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of the sun, over 6,000 degrees," says Burg. He says welders should always wear proper personal protective equip- ment (PPE), including heavy-duty aprons and gauntlet gloves and cloth- ing that doesn't burn easily. Welders have also been injured or killed by explosions or fi res while working on pressurized containers, such as fuel tanks, says Bruce Cormier, a welding examiner at GRB Enterprises, which operates training and qualifi ca- tion centres. Containers should be thoroughly purged and cleaned before work begins, he cautions. Burning of so tissues, such as eyes and skin, he adds, can be caused by the ultraviolet radiation produced by arc welding — a technique in which an electric arc is created between an electrode and the base metal to gener- ate heat. " e eyes are particularly vulnera- ble," Cormier says. "If anyone is looking at the arc and not wearing glasses, their eyes absorb the full spectrum of the UV radiation. ey may have a burning on the inside of their eyes." e injury, called welder's fl ash or arc eye, is sometimes painful but usu- ally temporary. Cormier says welders can avoid long- term damage by wearing welding hoods and safety glasses and by not staring at the arc. Clear glasses off er shortwave UV protection, but shaded glasses provide greater protection against UV radiation. Dan Tadic, executive director of the Canadian Welding Association, says most welding processes are very safe as long as safety precautions are met. "Welding safety equipment should be worn at all times, and CSA standard W117.2 needs to be adhered to by all industries," Tadic says. During cutting, he adds, safety glasses or goggles should always be worn; during grinding, a clear face shield that covers the entire front of the head should be worn to protect the face from burns caused by fl ying sparks. Welders should wear steel-toed boots and coveralls, which also protect against fl ying sparks. "It depends on the working envi- ronment. Each environment requires special attention," he says, "and dif- ferent processes may require diff erent safety gear." To prevent inhaling harmful fumes, he says, welders can use a fume extrac- tion hood, which sucks the fumes away from the face. ey could also use a respirator mask. e most common of these covers the nose and mouth and fi lters out dust, odours and particulates. Another type of mask supplies a line of fresh air, pumped in from a compressed air cyl- inder, battery pack or compressor. "If I'm working in a plant and there's a lot of open space and air movement," Tadic explains, "I would use a fume hood as a fi rst option or straightforward welding fume respirator. If I'm work- ing in a confi ned space, where there's limited air movement and may be a build-up of harmful fumes, I would use a respirator that has an air-line supply." In addition, Cormier says, the risk of fumes can be reduced through proper ventilation or air circulation mecha- nisms that remove contaminants. An isolated welding booth or room that has its own air fi ltration or ventilation system can be set up. Prevention study Most welders, Burg says, also suff er back and neck problems from working in awkward positions. By arranging workstations so that work can be done in a natural, comfortable position, ergo- nomic hazards can be reduced. e changing dynamics in the work- place over the last decade has seen more women taking on what have tradition- ally been male-dominated jobs in high-powered industries. But while the number of women workers in industrial settings, such as welding occupations, has increased in the last few years, the science of prevention may still be play- ing catch-up. One current study, conducted by Nicola Cherry and Jeremy Beach, researchers at the University of Alberta's School of Public Health, is examining whether welding aff ects women's health in ways diff erent to men. e study, called Women's Health in Apprenticeship Trades — Metalwork- ers and Electricians (WHAT-ME), will look at all work-related health condi- tions and reproductive outcomes for women in these trades. "As more women are choosing to go into nontraditional jobs," Cherry says, "we need to look closely again and see whether the standards that are there which keep men safe also keep women safe." Data collected so far has revealed, among women who had recently become pregnant, more than half (55 per cent) had at least one metal in their systems above the laboratory norms for northern Alberta. Early results also seem to show a connection between welding and breathing problems. "In an interim analysis," Beach says, "we looked at the new onset of a number of diff erent symptoms. Wheeze is one of those, and also upper respiratory-type symptoms, such as rhinitis." In addition to research being done to better protect women welders, Burg says much more work still needs to be done to protect welders, in general, against the hazards of work. e fi rst step is more research, he says. ere is still a long way to go, he believes, to fully understand the long- and short-term health eff ects of welding. By using the right PPE the risks of welding could be greatly reduced — unfortunately, many workers don't. "It would be much better to be pro- active," he says. "We can be proactive and prevent these health and safety problems." (If you are interested in participating in the WHAT-ME study, visit the web- site at www.whatme.ualberta.ca.) Linda Johnson is a freelance writer based in Toronto. You can contact Linda at lindajohnson@sympatico.ca while the ndustrial upations, years, the l be play- ucted by y Beach, f Alberta's g xamining n's health Health in etalwork- ME), will th condi- omes for ing to go erry says, gain and that are also keep revealed, recently n half (55 al in their y norms sults also between ms. ach says, a number e is one of tory-type ing done ers, Burg eds to be general, earch, he to go, he the long- f welding. e risks of duced — don't. o be pro- proactive nd safety ticipating the web- ca.) ce writer act Linda a WE NEED TO LOOK CLOSELY AGAIN AND SEE WHETHER THE STANDARDS THAT ARE THERE TO KEEP MEN SAFE ALSO KEEP WOMEN SAFE May 2013 17