Hot Metal, Higher Cancer Risks: Australian Welders Exposed to Fumes

At least 46,000 Australian welders are exposed to hazardous, potentially cancer-causing fumes on the job, with insufficient measures in place to protect them. (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Cancer risk: Most Aussie welders exposed to high levels of dangerous fumes

Go to source) The research team surveyed 634 workers and employers involved in welding from across Australia and asked a series of questions about their work, including the tasks they undertook.

The survey revealed about 90 percent were being exposed to ‘welding fume’, a mixture of very fine particles and gases produced when a metal is heated above its boiling point.

High Exposure to Carcinogenic Welding Fumes

Welding fume is a known carcinogen in humans. Of the participants found to be exposed to welding fume, 76 percent were deemed to be exposed at a high level, while other carcinogenic metals were also often present — most commonly hexavalent chromium and nickel.

A joint Curtin University’s School of Population Health and University of Sydney project funded through the Centre for Work Health and Safety, the Australian-first study was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

Dr Renee Carey said this new research showed many welders in Australia could be at risk of developing serious health problems. “Data shows at least 60,000 people are employed as welders, however the number of people who complete welding tasks as part of their job would be far higher,” Dr Carey said.

“Welding fume exposure has been associated with various adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory disease, neurological disorders and reproductive effects.”

Advertisement

The study also looked at the actual levels of exposure to welding fume and the use of control measures in workplaces. This will be the subject of a forthcoming report.

Reference:

1. Cancer risk: Most Aussie welders exposed to high levels of dangerous fumes - (https://www.curtin.edu.au/news/media-release/cancer-risk-most-aussie-welders-exposed-to-high-levels-of-dangerous-fumes/)

Source-IANS