplace healthy.

    To discuss technical information and suggestions contact us via email: sales@basicwelding.co.uk or call us 0044 161 223 1843.

    Leave a comment

    Comments will be approved before showing up.