Welding
By law workers must be protected from the health risks associated with welding fume. This applies to specialist welders and workers who do some welding, no matter how small the amount.
The University guidance to manage the risks from welding is to follow the information provided by the HSE
All welding fume can cause lung cancer, so you must put controls in place. HSE has issued a safety alert about the health risks of welding fume.
Welding fume can also cause asthma and many other health conditions therefore controls must be put in place to protect those carrying out welding from the risk of harm during their activities.
The HSE information and other information in this toolkit will help you control both the health-related and safety-related risks eg fire, explosion, asphyxiation, electrical, slips and trips.
If the welding is likely to be safety critical, eg
- Involve work with pressure vessels
- Where strength and safety are critical
- Where equipment requires mechanical lifting
- Equipment to be used by or sold to outside bodies.
- Work where equipment is subject to stresses and failure
- Load bearing structures
specialist testing of the weld quality will be required. Consult your Local Safety Advisor or Faculty/Directorate Safety, Risk & Compliance Manager for further advice.