IIW History 1990-2015

LINKING PEOPLE, JOINING NATIONS

mean that the unknown, long-term effects of welding on the health of welding operatives

became a serious problem. This was particularly significant in the developing countries

where combating this problem would be less certain due to lack of understanding, both

from a medical and technical viewpoint, and poor training and communication. IIW was to

take advantage of its present status to aggregate and disseminate information such as this on

all aspects of health and safety in welding and its allied industries. In addition, it was well

placed through its authority to provide information on all aspects and safety to the welding

world and also to governmental and legal authorities.

Alongside the role thatC-VIII had toplay incollatingall this information

on possible causes of health impairment in welders, a considerable number

of studies were already being carried out around the world to determine the

effects of welding on a range of medical conditions. Sweden, in particular,

as well as playing a significant role in C-VIII, undertook an epidemiological

study of almost 50 000 welders for 29 years, which found that exposure to

welding fume did not support a relationship between welding and Parkinson’s

disease, or any other degenerative neurological health problems.

The study,

which was funded by the European Union, was also supported by a similar

study in Denmark that did not find any association between welding and

Parkinson’s disease.

A study commissioned by the AWS also found that welders did not have a higher risk

of Parkinson’s disease than the normal population.

Also, a similar disorder, manganism

which was almost identical to Parkinson’s disease, was commonly attributed to being

associated with the presence of manganese-containing particles in fumes from electric arc

welding. The wisest approach, as expounded by McMillan and C-VIII, was to act with

vigour to reduce exposure and monitor the effectiveness of this additional protection

whilst conducting, at the same time, high quality research to allow sound conclusions to

be drawn on the association between manganese and neuro-toxicological disorders.

This

culminated in the release in 2005 of an

IIW Statement on Manganese

by the Board of

Directors summarising the evidence from scientific literature and making recommendations

for the control of exposure and future research.

Through its panel of experts, C-VIII was to be faced with a plethora of information

from medical studies around the world during the 1990s including health risks associated

with brazing and soldering

and the influence of hexavalent chromium and manganese

which, when it is breathed in, can bypass the normal body defence mechanisms resulting

in damage to the lungs, kidneys and the central nervous system.

Hexavalent chromium

was, and still is, considered to be an occupational carcinogen in this form that can attack

lungs, nasal and sinus cavities.

This was not confined to welding per se but could be