Cladding Contractors Warned Over Cancer-Causing Welding Rules

AN INSURER IS WARNING cladding and other contractors to review how welding is carried out, a year on after new Health and Safety regulations were released.

The new measures were introduced with immediate effect in February 2019, giving contractors little notice or time to prepare.

The stricter rules for welding were put in place to increase protection for workers from cancer-causing welding fumes.

Evidence from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) showed that exposure to mild steel-welding fumes can cause lung and possibly kidney cancer in workers, with the HSE estimating that 40-50 workers are hospitalised each year due to breathing in metal fumes.

New regulations

The regulations state that if a contractor is working indoors then welding fumes must be removed by at-source fume extraction and those working outside will need to wear respiratory protection equipment.

Evidence has shown that any mild steel welding can put a worker at risk from serious side effects regardless of the amount of time they are welding.

Richard Forrest Smith, CEO, ECIC, said: “Contractors involved in welding activity had almost no notice of these new rules but that would be little defence in the eyes of HSE.  Now we are one year on, we would urge contractors to ensure they are meeting the required standards and, where necessary, make changes in practice to comply with the new laws.

“Contractors have a duty of care to ensure workers have a high level of protection, but those companies failing to comply with these regulations risk a heavy fine and possible prosecution, along with serious consequences for their reputation and balance sheet.

“Ensuring that risk assessments are updated to reflect the required changes in control measures can help decrease that risk.  This in turn can help reduce insurance claims which impact insurance costs for everyone in the building services sector.”