Welders in Australia face serious health problems from inhaling a high level of dangerous fumes, a new study says, but an industry body says workers are already aware of the issue. or signup to continue reading Around 90 per cent of welders are being exposed to a mixture of carcinogenic particles and gases called "welding fumes", according to , and three quarters (76 per cent) are inhaling them at a "high level". "Welding fume exposure has been associated with various adverse health effects, including cancer, respiratory disease, neurological disorders and reproductive effects," research lead Dr Renee Carey says.
Researchers surveyed 634 Australian workers and employers associated with welding for the study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health on Monday. It comes the same month as a nation-wide ban on engineered stone, which protects workers from the risk of lung disease due to exposure to silica dust when power tools are used on the material. "We have seen strong action to reduce the health problems linked to asbestos and silica," Public Health Association chief executive, Professor Terry Slevin says.
"Australia's health and safety legislation must be put to work to protect our tens of thousands of welders," he says, including upgraded protective equipment. But Geoff Crittenden, chief executive of industry body Weld Australia, told AAP the organisation is already aware of the health issues and has been working on it nationally "for over 30 yea.