Welding Safety – Hexavalent Chromium
Welding, cutting, and brazing are hazardous activities that pose a unique combination of both safety and health risks to more than 500,000 workers in a wide variety of industries. The risk from fatal injuries alone is more than four deaths per thousand workers over a working lifetime. Welding, cutting, and brazing are addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals, and construction industry. Health hazards from welding, cutting, and brazing operations include exposures to metal fumes and to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Safety hazards from these operations include burns, eye damage, electrical shock, cuts, and crushed toes and fingers.
Follow these Precautions to Minimize the Risk from hexavalent chromium:
-
Always make sure there is adequate ventilation in your work area. Be sure to position your personal protective equipment so that the fumes can’t get underneath your welding helmet/hood.
- If your employer’s hexavalent chromium exposure assessment shows you could be overexposed, you’ll have to wear a respirator. Make sure you have the proper respiratory protection training before using a respirator during the hot work operations.
Tomorrow -‐ Your reward for working safely!
Download Flyer: STOTW_37_WeldingSafety-HexavalentChromium.pdf (134.07 kb)
