Is Welding Dangerous? How Dangerous It Is?

It’s natural to wonder about this fact.

At first, think about how the welders weld.

There are two kinds of welding: fusion welding and pressure welding.

In fusion welding, you need to use electric arc, oxy-fuel gases like oxy-hydrogen flame and oxy-acetylene, and thermit. 

All these produce fumes and gases that are really dangerous. 

The fume of welding contains some metals like aluminum, beryllium, manganese, and some heavy metals like lead, thorium.

Among these, thorium is radioactive that can cause harmful diseases if inhaled.

Moreover, welding produces harmful gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, argon, acetylene, nitrogen oxide, hydrogen chloride, and fluorides. 

As welding produces a high amount of fumes and gases, it can cause various hazards.

Let’s talk about them briefly. 

Asphyxiation (lack of oxygen):

As a welder, you may need to go to many sites that are not in the normal environment.

Sometimes you need to go to deeper places even underwater.

There is a lack of oxygen.

It may lead you to asphyxiation.

It will create difficulty in breathing that causes lack of oxygen in the body tissues as well as the brain. 

UV and IR radiation:

During welding, the wires and electrodes can spread UV and IR radiation.

These rays cause different skin diseases, carcinoma, and eye problems. 

Spatter and hot metal:

When you are welding, you are often dealing with sparks and melted metals.

It needs no telling how dangerous it can be.

If you don’t have enough personal protective equipment and you make a mistake by any chance, this can be a serious injury.

Many welders have burnt their skin and even lost one or both eyes for this.

Fire or explosion:

During welding, metals need to be burnt and melted with the help of electric arcs and produce sparks.

So, there is a great chance of fire burning or a huge explosion.

Fumes and toxicity:

Yes.

As you are welding with the help of different metals and gases, it will surely produce some oxides and fumes of some other toxic gases.

So, it can cause toxicity also.

As you see, welding has many chemical hazards.

And it’s very obvious that welding will be interrelated to health issues.

Remember, these symptoms are mainly noticed among the careless welders who don’t take any preventive steps.

This is why you should be concerned.

So, now we will know about the health problems created by welding.

• Lung and throat irritation: Welding can cause dry throat and tight chest. You may have chest pain and a bad cough.
• Pneumonia: As you are being exposed to toxic gases and small particles at a regular basis, there is enough chance of suffering from pneumonia. 
• Cancer: The fumes, gases, and radiations from heavy metals, especially radioactive materials often causes cancer of the larynx, lungs, kidney, or urinary tract.
• Asthma: Regular exposure to heavy metal oxide can cause asthma also.
• Cripple hands: In some cases, it is noticed due to heavy-duty of hands on a regular basis. 
• Neck pain: Due to working for a lot of time without break, it may happen.
• Eyesight loss: If you don’t use safety goggles and be careful, it can affect your eyesight. It may lead to blindness in some cases. 

At this point, I need to clarify something. If welding is so dangerous, why do people choose this as a profession?

This question may come into your mind.

Besides, if things were so dangerous in any condition, no one would choose this profession.

That means, there are some steps to prevent welding hazards.

• After being concerned about the hazards, get your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and wear these regularly.
• Never test the light and radiation absorption capability of your eyes. Always wear a helmet for welding.
• Don’t use CFC degreasers and keep those open.
• Make sure that the welding surface is clean so that it doesn’t produce toxic gases.
• Always use the safest alternative to any toxic material.
• Don’t work continuously. Take breaks.
• Weld in a place with a good ventilation system. 
• Don’t stand in such a place in your working site where the toxic fumes directly hit you. Make sure the fumes are ventilated easily.
• Don’t work in a confined place.
• In the case of need, wear respiratory protection where there is a high chance of getting affected by toxicity.

This article is to make you conscious about the hazards of welding.

If you have read the whole article, you already know how dangerous welding is.

So, never ignore these harmful effects.

You can live decently with the income of welding.

But if you get sick by the diseases mentioned above, money will seem worthless.

I hope you are acknowledged that welding is dangerous.

Now it’s your duty to maintain the preventive steps described here.

Hope you will be happy and healthy with your profession.