[Risk assessment of welders' exposure to total fume in an automobile industry]

ABSTRACT

Risk assessment of Toxic or hazardous chemicals enables the Industrial Hygienists to make the appropriate decision in providing healthy work place. This project was conducted in an assembling plant, [4workshop] of an Automobile Industry in IRAN with 2 types of welding operations, including GMAW [CO[2] welding] and Spot resistance welding operations. Welders exposures were assessed via collecting 143 breathing zone air samples based on NIOSH 0500 method. Risk assessment was carried out using Singapore recommended method. Finding showed that the mean of welders exposure in GMAW and Spot resistance welding operations 5.61 +/- 5.78 and 2.38 +/- 2.15 mg/m[3], respectively [p<0.05]. The results showed that in GMAW welders had the high exposure in comparison with Spot resistance welders [p<0.05]. The findings also demonstrated that the risk rate of GMAW welders were high, while this rate for Spot resistance was low. More hygienic attention is needed for GTAW welders. Control approaches are required including effective engineering control, conduct air monitoring, biological monitoring training, adopt respiratory protection program, develop and implement safe and correct work procedures and finally reassess the risk after all the controls have been done