Photobiological hazards in shielded metal arc welding.

PURPOSE: Photobiological hazards caused by artificial optical radiation are assessed for the most commonly used arc welding technique, the SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding), which operates with a hand-held system and is widely used both at occupational and domestic environments, expanding our previous investigation of a robotic arc welding process. METHODS: The complex exposure limits of the emitted blue and visible light, ultraviolet and infrared, are assessed through the European Directive 2006/25/EC, using three dedicated sensors set to measure irradiance from various typical welding procedures in the controlled environment (currents, electrodes, etc.) of a welding laboratory. In this sense, field measurements are employed, applying existing policies. Occupational limits are also applicable to the domestic welding. RESULTS: Apart from sub-minute overexposures, which were detected in every spectral band, overexposures in the order of one second were also observed at very close distances, which are common at complex working environments. Investigation of the initial welding procedure, which is often performed without the use of Personal Protective Equipment, revealed exposure of the order of the corresponding limit. CONCLUSIONS: Simulation of a 'bad' welding procedure revealed increased exposure, indicating the importance of training in the occupational environment. Concern for the exposure of near-by workers (working a few meters away from the welding point) is also crucial. Future work needs to incorporate more welding techniques and measurements from original workplaces, in order to set the basis for an integrated risk assessment and provide valuable information concerning occupational diseases.

Occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields. The situation in Greece.

PURPOSE: The management of the occupational exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF), an Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issue of great scientific, social and economic significance, was under intense negotiations at European level over the last twenty years; the Directive 2013/35/EU is the new legislative tool. The presented study deals with the practical aspects of the Directive's implementation. METHODS: The appropriate, extensive measurements and the overall EMF exposure assessments (i.e. exposure mapping, identification of hot spots, proposition of solutions) were conducted in specific workplaces, including power production, railway, broadcasting, clinical Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems, industrial and research sites, as well as common office workplaces. RESULTS: The vast majority of the performed EMF assessments did not reveal occupational overexposures; moreover in most of the cases, even the general public exposure limits (in the above occupational areas) were not exceeded. The very few localized overexposures detected, were manageable on the basis of the technical and organizational OHS principles. On the contrary, the maintenance procedures of the EMF emitting equipment, as recorded in this survey, presented overexposures revealing a challenging field. CONCLUSIONS: This study lays a firm basis for the clarification of the occupational EMF environment, where potential exposures might be high. The proper risk assessment demands precise exposure identification and deep understanding of the EMF nature and hazards. Misconceptions range from the common exposure overestimation to the rarer case of the maintenance hazards underestimation, while attention is needed concerning the proper application of the complex limiting system of the Directive.

Artificial Optical Radiation photobiological hazards in arc welding.

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is associated with crucial social, economic, cultural and technical issues. A highly specialized OHS sector deals with the photobiological hazards from artificial optical radiation (AOR), which is divided into visible light, UV and IR emitted during various activities and which is legally covered by European Directive 2006/25/EC. Among the enormous amount of sources emitting AOR, the most important non-coherent ones to consider for health effects to the whole optical range, are arcs created during metal welding. This survey presents the effort to assess the complicated exposure limits of the Directive in the controlled environment of a welding laboratory. Sensors covering the UV and blue light range were set to measure typical welding procedures reproduced in the laboratory. Initial results, apart from apparently justifying the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) due to even subsecond overexposures measured, also set the basis to evaluate PPE's properties and support an integrated risk assessment of the complex welding environment. These results can also improve workers' and employer's information and training about radiation hazards, which is a crucial OHS demand.