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Hazardous substances in welding and allied processes are the inhalable/respirable substances generated, which are absorbed by the human body (Fig. 1.1). At a certain concentration, these substances may cause a risk to health.

To determine the health and safety program required to protect welder workers, an evaluation of workplace hazards which complies with national, regional or international health and safety regulations (e.g. labour protection law), shall be completed.

Any predominant hazardous substance is called a key component (for a specific combination of process and material). A main component of the welding fume is a component of occupational medical importance, the percentage of which in the welding fume is not predominant, i.e., this component is no key component of the welding fume. Main components shall not be equated with key components.

Despite considerable technical and organisational efforts, full protection from the effects of hazardous substances cannot be attained under today’s operating conditions. Therefore, it is necessary and beyond dispute that, for some operations, necessary technical prevention should be accompanied by preventive occupational medical care. The purpose is avoidance and early detection especially of chronic diseases.

In order to minimise the health hazard to the welder by hazardous substances at the workplace, technical, organisational and—in certain situations—also personal protective measures shall be implemented according to the applicable regulations. The efficiency of the implemented protective measures shall be checked by verification of their efficiency.

The effects can be considered on the basis of the structure of welding fumes (see also Sect. 2.2), as they are gaseous or in the form of particulate matters.

Epidemiological studies and animal tests with ultrafine particles non specifically connected with welding are in principle inhalation tests with rats or other rodents exposed to diesel soot, to technical soot and other particles to evaluate the effect of the size of particles independent of the chemical composition. They show that, depending on the particle surface in contact with the lung, inflammatory, fibrotic (hardening of the lung tissue) or carcinogenic effects may occur.

To minimise the health hazard to the welder posed by hazardous substances encountered in the workplace, engineering, administrative organisational and—in certain situations—personal protective measures, shall be implemented. The effectiveness of the implemented protective measures shall be verified.