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Plaintiffs in welding fume litigation cases may be able to benefit from a resolution fund.
Exposure to welding fumes is a high-risk occupational hazard and often the subject of legal pursuits.
Now a US District Judge has set up a fund for a $21.5 million settlement in a multidistrict litigation over the hazardous effects of welding fumes.
The Welding Fume Resolution Fund created by Judge Kathleen M. O’Malley is overseen by a fund administrator, who can determine how the money is dispersed, in accordance with Law360.
The multidistrict litigation involved almost 100 lawsuits, and another 700 or more were pending in other state or federal courts.
The plaintiffs in these lawsuits sought compensation for allegedly developing brain damage after exposure to dangerous welding fumes containing manganese from welding rods.
What are the effects of manganese?
Manganese poisoning (also known as manganism or “welders’ disease”) is caused by excessive exposure to the chemical element manganese (Mn), which is an essential component in iron and steel production.
The disease is sometimes mistaken for Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or multiple sclerosis.
Manganese poisoning has been the subject of a number of product liability suits brought by welders who claim that manufacturers failed to warn that their products could cause welding fumes to contain dangerously high manganese concentrations.
The MDL agreement was reached earlier this year and affects many of these plaintiffs trying to get some justice in court.
Source: Sokolove Law
Welding fume extractors can remove dangerous chemicals, gases
Welding is an important part of many business processes, but keeping workers’ health and safety in mind has to be of utmost importance.
One of Electrocorp’s welding fume extractors with source capture.
Electrocorp has developed industrial strength air cleaners for welding fume extraction that can handle the different chemicals, gases and toxins present in welding fumes.
The welding fume extractors contain a deep-bed activated carbon filter for gaseous pollutants, a source capture attachment for protection right where it’s needed and other filters for maximum overall dependability.
Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.
Related articles
- Study looks at effects of manganese on the brain (electrocorpairpurification.wordpress.com)
- Welding can lead to increased clumsiness, study shows
- Toxicologists continue to see people with metal fume fever
Welders can be exposed to toxic fumes - but manganese can affect the public as well
In a new study, Penn State College of Medicine researchers try to understand the effects of metal manganese on brain functions.
They aim to expand on the insights of a previous, smaller scale study, which looked at welders specifically, since they are often exposed to manganese in the welding fumes.
But the general population should also be aware of manganese and its effects, the researchers say, since we may all be exposed to the toxin through gasoline additives and the burning of fossil fuels.
According to research, very low concentrations of manganese are essential for life, but high levels of exposure quickly become toxic for humans.
In the previous study on welders, the researchers found a link between exposures to manganese-containing welding fumes and decreased motor performance.
Technical advances make it easier for the researchers to study the effects of manganese exposure in the brain, so they are hoping to see how manganese affects the general population.
The study has received funding from the National Institute of Environmental Sciences.
Source: Gettysburg Times
Reduce exposure to welding fumes and other occupational hazards
Welders have to make sure they don’t breathe in too many welding fumes, which have been shown to be toxic.
Along with the usual precautionary measures (including good ventilation and personal protective equipment), Electrocorp’s industrial-strength welding fume extractorscan help reduce exposures.
Welding fume extractors help remove dangerous toxins.
The welding fume extractors feature the most effective activated carbon blends for the removal of toxic chemicals, gases and fumes, the deepest carbon beds for more efficient adsorption and easy-to-use source capture attachments for more accurate toxin removal.
Electrocorp also features other air cleaners for a wide range of commercial and industrial applications, which contain activated carbon and HEPA air filters.
Contact Electrocorp for more information.
Related articles
- Welding can lead to increased clumsiness, study shows (electrocorpairpurification.wordpress.com)
- Toxicologists continue to see people with metal fume fever
Welding can expose workers to toxic fumes and particulate matter.
A new study shows that former welders who were exposed to manganese from welding fumes have a risk of developing increased clumsiness.
The effects last long after the exposure has stopped, according to the study of former shipyard workers in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Previous research has linked exposure to manganese and welding fumes to effects on the central nervous system, but this study focused on the long-term effects on fine motor skills.
