ABSTRACT
There are two principle types of welding, arc and gas welding. Welding poses both a safety and health risk to over 562,000 workers, who are exposed to both the physical and chemical hazards of welding. The number of fatalities accredited to welding average approximately 60 per year. This risk of fatal injury is more than four per thousand workers over a working lifetime. For construction workers, welders flash (burn to the eyes) account for 5.6% of all construction eye injuries, and in Alberta Canada 21% of workers’ compensation claims for eye injuries were to welders.
