AsbestosAsbestos Industry
Who is at Risk?Welders
History and Background
The term "welders" refers to people whose work revolves around permanently attaching metal parts together in many areas of society, including among others: construction, the building of ships, aircraft and automobiles. These men and women apply a great deal of heat to the certain parts, melting some of the metal in a process that fuses the pieces together.
For over two thousand years there have been ways through which two different pieces of metal are joined together. The main method was the pounding two heated sheets together, typified by the stereotypical blacksmith. It was in the twentieth century where great advancements were made in what is now called "welding". The construction of high rise buildings, as well as the military build up for two world wars, led to developments that allowed welders to attach large pieces of metal using different processes. More technology was available, coupled with more ambitious projects led to better and better welding techniques. Today there are many different methods that all fall under the scope of "welding".
For example, arc welding involves creating an electric arc of current between the base material and an electrode that melts metals at the specific welding point. Resistance welding involves passing a current through two or more metal surfaces briefly melting the metal, thus allowing it to bond together. A popular form of resistance welding is spot welding. A newer form of welding is called energy beam welding that involves using a laser beam or an electron beam to send a high powered energy current through the metals thus welding them together.
Soldering is a similar process though it uses a form of metal with a lower melting point that is heated until it melts thus creating a bond between the two pieces. Soldering is usually small pieces of metal and electronic equipment.
Tasks Putting Welders at Risk for Asbestos Exposure
Performing their jobs oftentimes put welders at risk for exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been used for centuries as a form of insulation as well as a compound in construction because it is strong and heat resistant. It is now known to be very dangerous and could cause severe health problems, as listed below.
When welding large pieces together, filling a joint, or fixing a crack, welders often used products that contained asbestos. For example, welding rods are known to have contained asbestos and were even coated with asbestos. During the weld, smoke would be thrown in the air, though it was not actually smoke but minute particles of the materials that were being welded, including asbestos as well as nickel and chromium. If this smoke is breathed in, it could be harmful to one's health. Also, once the weld is complete, the welders have to grind down the excess material again throwing dust particles in the air. Two companies that have acknowledged using asbestos in their welding rods are: the Lincoln Electric Company and the Hobart Brothers Company.
Welders were also exposed to asbestos through some of their clothing and protective gear. They often wore gloves made with asbestos in order to ward off the intense heat. They also wrapped asbestos blankets around the area of the weld as a way to protect themselves and others from the heat. If these blankets or gloves or any other material became frayed, the asbestos particles would get into the air again causing health problems.
Welders At Risk for Mesothelioma and Other Asbestos Diseases
By the mid 1970s, strong evidence was uncovered regarding the health dangers associated with prolonged exposure to asbestos. Many who had worked with asbestos for extended periods of time were coming down with pulmonary diseases (such as mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis) from breathing asbestos dust.
The asbestos related diseases include:
- Mesothelioma: a type of cancer only caused by asbestos exposure that attacks the lining around the lungs and/or heart and/or abdomen. This cancer is not in the organs themselves, though untreated it will spread. The most common form is pleural mesothelioma (lung lining), then peritoneal mesothelioma (stomach lining), and then pericardial mesothelioma (heart lining).
- Asbestos Related Lung Cancer: while lung cancer can come from numerous sources, asbestos exposure can lead to the formation of a malignant tumor that blocks the air passages (common for smokers who were exposed to asbestos).
- Asbestosis: a pulmonary condition, only caused by exposure to asbestos, where scar tissue builds up in the lungs causing breathing problems and low blood flow.
The diseases associated with asbestos are similar in that their symptoms often do not appear for many years after exposure. It is not uncommon for someone to develop lung cancer after a 10 year lag between onset and initial exposure. Asbestosis and mesothelioma often do not become apparent for nearly 30 or 40 years after the initial exposure to asbestos. Common symptoms include: difficulty breathing, chest pains, a dry hacking cough that sometimes contained blood. These diseases are usually fatal.
The health problems associated with asbestos were not just isolated to people who worked with the product. The asbestos dust would spread easily through the air putting workers who never used it at risk. Also, many family members were at risk as well because workers would return home with the dust on their clothes, shoes and even hair.
