Proper Ventilation for Arc, Tig & Mig Welding Fumes & Gasses

Video Transcript

"Hello, My name is Mac and I am going to give you some tips on how to deal with the different kinds of fumes and smoke that you will encounter while you are doing arc welding. Now some of the gases that we use in MIG welding and TIG welding for instance do not support life they are inert gases and they have a habit of collecting in a pool around your feet. They are heavier than air. They can in an enclosed space like a pipe or a vessel build up displacing oxygen and can threaten a welder’s life, you need to be aware of that, you need to act accordingly. Another thing that can happen is a situation where you are welding on something that has been painted; different types of burning paint give off poisonous fumes, likes for instance old lead paint and welding on galvanized steel can be very toxic; the fumes and the smoke from welding on that can cause you to become quite ill so you need to avoid that. Welding on some different types of metal for instance cadmium is a poisonous substance it is a metal that is used as cladding often in the metal industry. You need to be aware that the smoke from different kinds of welding rods can also be toxic. There is some evidence that some of the smoke can be hazardous to your health, stainless steel shielded metal arc welding electrodes have been known for years to be dangerous to your health, the nickel and the chromium in them can accumulate in your blood that is a health hazard. So by all means use proper ventilation, proper respirators if necessary to protect your health."