An evaluation of welding processes to reduce hexavalent chromium exposures and reduce costs by using better welding techniques

Details

• Personal Author:
  Keane MJ
• Description:
  A group of stainless steel arc welding processes was compared for emission rates of fume and hexavalent chromium, and costs per meter length of weld. The objective was to identify those with minimal emissions and also compare relative labor and consumables costs. The selection included flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), shielded-metal arc welding (SMAW), and multiple gas metal arc welding (GMAW) processes. Using a conical chamber, fumes were collected, and fume generation rates and hexavalent chromium (Cr(6+)) were measured. GMAW processes used were short-circuit (SC) and pulsed-spray modes. Flux-cored welding used gas shielding. Costs were estimated per meter of a 6.3-mm thick horizontal butt weld. Emission rates of Cr(6+) were lowest for GMAW processes and highest for SMAW; several GMAW processes had less than 2% of the SMAW generation rate. Labor and consumable costs for the processes studied were again highest for SMAW, with those of several GMAW types about half that cost. The results show that use of any of the GMAW processes (and flux-cored welding) could substantially reduce fume and Cr(6+) emissions, and greatly reduce costs relative to SMAW. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Chromium Environmental Exposure Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Metals Occupational Health Safety Welding
• Keywords:
  Arc-welding Author Keywords: Welding Exposure-chambers Fumes Gas-welders Hexavalent-chromium-compounds Hexavalent Chromium Industrial-exposures Industrial-processes Measurement-equipment Metal-fumes Stainless-steel Welding Fume

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• ISSN:
  1178-6302
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  HELD - Health Effects Laboratory Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  47-50
• Volume:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045700
• Citation:
  Environ Health Insights 2014 Dec; 8(Suppl 1):47-50
• Contact Point Address:
  Michael J. Keane, Health Effects Laboratory Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505, USA
• Email:
  mjk3@cdc.gov
• CAS Registry Number:
  Chromium(6+) (CAS RN 18540-29-9) ; Stainless Steel (CAS RN 12597-68-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2015
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Environmental Health Insights
• Supplement:
  1
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:aee7d64fdf472816c85e6d124da0f4ecce8f860261e2644069a922e9968dd17ada17e89224ebf473834057684142ba616841bcd77f8287f0580b48c35faba8e7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/201017/cdc_201017_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 378.12 KB ]