Bronchial reactions to exposure to welding fumes.

Abstract

Objective-To study the Subjects and methods SUBJECTSSix welders who attended the University of British Columbia Respiratory Clinic for respiratory symptoms between November 1992 to July 1993 were invited to take part in this study. They were all full time manual arc welders. One welder (subject 6) had worked in pulpmills and was "gassed" on several occasions several years after the onset of respiratory symptoms. The remaining five welders did not give a history of being gassed. Subjects 3, 5, and 6 gave a history compatible with metal fume fever in the past.This study was approved by our institution's review board for human studies. All subjects gave written informed consent. SEQUENCE OF TESTINGVisit 1 Interview with skin prick test with common allergens and methacholine challenge test.Visit 2 Manual arc welding on mild steel as a control test. Visit 3Manual arc welding on stainless or galvanised steel. The metal selected for testing was the one that provoked symptoms in the subject tested.All challenge tests (non-specific and specific) were carried out when the subject's asthma was under control and the diurnal variation in peak expiratory flow was less than 10%. They were performed at least one week apart and at the same time of day. The patients were told not to take bronchodilators for at least six hours before challenge testing. They were allowed to continue using inhaled steroids in the same way as before. For the two subjects who had a positive bronchial reaction to a welding challenge test to galvanised metal, skin prick test, patch test, and a challenge test with the salt of the suspected metal were also carried out. ALLERGY SKIN TESTSAllergy skin prick tests were carried out with a battery of 25 common allergens and normal saline and histamine (1 mg/ml) were used as negative and positive controls respectively. A weal diameter 3 mm or greater than the negative control 15 minutes after testing was considered to be a positive reaction.

Occupational Health Problems of Welders in Benin City, Nigeria

“…The effect of noxious welding fumes on the respiratory system have been variously described. [4][5][6][7] It is important to note that none of the welders used any form of nose masks or ear protection; this is probably due to their low perception of the occupational risks to the auditory and respiratory systems. As expected, the proportions of the welders with various health complaints increased over time though there was a minimal decrease among those who had worked for over 21 years.…”

“…Hearing impairment may result from exposure to high noise level produced by the welding machine. Welders are also exposed to noxious metal fumes containing a cocktail of metals like zinc, copper, cobalt, nickel, chromium, platinum, and their oxides leading to various respiratory dysfunctions and to the influenza-like condition known as metal fume fever [4][5][6][7] . There have been reports of carcinogenic and mutagenic effects due to chronic exposure to welding fumes in animals that may be extrapolated to man.…”

Awareness of occupational hazards and utilization of safety measures among welders in kaduna metropolis, Northern Nigeria

“…2,3 Welders are also exposed to noxious metal fumes containing a cocktail of metals like zinc, copper, cobalt, nickel, chromium, platinum, and their oxides leading to various respiratory dysfunctions and influenza-like condition called metal fume fever. [4][5][6][7] Employment of safety measures and practices among welders are important ways of preventing or reducing the levels of health hazards associated with the occupation. While adherence to these precautions is nearly universal in the developed world, little is known about the situation in developing world including Nigeria.…”

Occupational asthma caused by stainless steel welding fumes: a clinical study

“…Several case reports have revealed occupational asthma (OA) in workers welding on common stainless steel [3,4], special stainless steels [5] and painted steel [6], as well as aluminium [7]. According to recent population-based studies, welders run an almost two-fold risk of developing asthma [8,9].…”

“…Thus far, patient series dealing with welding challenge test-positive cases of OA are sparse [3,4], reflecting the fact that these tests are not performed routinely. To date, no analyses of large patient series from clinics of occupational medicine or pulmonology have been published.…”