Confined space ventilation by shipyard welders: observed use and effectiveness

Details

• Personal Author:
  Croteau GA ; Neitzel RL ; Pouzou JG ; Seixas, Noah S. ; Warner C ; Yost MG
• Description:
  Shipbuilding involves intensive welding activities within enclosed and confined spaces, and although ventilation is commonly used in the industry, its use and effectiveness has not been adequately documented. Workers engaged in welding in enclosed or confined spaces in two shipyards were observed for their use of ventilation and monitored for their exposure to particulate matter. The type of ventilation in use, its placement and face velocity, the movement of air within the space, and other ventilation-related parameters were recorded, along with task characteristics such as the type of welding, the welder's position, and the configuration of the space. Mechanical ventilation was present in about two-thirds of the 65 welding scenarios observed, with exhaust ventilation used predominantly in one shipyard and supply blowers predominantly in the other. Welders were observed working in apparent dead-spaces within the room in 53% of the cases, even where ventilation was in use. Respiratory protection was common in the two shipyards, observed in use in 77 and 100% of the cases. Welding method, the proximity of the welder's head to the fume, and air mixing were found to be significantly associated with the welder's exposure, while other characteristics of dilution ventilation did not produce appreciable differences in exposure level. These parameters associated with exposure reduction can be assessed subjectively and are thus good candidates for training on effective ventilation use during hot work in confined spaces. Ventilation used in confined space welding is often inadequate for controlling exposure to welding fume. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Confined Spaces Dust Environmental Monitoring Metals Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Ships Staff Development Ventilation Welding Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Airborne-particles Confined-spaces Control-equipment Employee-exposure Exhaust-ventilation Exposure-assessment Fumes Metal-dusts Metal-fumes Particulates Shipyard-industry Shipyard-workers Shipyards Training Welders Welding-industry Workplace-monitoring Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  0003-4878
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Michigan ; OSHA Region 10 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  116-121
• Volume:
  59
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045094
• Citation:
  Ann Occup Hyg 2015 Jan; 59(1):116-121
• Contact Point Address:
  Jane G. Pouzou, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• Performing Organization:
  University of Washington, Seattle
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20100901
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of Occupational Hygiene
• End Date:
  20140831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:65900e15c48892c6db3459c1a2c15c96656b1ecdfe0210a8938fa152dba363b98562ed7f64c24e83531517e06b3bc63e7cf1038291afd2763281ee9fd6d203c2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/200622/cdc_200622_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 595.46 KB ]