1. Confined Spaces
Question: Compare and contrast the confined space recommendations made by the American Welding Society with those of textbook Chapter 13.
There are differences in the definition of confined spaces of the American Welding Society (AWS) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) resulting to different perspectives in recommended solutions. The AWS defined confined spaces as having limited space and modes of ingress and egress as well as poor ventilation (American Welding Society, 2003a) while the NIOSH defined confined spaces as sufficient space enough for a person ton enter and conduct work, limited means of entry and exit, and does not suit continuous employment. The AWS definition is more restricted while that of the NIOSH is broader (Hammer & Price, 2001). As such, the recommendations of the AWS before and while working in confined spaces dealt with ensuring ventilation and securing a means of exit as responsibilities or roles of the company. The AWS recommended that only machines necessary in conducting work should be in the confined space, modes of exit should be open and accessible at all times, ventilation systems should be in place, modes of turning of gases and fumes inside and outside of the confined space should exist, all materials that could cause danger be removed from the confined space, and safety personnel should be readily available (American Welding Society, 2003a). The recommendations of NIOSH is more general and involving the role of regulatory bodies in ensuring compliance of companies of health and safety procedures pertaining to confined spaces. The NIOSH recommended the acquisition of permits before commencing work in confined spaces within the list of permit-required confined spaces (Hammer & Price, 2001). Obtaining a permit means that the company and other people involved are aware of the procedures in working in confined spaces requiring compliance to secure the health and safety of employees.
2. Chromium and Nickel in Welding Fume
Question: Using other web resources, compare and contrast the AWS recommendations for controlling exposure to chromium and nickel welding fumes with those of other organizations. If you were the safety professional reviewing the hazards for manual welding involving exposure to these substances, what controls would you establish?
Welding fumes comprise another health and safety issue. Fumes from welding activities comprise minute particles formed after the condensation of vaporized metal in the air visible as a plume. The health impact of the welding fumes depends on the particular metal components of the fumes. Health impacts could be short or long-term. Short-term impacts are akin to the symptoms of flue. Long-term effects include damage to the lungs or the nerve system. These health effects emerge from inhaling welding fumes that primarily affect the respiratory system. The most dangerous chemicals when inhaled are Chromium, Manganese and Nickel that are components of stainless steel. Inhalation of chromium in welding fumes can cause respiratory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, perforation of the nostrils, and lung cancer as well as damage the kidney and liver. Nickel also has bad effects on the functioning of the respiratory system and liver and kidney as well as allergic reactions. Manganese has bad neurological effects and can cause Manganism with similar symptoms as Parkinson’s disease. (Kaehn et al., 2008)
Various organizations provide recommendations in handling Chromium and Nickel in welding fumes. American Welding Society (2003b) recommended that employees doing welding work on stainless steel and other metals with Chromium and Nickel should wear mouth, nose and head covering to prevent direct inhalation of fumes and gases. There should also be sufficient exhaust or ventilation system in the workroom to prevent the build-up of fumes and the concentration of Chromium and Nickel residues. In case of insufficient or questionable ventilation, sampling of the air is necessary to determine the air safety and conduct solutions as needed such as thoroughly ventilating the workspace. Available protective gear is necessary to maintain low levels of exposure to these welding fumes.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) (2008) in the United Kingdom recommended the implementation of controls in workplaces involving welding work. Part of the controls is the installation of a local ventilation system and use of protective gear by workers. After inspections, the organization provides recommendations on improving health and safety in the workplace especially in minimizing exposure to welding fumes.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the United States requires the placement of a local exhaust ventilation or a general ventilating system to maintain low levels of fume, gas and dust exposure in the workplace. Maintaining the minimum exposure level is necessary to prevent threats to the health and safety of employees. There could be four types of control methods in maintaining a safe exposure levels, which are: 1) process enclosure to prevent spread of fumes; 2) general mechanical ventilation to disperse harmful fumes and prevent build-up; 3) local exhaust ventilation to prevent the build-up of welding fumes in the area of the welder; and 4) personal protective equipment to keep workers from direct exposure to the welding fumes. (Kaehn et al., 2008) This involves a more encompassing solution.
As a safety professional, a recommended means of addressing the problem of welding fumes, is educating and training employees on detection and action for problems with welding fumes in the workplace, as an addition to ventilation systems and protective gear. This would make workers active parties in health and safety.
