Is current European legislation on welding fume exposure truly ensuring a safe working environment?

Plymovent doesn't think so!

“Complying with welding fume regulations doesn’t guarantee a safe working environment,” says Michel Ligthart, Product and International Sales Manager at Plymovent. He identifies three trends to raise awareness about the dangers of welding fumes among welders. “The current legislation is far from perfect.”

“When presenting to clients, I often start with a photo of the India Gate Memorial in New Delhi, taken on a day with heavy smog and fine dust. You can barely see the arch in the photo. Yet, this level of air quality would easily comply with European regulations on exposure to fine particles in the air within a welding hall. To be clear: welding fumes are fine dust!”

The key insights

The exposure limit for welding fumes is 50 times less strict than for fine particles in outdoor air.
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), there is no safe exposure threshold for welding fumes below which one can safely work.
The efficiency standard under European and ISO Standard 21904 is insufficient to guarantee safety limits for components in welding fumes, such as chromium-6.

Trend 1: Current standards permit high exposure levels

Michel explains, “Fine particles are a persistent irritant to the body, leading to health damage on the long-term. Fine particles are considered the third leading cause of lost years of life. European guidelines state that the concentration of fine particles smaller than 2.5 microns should not exceed 20 micrograms per cubic meter.

Welding fumes are also fine particles and up to 20 times smaller. In the Netherlands they have a permissible limit for welding fumes of 1 milligram fine dust per cubic meter. Converted, that’s 1,000 micrograms! So welders are allowed to work for eight hours in an environment with 50 times more fine particles than that is allowed outdoors. In most countries, the limit is even higher (= less strict).”

“There’s no safe threshold for welding fume exposure.”

“You might think that if you comply with this limit, you’re providing your employees with a safe working environment. However, European and national legislation lags behind the latest health insights. Organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the affiliated IARC have standards that are 50 to 150 times stricter than current legal limits. Yet, these insights trickle down to workplaces very slowly because governments lag behind in defining a safer working environment. Companies can hide behind this and often don't know any better.”

“The exposure limit for welding fumes only moves in one direction—downward. In fact, there’s no known safe threshold for welding fumes.”

Trend 2: All welding fumes are carcinogenic, says IARC

Michel Ligthart - Product and International Sales Manager

Michel adds, “There’s a European standard for equipment sold in the market. This ensures compliance with mandatory technical guidelines for safety. The same applies to welding fume extraction equipment. Part of this standard concerns the filtration efficiency of a filter. If dirty air enters your device, the air exiting it must be 99% clean. Under this condition, some countries allow recirculation of filtered air back into the workspace.

Here’s the discrepancy: the standard applies to welding fume extraction in general. However, welding fumes are not a single substance—they’re a mix of substances. The standard doesn’t guarantee compliance with the exposure limits for áll components found in welding fumes. A good example is chromium-6, a proven carcinogen present in welding fumes, which isn’t sufficiently accounted for in the standard.”

“People think they’re welding safely because they comply with the standards, but that does not have to be the case.”

Trend 3: The rise of HEPA filters

Michel notes, “Fortunately, there’s growing awareness about the individual carcinogenic substances in welding fumes. This is also leading to stricter demands for filters. HEPA filters (high-efficiency particulate air filters) are becoming increasingly popular. These filters are so efficient that they can capture at least 99.7% of all particles as small as 0.3 microns. In the U.S., HEPA filters are standard, and Europe is catching up. Using HEPA filters makes it highly likely you’ll also comply with exposure limits for the components in welding fumes.”

“Plymovent believes the legal exposure limits are conservative”

What assurance do you offer welders with Plymovent equipment?

Michel concludes, “Plymovent is more than an equipment supplier—we provide clean air. Of course we comply with all laws and regulations, but we find the current exposure standards in many countries outdated. We advise customers for a safe working environment that goes beyond the legal framework. We mention measures that have been proven to be safe and effective for welders and their colleagues. Because in an industry where it is difficult to find skilled staff, taking health risks is simply not an option.”