Publication | Closed Access
Welders' Metal Fume Fever
31
Citations
0
References
1974
Year
Occupational ToxicologyMetal Fume FeverFriction WeldingWelding CareerAllergyIndustrial EngineeringCorrosionOccupational Health SciencesWelding ProcessClinical EpidemiologyOccupational DiseaseWeld Pool SolidificationDermatologyPublic HealthMedicineOccupational EpidemiologyEnvironmental ParametersProcess Safety
Two attacks of metal fume fever, the first complicated by pneumonia, are described as they affected a manual arc electric welder. Ten further attacks are analysed for clinical features and welders' environmental parameters. Information collected from the Babcock & Wilcox Welders' Health Programme indicates that 31 per cent of welders aged between 20 and 59 years have had this condition on at least one occasion during their welding career. A further breakdown of the percentage in each 10-year cohort and type of welding carried out is included. A review of literature is followed by a plea for further research into the causal mechanisms involved, with a view to the prevention of this usually short but unpleasant illness.