3. Thoriated Tungsten Electrodes
Question: What are the hazards of thorium? What is the source of thorium exposure during use of thoriated tungsten electrodes? What controls would you specify? Who would have to implement the AWS recommended controls for thorium exposure?
Thorium constitutes a radioactive component of thoriated tungsten electrodes. Alpha particles are the primary emissions of thorium while beta and gamma radiation are secondary emissions (American Welding Society, 2003c). Thorium can get into the body through inhalation of the dust particles as residue of the use of this element in the workplace. When inhaled, thorium dust particles could remain in the lungs for a long time depending on its chemical form. In the case of oral ingestion, the dust particles could egress from the body through the urine and stool but the remaining particles are absorbed into the bloodstream and stored in bones. There is limited evidence of skin absorption of thorium and this is not likely the primary means of ingress into the body. Thorium constitutes a health concern by increasing the risk of cancer with low to medium exposure levels to the element. Inhaling thorium increases the likelihood of developing lung and pancreatic cancer. Oral ingestion of thorium can result to bone cancer. (Argonne National Laboratory, 2005; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2008)
Exposure to thorium can happen in using thoriated tungsten electrodes in using a grinding machine to sharpen these materials. This is a common procedure involved in the preparation for gas tungsten arc welding. The grinding process causes the emission of thorium dust particles in the air. The exposure happens through inhalation of the thorium dust particles when the worker is not using any protective gear or face covering and ingestion when the dust particles get into water or food.
As a health and safety professional, controls require implementation to prevent high levels of exposure to the thorium dust particles. One precaution is the wearing of face protection and mouth and nose covering to prevent inhalation. Another is sufficient ventilation to disperse the dust particles in wider spaces to prevent concentration around workers. Still another is the sufficient barrier between the workplace and utilities where the workers eat and drink during breaks. Workers should also ensure that they wear an outer clothing that they should remove in leaving the workplace to prevent the contamination of their food and drinks. Again, awareness among the workers about the hazards of high levels of exposure to thorium dust particles is necessary for the workers to exercise caution consciously and voluntarily. Last is the placement of dust collection systems and a system of proper disposal of the dust particles.
Regulatory bodies, industry organizations, and business firms are the implementing bodies in the AWS recommended controls for thorium exposure. There is need to develop standards of practice in handling thorium and thoriated tungsten electrodes and the input would necessary come from the business firms and industry representatives (Goetsch, 2008). In addition, the placement of the necessary equipment for ventilation and dust collection as well as the implementation of policies in handling thoriated tungsten electrodes are within the implementing power of the business firms. Health and safety professional, whether in-house or outsourced, also play an important role in evaluating the implementation of sufficient controls and recommending improvements. The essence of health and safety in the workplace is prevention and various parties carry responsibility for implementation.
References
American Welding Society. (2003a). CONFINED SPACES. Safety and Health Fact Sheet No. 11. http://files.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-11.PDF
American Welding Society. (2003b). Chromium and Nickel in Welding Fume. Safety and Health Fact Sheet No. 4. http://files.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-04.PDF
American Welding Society. (2003c). Thoriated Tungsten Electrodes. Safety and Health Fact Sheet No. 27. http://files.aws.org/technical/facts/FACT-27.PDF
Argonne National Laboratory. (2005). Human health fact sheet: Thorium. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from http://www.ead.anl.gov/pub/doc/Thorium.pdf
Goetsch, L. D. (2008). Occupational safety and health, for technologists, engineers, and managers (6th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
Hammer, W., & Price, D. (2001). Occupational safety, management and engineering (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Prentice Hall.
Health and Safety Executive. (2008). Workers concerned about welding fumes. November 21, 2008, from http://www.hse.gov.uk/copd/casestudies/welding2.htm
Kaehn, L., Kibogy, J., Parette, D., & Wischmeier, B. (2008). Welding fume control: Regulations and processes. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from http://courses.washington.edu/envh557/protected/WeldingFume.pdf
Spear, J. E. (2004). Welding fume and gas exposure. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from http://www.jespear.com/Welding.pdf
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2008). Radiation protection: Thorium. Retrieved November 21, 2008, from http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb00/radionuclides/thorium.html#affecthealth
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