The welders in the study underwent several tests that measured their manual dexterity and motor speed, eye-hand coordination, tremor and balance. The results were compared to the results of other shipyard workers that did not do any welding.
Those participants that had a higher total manganese exposure showed a poorer performance, the study authors say, giving reason to believe there is a lasting effect of manganese exposure.
What is manganese?
Manganese is a naturally occurring metal in the environment and human bodies, where it aids in the turnover of carbohydrates and fats.
Workers who are exposed to high concentrations of manganese over a considerable time can develop a condition called manganism, a disease with symptoms similar to Parkinson disease.
Experts say that many welders may be regularly exposed to high-risk levels of manganese that exceed official exposure limits.
Source: Health Canal
Source capture air cleaners for welding applications
Electrocorp fume extractors offer a high-draw solution to welding smoke and fumes.
Welding fume extractors help remove dangerous toxins.
The portable fume extractors feature at-the-source protection for removing airborne chemicals, vapors, fumes and smoke directly from the workstation.
The air cleaners feature 2″ HEPA fume filters that capture airborne smoke particles and a 40 lb. deep-bed activated carbon filter for chemicals, gases and smoke odor.
The fume extractors are ideal for MIG, TIG, arc and robotic welding.
Contact Electrocorp for more information.
Related articles
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Welders need to protect themselves from dangerous fumes.
The students enrolled in the welding program at Washington’s Columbia Basin College learned a tough lesson this week about the importance of proper ventilation and adequate protection against welding fumes.
Their lab was shut down after several students were affected by welding fumes that were not vented properly.
After working in the lab, students reported
- A metallic taste in the mouth
- Visible fumes that lingered
- Sore throat
- Other symptoms and complaints
Welding can produce noxious fumes from the metal, the coatings, residues and solvents, many of which have been linked to short-term and long-term health effects.
The university is installing new metal hoods to improve ventilation.
Source: NBC News
Portable welding fume extractors can help protect welders
Electrocorp has designed a customizable line of welding fume extraction air cleaners with a spark arrestor, flexible arm and source capture attachment that can remove chemicals, fumes, gases, odors and particles.
The activated carbon and HEPA filtration system combines the most efficient filter media for enhanced protection against harmful fumes.
Contact Electrocorp and ask about our different models and customizable options.
Related articles
- Occupational risk: Welding in underground spaces (electrocorpairpurification.wordpress.com)
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Underground welding operations produce dangerous fumes.
Welding creates harmful fumes that should be vented to protect workers – but what if a person works in a difficult-to-vent spot, like a subway station or any other kind of tunnel or underground structure?
Studies have shown that the levels of pollutants generally stay below established safety limits. Still, the toxins are there, and research is lacking in terms of health effects due to long-term exposure to these toxins.
At least two studies completed in Paris and Seoul have found that toxic pollutants like manganese and chromium can be present in the ambient air of underground transport systems and pose a health risk to workers who spend a lot of time there, according to an in-depth article published by Science Line.
The effects might also be felt by vulnerable populations (i.e. asthmatics, the elderly, children and older subway workers), and it is certainly a consideration for the thousands of workers who work underground every day, including those repairing equipment, driving the trains and welding the tracks.
A New York study found that the level of pollutants in subway stations could be 100 worse than the levels measured outside. One major contaminant is steel dust with tiny metal particles.
Steel welding also creates toxic fumes like hexavalent chromium, one of the most carcinogenic substances known to man.
Source: Science Line
Use portable fume extractors in underground welding operations
Welding fume extractors help remove dangerous toxins.
Electrocorp’s line of portable fume extractors removes the widest range of pollutants at the source with an industrial-strength activated carbon + HEPA filtration systemand flexible source capture arm.
They adsorb gases and chemicals in a deep bed of activated carbon, using 40 to 80 pounds of this efficient filtration media.
The HEPA filter and pre-filters remove 99.97% of dust particles at 0.3 microns.
The units are designed for TIG, MIG and arc welding operations and they feature a spark arrestor and custom carbon blends.
Contact Electrocorp for more information: 1.866.667.0297.
