IIW History 1990-2015

This came at an appropriate time since C-VIII was to hold a joint meeting with Commission II Arc Welding and Filler M e tals (C-II) regarding a 2nd Round Robin series on the measurement of fume generation rates conducted by ISO/TC 44/SC9 for ISO 15011-4 Fume Data Sheets that underlined the influence of arc voltage being set subjectively by the welders. The saga of tungsten thoriated electrodes, if one can call it that, continued with The Netherlands confirming that they had banned their use, and with Japan indicating that they were likely to prohibit their use also. 33 In review, there was a tremendous commitment by C-VIII to understanding the role of constituents in the fume generated by arc processes and the effect that the constituents of the base metal had on causing potential health problems in welders. One mustn’t lose sight of the fact that C-VIII was also involved in many other safety and health issues, such as the effect of ultraviolet light on the eyesight of welders. Optical radiation was assuming greater importance over recent years with the involvement of Dr F. Marini, who at that time was one of the few medical doctors on C-VIII, in a major French study Vision and Welding . Other issues of importance to health and safety included welders’ exposure to electromagnetic fields and the classification of exposure limits. C-VIII explored relationships with other organisations such as the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) and had involvement through its members in the Multinational European Project ECONWELD, which looked at aspects of safety and health in such areas as ergonomics, smart helmets with sensors, optimum welder comfort, airflow of helmets, shape and weight of welding torches and gas selection. Welding fume was important but so were a lot of other safety issues impacting on the health of the welder that could not be disregarded. C-VIII, in addition to its wide-ranging brief, was also addressing new areas such as hazards in the cutting and welding of plastics, fibre reinforced polymers and the development of a weldable zinc-free primer. The new Chair, Costa, with a background in welding

HEALTH SAFETY & THE ENVIRONMENT of active involvement across the board when he presented a document on the new European limits and standards for exposure to fume in welding. The first of these two reports resonated substantially with similar work being done by the SC-ENV to create a framework to enable IIW engineering, was also to extend the Commission’s interests into other areas with his work on Guidelines for Health and Safety Management in Welded Fabrications which was eventually published as an ISOTechnical Report. 34 Costa also displayed signs

Luca Costa