Welding Rods and Welding Blankets Causing Asbestos Cancer
The state and federal governments began to limit the uses of asbestos in welding applications in the 1980s. There are approximately 750,000 people in the United States who are welders now or were at one time doing welding jobs with asbestos exposure. Today, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is attempting to further restrict asbestos exposure that may harm welders and other workers in the construction, automotive, and shipbuilding industries.
Asbestos in Welding Rods and Welding Blankets
Welding can provide several opportunities for asbestos exposure. The two major asbestos cancer risks in welding are:
- when welding rods that have asbestos as an ingredient are burned
- when welding blankets (used to protect workers from sparks) are ignited, releasing fumes with asbestos
Asbestos Products Still on the Shelf?
Welding rods (the small bars of metal that are burned to weld other parts together) often had asbestos as a component, and literally millions of asbestos-containing welding rods were sold before strict asbestos regulations were implemented. Many of these welding rods may still be “on the shelf,” with the potential to cause asbestos cancer illness and even deaths among welders.
Welding blankets were often made with a heavy content of asbestos, since asbestos is highly fire-resistant. However, asbestos welding blankets are not completely fireproof.
Causing Asbestos Cancer Diseases
Such dangerous aspects of welding, with asbestos exposure that may have occurred on a frequent basis for years or more as part of someone's occupation, may well have resulted in an asbestos cancer disease - mesothelioma cancer, lung cancer, other organ cancers, or asbestosis.
The link between asbestos and cancer was known for many years before the asbestos regulations were finally put into effect, but many workers were not informed of the risks. They may have spent years helping construct ships, buildings or machinery by welding with materials that were actually poisoning them.
Learn More about Welding and Asbestos Cancer
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with an asbestos disease, it's in your best interest to learn all that you can about the medical consequences. Contact mesothelioma treatment centers for more information about occupational exposure to asbestos.
