New Curtin University research has revealed at least 46,000 Australian welders are exposed to high levels of dangerous, potentially cancer-causing fumes at work — and little is being done to protect them.
A joint Curtin School of Population Health and University of Sydney project funded through the Centre for Work Health and Safety, the Australian-first study was published today in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
The research team surveyed 634 workers and employers involved in welding from across Australia and asked a series of questions about their work, including the tasks they undertook, their working environment, and the safety measures implemented in their workplace.
The survey revealed about 90 per cent were being exposed to ‘welding fume’, a mixture of very fine particles and gases produced when a metal is heated above its boiling point.
Welding fume is a known carcinogen in humans.
Of the participants found to be exposed to welding fume, 76 per cent were deemed to be exposed at a high level, while other carcinogenic metals were also often present — most commonly hexavalent chromium and nickel.
