Welders face greater lung cancer risk than general population: study

Welders present a 43% increased risk of lung cancer, on average, compared with those who have never been a welder or exposed to welding fumes, according to a recent study. The study — published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine in 2019 — calculated the lung cancer risk posed by welding or welding fume exposure. Elevated lung cancer risk in welders had previously been identified in a 2017 literature review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which led the organisation to upgrade welding fumes from ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ to ‘carcinogenic to humans’; however, the amount of risk had not been determined.

For the 2019 study, Manoj Kumar Honaryar and his team performed a meta-analysis of over 35 studies with more than 16 million participants from 1954 to 2017, finding that welding fume exposure elevated lung cancer risk, regardless of the welding method — arc versus gas — or the type of metal being welded — such as mild or stainless steel. The risk further increased with longer employment as a welder, according to the study. It was also found that welders’ lung cancer risk increased independently of asbestos exposure and tobacco smoking, despite reportedly smoking more than the general population and possible asbestos exposure at shipyards or in different types of insulation and heat-protective material, such as gloves and blankets, in the past.

Research and manufacturing company 3M has since released a white paper to help raise awareness of this risk and ways to reduce it. Welders and employers need to recognise Australia and New Zealand’s welding fume exposure standards “do not identify a dividing line between a healthy or unhealthy working environment”, but rather, “establish a statutory maximum upper limit”, the white paper warned. Control measures such as extract ventilation and personal protective equipment (PPE) — including Australian standard AS/NZS 1715:2012 compliant respirators — can help protect workers from welding fume exposure. Employers should consult welders when selecting PPE to ensure it is suitable, the white paper recommended. Welders should be supplied with information, training and instruction on proper PPE use and maintenance. The full white paper is titled ‘2020 welding fume update: The current state of play’ and is freely available via the website of 3M Australian wholesaler AWS: https://www.awsi.com.au/welding-safety-white-papers.

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