Welding is a potentially hazardous activity and precautions are required to avoid:

  • electrocution
  • fire and explosion
  • burns
  • electric shock
  • vision damage
  • inhalation of poisonous gases and fumes
  • exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation.

As the PCBU you must manage the risks associated with:

  • using, handling, generating or storing of hazardous chemicals, including ensuring that hazardous chemicals are correctly labelled and that workers can access current Safety Data Sheets. Workers' health should also be monitored.
  • electrical equipment, including ensuring that any unsafe electrical equipment is disconnected from its electricity supply
  • ignition sources in hazardous atmospheres - flammable or combustible substances are to be kept at the lowest practicable quantity
  • musculoskeletal disorders related to hazardous manual tasks
  • working in confined spaces, including entering, working in, on or in the vicinity of a confined space (including a risk of a person inadvertently entering a confined space).

You should consider and implement control measures such as:

  • installing non-flammable screens and partitions
  • using signs to warn that welding is occurring - if welding is being carried out, entry into the work area is not permitted unless safeguards are used
  • providing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including filter shades for goggles, face shields to protect the eyes from radiation, and gloves and other protective clothing to cover exposed skin
  • reducing exposure to fumes and gases.

You must ensure that:

  • you provide any information, training, instruction and supervision necessary to protect all persons from risks (so far as is reasonably practicable)
  • the information, training and instructions are suitable and adequate having regard to the nature of the work and the risks associated with the work
  • the risk control measures, and the training and instruction being provided, are readily understandable
  • no person is exposed to a substance or mixture in an airborne concentration that exceeds the exposure standard for the substance or mixture
  • air monitoring is carried out to determine the airborne concentration of a substance or mixture to which an exposure standard applies
  • work in extremes of heat or cold are able to be carried out without risk to health and safety
  • noise levels do not exceed the exposure standards
  • PPE is provided and selected by ensuring that the equipment is:
    • suitable for the nature of the work and any hazard associated with the work.
    • a suitable size
    • fit and comfortable
    • maintained, repaired or replaced when required and used or worn by the worker.

PCBUs conducting welding activities you should refer to Welding processes - Code of Practice.

Welding fumes

Welding fumes are a complex mixture of hazardous chemicals produced during welding.

Workers undertaking welding processes are at risk of exposure to welding fumes. However, other persons at the workplace may also be exposed to welding fumes.

The workplace exposure standard (WES) for welding fumes (not otherwise classified) has been reduced from 5 mg/m3 to 1 mg/m3.

Visit Safe Work Australia's welding fumes page for more information.

Welding fumes are a complex mixture of hazardous chemicals produced during welding.

The composition of welding fumes depends on factors, including:

  • the welding process,
  • the metal(s) being welded,
  • shielding gases or flux used,
  • the composition of the welding rod, and
  • any contaminants or coatings present on the metal being welded.

In addition to the primary duty to ensure the health and safety of workers and others at the workplace, persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) must ensure that a person at the workplace is not exposed to an airborne contaminant above its workplace exposure standard (WES).

In addition to the WES for total welding fumes, there are also WES for some individual components of welding fumes. As a PCBU, you must determine the composition of welding fumes at your workplace and ensure that no person is exposed to a level above the WES for the individual components of welding fumes, as well as the WES for total welding fumes.

Certain gases and vapours may also be released during welding processes. You must also ensure that no person at the workplace is exposed to level of these contaminants above their respective WES.

The Welding processes - Code of Practice includes a list of chemicals that may be produced during welding processes.

If you are uncertain about whether a person at the workplace would be exposed to an airborne contaminant from welding processes above the relevant WES (total welding fumes or individual chemicals), you must conduct air monitoring.

Further information on WES is available in the Guidance on the Interpretation of Workplace Exposure Standards for Airborne Contaminants.

The WES for welding fumes represents the concentration of total welding fumes within a worker’s breathing zone.

Workers must not be exposed to levels of total welding fumes greater than 1 mg/m3 over an eight-hour working day, based on a five-day working week.

WHS ministers agreed in January 2024 to an immediate reduction to the WES for welding fumes from an eight-hour time weighted average of 5 mg/m3 to 1 mg/m3.

The reduction will better protect workers from the adverse health effects associated with welding fumes, such as lung cancer.

Exposure standards should not be considered as representing an acceptable level of exposure. They establish a statutory maximum upper limit. To comply with the WHS legislation you must take all reasonably practicable steps to eliminate or minimise the risks from exposure to welding fumes, not just ensuring that exposure is below the WES.

If you are a PCBU (for example, an employer or small business owner), you may need to implement additional control measures  to ensure that no person is exposed to a level of welding fumes (total and individual components) above the WES .

Here are four things PCBUs can do to help protect workers from exposure to welding fumes:

  1. Identify the hazardous components in welding fumes at your workplace. 
    1. This can come from air monitoring data or from the safety data sheets for the welding rods, if available.
    2. Arrange for air monitoring if you are uncertain which components are produced and whether the relevant WES would be exceeded.
  2. Assess the risk of welding fumes at your workplace. 
    1. This includes consideration of the processes and work environment, observing the nature of work and consulting with workers about work activities that may lead to fume exposure, as well as reviewing incident reports.
  3. Review the control measures you have in place to eliminate or minimise your workers’ exposure to welding fumes.
  4. Talk to your workers and any health and safety representatives (HSRs) about the reduced WES, how it might impact your workplace, including changes to control measures and any training your workers might need.

For more information about managing the risk associated with welding, see the Welding processes - Code of Practice

Maintaining a safe workplace is everyone’s responsibility. PCBUs are required under WHS laws to ensure workers are informed on any workplace exposure risks and the measures they may need to take to remain safe while at work. Workers must take reasonable care for their own health.

As a PCBU, you should talk your workers about:

  • the adverse health effects from exposure to welding fumes and other chemicals produced during welding,
  • the reduction of the WES for welding fumes will better protect workers from adverse health effects, including lung cancer, and
  • any changes to the control measures to ensure that they are not exposed to levels of welding fumes above the WES.

Workers are encouraged to consult with their PCBU and/or HSR on what the WES change may mean in their workplace.

Laser welding

Radiation hazards emitted from electric arc and laser welding have the potential to cause eye disorders and skin burns such as 'arc eye' or 'welder's flash'.

Radiation from laser welding is less obvious than from electric welding arcs, but both are serious hazards. Workers directly involved in welding processes are at the greatest risk but other workers could also be exposed to harmful radiation.

Gasses and fumes

Cylinders of compressed and liquefied gases contain large volumes under high pressure. Precautions need to be taken when storing, handling and using cylinders.

The hazards associated with compressed and liquefied gases include fire, explosion, toxicity, asphyxiation, oxidisation and uncontrolled release of pressure. Leaking gas is usually recognised by odour. However, oxygen is odourless and potentially more hazardous.

Lead processing

If you are a PCBU that carries out lead processes, you must provide information about the lead process to a person who is likely to be carrying out the lead process, before they are engaged, and before they commence carrying out the lead process.

Review of processes

Workplaces and work environments can change as new hazards are introduced or when current hazards are eliminated.

Therefore, you should regularly review your welding processes, in consultation with your workers and the Code, to ensure they remain adequate and effective in managing associated risks.

Further information

Breathe freely in welding - Breathe Freely Australia

Managing risks of hazardous chemicals in the workplace - Code of Practice

Managing noise and preventing hearing loss at work - Code of Practice

Confined spaces - Code of Practice

Workplace Exposure Standards for welding fumes

Welding  Fumes - Safe Work Australia