Health risk factors among electric and gas welders using different types of welding

Introduction. Preserving the health of the working population is a priority of state policy. The welding process, which is used in many areas of industry, refers to technological processes with harmful working conditions. Monitoring of the production environment, which determines the extent to which the worker is exposed to harmful factors and helps to establish the connection of a particular disease with production activities, is particularly relevant.

The aim of the study is to carry out a hygienic assessment of the air in the working area through the conducted studies, to identify risk factors for the health of welders, considering the peculiarities of forming air environment in various types of welding and the technological process organization.

Materials and methods. Hygienic studies were carried out on the basis of two large enterprises of mechanical engineering and shipbuilding in Saint Petersburg and on more than 30 separate welding sites of enterprises in the North-West region in 2010-2018.

Results. It is established that working conditions during traditional types of welding are determined by the organization of the welder’s workplace and the type of welding. The most unfavorable conditions for the formation of the air environment are characterized by welding of large-sized metal structures, welding in isolated spaces and metal cutting, where existing technical solutions for the installation of localized exhaust ventilation systems are not effective enough. Concentrations of manganese reach 1.6-2.9 mg / m³, carbon monoxide-32-61 mg/m³, nitrogen dioxide-0.8-1.6 mg/m³. An underestimated factor in the welder’s work is the stripping operation that accompanies most welding processes. The dust content reaches 15 mg/m³. The occupational health risk of employees was assessed based on the indicators of morbidity with temporary disability, depending on their age and work experience.

Conclusions. The implementation of advanced ventilation technologies, improvement of welding equipment, welding methods and materials, expansion of the use of laser welding, and introduction of effective personal protective equipment will help to minimize the risk factors for the health of welders while ensuring the safety of the air environment.

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