Health concerns

[youngwelder_154]

Tonight I went to pick up my dad from church and whe was telling me about a guy he knows at work, he has problems with his lungs hacking up black stuff ETC. He told my dad welding really "F*cked with his health" That made me think of my own health. I want to weld so I am got help with my welding today and I learned a way to hold the stinger that it keeps my face outof the smoke. But really if there really that many problems is there a way I can prevent buy doing something different int he way I work etc. But also are there that many health problems that you guys notice. The shop I am working at isnt safe at all they dont havegood ventalation or anything I am planning on leaving after I start college next year and try to got o a place I found out about that do TIG allum. mag. titanium or find a place with better ventalation because I dont want to give up the one thing im good at but really my health is worth more to me then anything so any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also I am interested in becoming a motorcycle fabricator or hot rod fab. If there is anywhere youguys know about or own that have good hours pay etc after I finish my red seal in welding and fab I will be interested

Thanks

[jfsmith]

Get a positive air pressure welding helmet. Have your work area properly ventilated and take breaks to go outside or away from your work area. Stop smoking , if you smoke.

Jerry

[youngwelder_154]

I quit smokign when I got the girlfriend been better since The ventilation int he building is crap its a big smoke cloud after someone is stick welding or flux for 10 ro fiffteen minutes.

[JonnyTIG]

There are many different helmets available with a built in breathing system, offered by Hornell and other manufacturers. North offers a stand alone unit that you can use with any welding helmet or face shield that your face piece fits under.

[Frank865]

You may want to check into a half-face respirator. Several manufacturers make them that will fit under your hood.
I've used several, all work OK, none really stand out.

[jfsmith]

Check with Health Canada to see what they can recommend.

Jerry

[youngwelder_154]

Well I have decided will put most of my cookies in one basket, I want to TIG weld. I might end up doing stick mig flux only if I am doing that type of welding outside, or in a well ventalated area.

[JonnyTIG]

Don't narrow your career choices due to smoke there Youngwelder... I've spent more hours of my career tiggin than anything else. Now days I burn rods and wire mostly, and still enjoy melting and controlling the metal. All welding processes generate fumes and hazards, and each process needs to be delt with accordingly. 2% Tungsten's radio-active-buddy Thorium causes cancer... GTAW produces ozone and spent argon... Stick rods may contain nickel or chromium... Flux core fumes are bad... Chlorinated hydrocarbons exposed to UV rays make toxic fumes... Aluminum welding causes brain farts later in life...We've all read about it or heard it or experienced before.

There are many hazards linked with welding. Burns to the skin and the eyes, metal fever from zinc, cadmium, heavy metal poisoning, electric shock, breathing difficulties due to dust or vaporized metal inhalation, zip-cuts ripping you open, grinder disks falling apart at high speed..

Non the less, take care of yourself and enjoy the world of welding and it's aspects.

[youngwelder_154]

"Aluminum welding causes brain farts later in life...We've all read about it or heard it or experienced before."

Could you explaine to me what a "brain Fart" is. You guys are all right with jsut takign care of yourself, no matter what sort of welding it is. I still want to Stick weld Mig and Tig. But I have had my eye on Tig for along time. I like aluminum it just catches my eye I cant explaine why. But what ever I end up doign I hope it can be a little bit of all welding I guess thats the name of the game. Hopefully I will get a chance to work with aluminum titanium and get to work with everything else but I guess what im trying to say is I want to specialize in Tig.

[TomVeatch]

"Aluminum welding causes brain farts later in life...We've all read about it or heard it or experienced before."

Could you explaine to me what a "brain Fart" is.

I suspect he is referring to short term memory lapse. As in "Forty years ago is as clear as a bell, but what I ate for breakfast is a complete mystery! For that matter, did I even eat breakfast?"

I don't know if there has been any definitive studies made or conclusions reached, but I remember reading some time back, that autopsies of Alzheimer patients (I assume they were deceased prior to the autopsy) showed abnormally high levels of aluminum in the brain. But, remember, correlation does not imply causality.

[JonnyTIG]

I kinda meant a bit of both those last replys. Brain farts. Alzimers, or short term memory loss, either way, we've all heared or read about it, had it, or know someone who has had problems that could be associated with Aluminum dust and vapors. Youngwelder, lighten up a bit, brain farts are a natural human thing. I'm not by any means an expert about welding safety, my point is that no matter what kind of metal fusion you choose to do, they ALL have side effects and related health concerns, acute and chronic.

[youngwelder_154]

Ya I except the fact no matter what I do I can get a health problems. But I have figured that no matter what can happen Ill keep on trucking along and roll with the punches.