New Law on Steel Welding Fume Exposure

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has changed the law and will be more stringent for workers exposed to steel welding fume "with immediate effect" from the 20th February 2019.

For further information about mild steel welding fume from HSE Click Here

The HSE will no longer permit welding to be carried and will be expecting that employers must implement suitable control measures whether the task is undertaken internally or externally.

Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems or suitable respiratory protection should be used regardless of the duration of the task and it is important that the task risk assessment is updated by a competent person to reflect this change, and take necessary corrective actions making sure that these measures are complied with.

Welding fume inhalation of gases and particulates are given off during these operations and are a serious health concern, which may also cause neurological effects similar to Parkinson's disease.

This change in the law has happened as there is evidence from the International Agency for Research on Cancer that exposure to all welding fume, including mild steel welding fume, can cause lung cancer and possibly kidney cancer, reclassifying mild steel welding fumes as a human carcinogen.

The HSE will follow the hierarchy of control and if they form an opinion that LEV or similar measures alone will not adequately control exposure, "adequate and suitable" RPE must also be used to protect against the residual fume.

Training has always been important, The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (HSWA) 1974 (Section 2) 3 requires every employer to provide whatever information, instruction, training and supervision is necessary to ensure, "so far as is reasonably practicable", the health and safety at work of their employees and others affected by their activities.

It is essential that any welders should be suitably instructed and trained to perform this task safely. Engineering controls must be correctly used, suitably maintained and subject to thorough examination and test where required. (Every 14 months). RPE must be subject to an RPE programme incorporating training, maintenance and supervision requirements.