Welder and Flame Cutter Asbestos Exposure

The welding process is "a materials joining process which produces coalescence of materials by heating them to suitable temperatures with or without the application of pressure or by the application of pressure alone and with or without the use of filler material". 

A welder, of course, is one who is involved in the welding process.  There are many different kinds of welding processes employed for different kinds of jobs, including soldering, arc welding, brazing, resistance welding, and solid state welding. 

Flame cutting equipment uses an oxygen gas flame to heat metals in preparation for cutting them. Flame cutters operate this equipment.

The process of welding played an important part in building the skyscrapers and other magnificent buildings of the 20th century and was integral in the building of ships through the decades.  Welding allowed ships and other structures to be built more quickly and efficiently, therefore saving time and money.

Welders/Flame-cutters and Asbestos

Prior to the health warnings of the 1970s, welders were exposed to many products that contained asbestos.  For example, welding rods were made of or contained asbestos and these rods produced dangerous fumes when in use.  Therefore, the smoke that was produced during the welding processed contained particles of asbestos which were, in turn, inhaled by the welders and possibly those working around them.  At the end of the process, excess material may have needed to be grinded down, producing yet more asbestos dust.

While welders often wore goggles to protect their eyes, most did not wear face masks to halt the inhalation of fibers.  What they did wear, however, was heat-resistant protective clothing, which was often made of asbestos.  Due to its exemplary heat- and fire-resistant qualities, asbestos was used to make aprons, coats, gloves, and even face masks.  Welders also wrapped asbestos blankets around the area of the weld as a way to protect themselves and others from the heat. The fraying of any of these items may have resulted in asbestos inhalation.

Were you or a love one employed as a welder or flame-cutter?  Have you or that special person in your life been diagnosed with mesothelioma or some other asbestos-related disease?  If that’s the case, you’ll want to be sure to protect your legal rights as an individual who was exposed to asbestos on the job.  For more information about your legal recourse and about mesothelioma in general, order our free Mesothelioma Resource Kit.