Around 90 per cent of welders are being exposed to a mixture of carcinogenic particles and gases called "welding fumes", according to a survey by Curtin University, 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.Â
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.
Engineered stone ban alert!🚫 — WorkSafe Victoria (@WorkSafe_Vic) Starting today, 1 July 2024, any work involving the manufacture, supply, processing, or installation of engineered stone benchtops, panels, or slabs is prohibited.For further information and guidance, visit https://t.co/EiNw6ekYVl pic.twitter.com/2SF3C8hIoGJune 30, 2024
"We have seen strong action to reduce the health problems linked to asbestos and silica," Public Health Association chief executive, Professor Terry Slevin says.Â
"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 years".
"(The study) doesn't add anything either to the body of knowledge that has been researched globally or what we do in Australia," he says. "We're fully aware of the dangers of fumes."
Mr Crittenden cited how Safe Work Australia already lowered welding fumes from an eight-hour time weighted average of five milligrams per metre cubed to one.
"That is one of the best levels in all of the world," he said.
The study revealed two thirds (66.2 per cent) of workers weld in restricted spaces and most (86.3 per cent) weld while leaning over a work site. Just under a fifth (18.9 per cent) say they use a welding booth or exhaust hood.
But Mr Crittenden said he didn't know anybody in Australia who would work in a confined space without protection, saying: "It would just be a totally against the law and you'd have to be pretty stupid to do it."
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