AWS White Paper: the effectiveness of welding fume product controls

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An Australian scientific study has compared the effectiveness of different welding fume product control methods in reducing exposure to welding fume.

The methods analysed were On-Gun Fume Extraction (LEV), Hooded Capture Extraction (LEV), and Welding Helmet with a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PPE). The scientific study was published in the Safety journal in 2023.

AWS has now released a white paper — The Effectiveness of Welding Fume Product Controls — based on the results of this scientific study. This white paper discusses the results and then provides clear and practical guidance on how best to control welding fume.

Welding fume has been linked to a myriad of short-term and long-term adverse health effects, including multiple forms of cancer. To that end, many studies have concluded that “welders run an increased risk of lung cancer of up to 43% when compared with those who have never welded or been exposed to welding fume”¹.

There are countless studies that conclude that welding fume is bad for health, yet there seem to be very few that can give us practical guidance on how to effectively control welding fume exposure. Studies have done an effective job in defining the problem; however, few have been able to identify and compare the relative effectiveness of available product control solutions.

See the results of the welding fume scientific study here.

^{[1] 2019 Honaryar MK, Lunn RM, Luce D, et al. Occup Environ Med.}