Assessment of welding fume impacts in a confined workplace by two extraction patterns — a case study of small-scale manufacturing industries

Welding fume exposure at work is recognized as a known concern for public health. This study aims to assess the welding fumes produced during welding using two different extraction patterns and to compare their influences. A thorough assessment of domestic arc welders in the erode district of India was done to assess their exposure to welding gases. The survey results chose the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process for future investigation. The stainless-steel grade SS 316 L was used in this study. To weld 3-mm, 5-mm, and 6-mm-thick stainless-steel specimens, ER316 L filler wire and four shielding gas compositions were used. Two distinct, cost-effective welding hoods with a square duct section and a conical duct section were constructed to examine welding gases. The produced fume was collected on a 240 mm glass fibre filter and re-weighted during welding. Gas flow rates of 5, 10, and 15 LPM were investigated, with current intensities of 150A, 200A, and 275A. A novel attempt has been made to compare fume formation rates (FFR) obtained using two extraction patterns. According to this investigation, weld fume hoods with conical duct sections extract more welding gases than square duct sections. The extraction rate using two extraction patterns was compared. Furthermore, the addition of CO 2 to any shielding gas mixture results in a higher fume formation rate. The experimental FFR values were quite close to the American Welding Society (AWS) specifications. This finding also revealed that welders’ socio-demographic characteristics, such as age, marital status, level of education, and work experience, influenced their awareness of occupational hazards and personal protection equipment (PPEs). As a result, there should be a strong emphasis on hazard identification education and strict enforcement of proper PPEs use among small-scale welders in and around the erode district to protect welders from a variety of hazards.