As of February 2019, all individuals and organisations involved in welding activities—whether employers, employees, the self-employed, or contractors—must ensure effective protection against exposure to welding fumes. This follows updated scientific evidence from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, which confirms that welding fume can cause lung cancer and may also be linked to kidney cancer.
The Workplace Health Expert Committee has supported the reclassification of mild steel welding fume as a human carcinogen. As a result, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has strengthened its enforcement expectations. General ventilation is no longer considered adequate to control exposure, even for mild steel welding.
Exposure to certain welding fumes, such as those from galvanised steels, can also cause metal fume fever. Therefore, all welding work—regardless of material or duration—must include suitable control measures.
Required Controls:
- For indoor welding: Employers must implement effective engineering controls such as Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV).
- If LEV is not enough: Supplement with adequate and suitable Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE).
- For outdoor welding: RPE must be used, as LEV is generally not practical in these environments.
- Training: Welders must be properly instructed and trained in how to use all control measures, including RPE.
There is no known safe level of exposure to welding fumes. The HSE now expects all welding to be conducted with proper exposure control in place, regardless of how long the task takes.
Risk assessments should be updated to reflect these changes and must include a comprehensive RPE programme. This should cover:
- Suitable product selection
- Face fit testing
- Regular inspection
- Ongoing maintenance
- Proper cleaning and storage
Where RPE is required, the HSE outlines a minimum Assigned Protection Factor (APF) of 20.
For further details, refer to the HSE Safety Bulletin: STSU1 - 2019 and relevant COSHH advice sheets on welding, cutting, and surface preparation.
Key points:
- All welding activities now require exposure control measures—no exceptions.
- Mild steel fume is classified as a human carcinogen.
- Indoor welding must use LEV; outdoor welding requires RPE.
- RPE must provide an APF of at least 20.
- Risk assessments and training must reflect current guidance.
If you need further support, please contact our Technical Support Team using the email: technical@jspsafety.com or contact us via WhatsApp.
HSE: COSHH advice sheets: welding, cutting and surface preparation >>