Welding fumes are a hazardous substance that can pose health risks to employees if they are exposed to them. Employers must therefore prevent exposure to welding fumes as far as possible. This page explains what welding fumes are, why it is important to prevent or reduce exposure, and what employers can do to prevent or reduce that exposure.

What are welding fumes?

Welding fumes are a mixture of fine particles, gases and vapours released during welding and related processes, such as cutting. The amount and composition of the welding fumes depend, among other things, on the welding process, the material being welded and the filler material used. Long-term exposure to welding fumes can lead to lung diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia. It can also cause damage to the nervous system and cancer. These risks may arise when welding metals that contain carcinogenic substances such as chromium or nickel, for example stainless steel. It therefore remains essential that employers prevent exposure wherever possible or keep it as low as possible. Welding fumes may thus also contain carcinogenic substances.

Risk inventory

Employers are responsible for providing a healthy working environment for their employees and preventing serious health problems. Research shows that many companies still implement insufficient measures to protect welders and employees working nearby from the risks of welding fumes. This is often due to the absence of a proper risk inventory. As a result, insufficient measures are implemented to limit or prevent exposure to welding fumes, putting employees at unnecessary health risks.

Reducing exposure to welding fumes

Companies must identify the risks of welding fumes, implement effective measures and make the workplace as healthy and safe as possible. Employers are required to do so under the Working Conditions Act [Arbeidsomstandighedenwet]. You can reduce exposure for your employees by checking whether your Risk Inventory and Evaluation (RI&E) and Action Plan are up to date. If they are not up to date, you must ensure that they are updated.

Before doing any welding work, check whether you have an exposure assessment for this work. You must also verify that the appropriate measures have been implemented and/or that they are applied correctly. Examples include installing local exhaust ventilation (LEV), improving ventilation and wearing respiratory protection. It is important to implement measures as high as possible in the occupational hygiene strategy.

Welding fumes: a key issue in the metal sector

Alongside machine safety, welding fumes are a major issue in the metal industry and in companies operating in metal construction. Employees in the metal sector face a range of risks during their work. In addition to exposure to welding fumes, issues like machine safety are a concern. More information is available on our metal industry (Dutch) page.

Self-inspection tool

The website zelfinspectie.nl has a self-inspection tool (Dutch) that you can use to determine which occupational health and safety obligations apply to your company when working with hazardous substances.

The occupational hygiene (STOP) strategy

The occupational hygiene strategy, internationally known as the STOP strategy (Dutch), guides the choice of control measures. For CMR substances, you must first assess whether the substance can be replaced by one that poses less risk. If substitution is not possible, all technically feasible controls must be applied.

'Technically feasible' means that the facility, installation or machine is operationally available and can be applied in the specific situation. For welding fumes, the occupational hygiene strategy involves the following steps:

  1. Use an alternative joining technique or a less harmful welding process.
  2. Install local exhaust ventilation (LEV) – such as fume extraction at the welding torch, a downdraught welding table or an extraction hood – to remove welding fumes close to the source and prevent inhalation. Mechanical room ventilation is also important, particularly to prevent the build-up of welding fumes in the workspace and exposure of colleagues.
  3. Carry out welding work in a separate, enclosed area to prevent employees who are not welding from being exposed to welding fumes.
  4. Use personal protective equipment – such as an air-fed welding helmet (respiratory protection in which filtered ambient air is supplied to the welding helmet).

Supervision and enforcement

Despite the significant health risks, many work situations still involve exposure to welding fumes. The Netherlands Labour Authority checks whether work involving welding fumes is carried out as safely and healthily as possible, and what employers are doing to also ensure this in the longer term. Where appropriate measures have not been implemented, the Netherlands Labour Authority will take enforcement action.