As an industry leader in North America, we’ve been supplying welding fume extraction solutions since the 1980s. This blog post will outline the exposure limits in Quebec for some of the most prevalent hazardous metals and gases in welding fumes.
Fumes occur when a metal is heated past its boiling point, and its vapors solidify into very fine particles. These particles are sized from 0.005 to 20 µm, with most being less than 1 µm, and can deposit throughout the respiratory system.
The makeup of the fume hinges on factors such as the material being welded, the electrode, the coatings, the flux, and the shielding gas, among others. Air sampling is generally required to identify the hazardous and regulated substances present in your work environment. Still, gathering details about the metals, gases, and consumables utilized in the welding process can be a beneficial initial step.
Which particulates in welding fumes might be potentially harmful?
This is an overview of some harmful metals and gases typically found in welding fumes that we’ll delve into on this page:
- Aluminum (learn more about aluminum welding fume)
- Antimony
- Arsenic
- Beryllium
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Iron oxide
- Lead
- Manganese (learn more about manganese in welding fumes)
- Molybdenum
- Nickel
- Silver
- Tin
- Titanium dioxide
- Vanadium
- Zinc
- Argon
- Carbon Dioxide
- Carbon Monoxide
- Helium
- Hydrogen Fluoride
- Nitric Oxide
- Nitrogen
- Nitrogen Dioxide
- Ozone
- Phosgene
Quebec Regulation Respecting Occupational Health and Safety – Welding Fume
In Quebec, businesses must adhere to the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety. The Permissible Exposure Values (PEV) for gases, dust, fumes, vapors, or mists in the work environment are detailed in Schedule I. Chapter 107 mandates the use of fume extractors for welding tasks.
“Local ventilation: Any localized source at a stationary workstation that emits dusts, gases, fumes, vapours or mists shall be equipped with a local exhaust ventilation system for trapping the dusts, gases, fumes, vapours or mists at their source.”
Division V introduces the table for permissible exposure values, stating: “No worker in an establishment shall be exposed to a concentration of airborne oxygen below 19.5% in volume at normal atmospheric pressure; gases, fumes, vapours, dusts or mists, beyond the limits provided for in Schedule I.”
An important note is included in Schedule I.
“EXCURSION LIMITS: These limits apply to substances which do not have a short-term exposure value. Provided the time-weighted average exposure value is not exceeded, excursions in exposure levels may exceed 3 times that value for a cumulative period not exceeding a total of 30 minutes during a workday. Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of those excursions in exposure levels may exceed 5 times the time-weighted average exposure value during any length of time whatsoever.”
FREE GUIDE
30 EXPERT TIPS FOR A FUME-FREE WORKSPACE
Get your hands on our exclusive guide full of actionable insights. Provide your email below and dive into:
- A compact guide packed with 30 powerful tips to tackle welding fumes effectively.
- Tailored information on regulations you need to know to stay compliant.
- Inspiring success stories from industry peers who’ve transformed their operations.
- Practical advice to help you select the ideal fume extractor tailored to your needs.
Quebec – Permissible Exposure Values for Welding Fume, Metals, and Gases
Based on the Regulation Respecting Occupational Health and Safety, the following PEVs in Quebec apply to welding fumes and some of their components.
The abbreviations used in the tables below:
- TWAEV: The time-weighted average concentration for an 8-hour workday and a 40-hour workweek
- STEV: Short-Term Exposure Value (maximum time-weighted average concentration for 15 minutes, no more than four times per day, with at least 60 minutes in between)
- C: Ceiling (concentration never to be exceeded)
- (i): Inhalable dust (smaller than 100 µm)
- (r): Respirable dust (smaller than 4 µm)
- (t): Total dust
PEV | TWAEV | STEV |
Welding Fumes | 5mg/m3 | None |
PEV | TWAEV | STEV |
Aluminum | 5mg/m3 | None |
Antimony | 0.5mg/m3 | None |
Arsenic* | 0.01mg/m3 | None |
Beryllium* | 0.15µg/m3 | None |
Cadmium | 25µg/m3 | None |
Chromium metal & (III) | 0.5mg/m3 | None |
Chromium (VI)* | 0.01mg/m3 | None |
Cobalt | 0.02mg/m3 | None |
Copper | 0.2mg/m3 | None |
Iron Oxide | 5mg/m3 | None |
Lead | 0.05mg/m3 | None |
Manganese | 0.2mg/m3(t) | None |
Molybdenum | 3mg/m3(r) 10mg/m3(i) | None |
Nickel | 1.5mg/m3(i) | None |
Silver | 0.1mg/m3 | None |
Tin metal & oxide | 2mg/m3 | None |
Titanium dioxide | 10mg/m3(t) | None |
Vanadium pentoxide | 0.05mg/m3(i) | None |
Zinc oxide | 2mg/m3(r) | 10mg/m3(r) |
PEV | TWAEV | STEV | C |
Argon* | None | None | None |
Carbon Dioxide | 5,000ppm | 30,000ppm | None |
Carbon Monoxide | 35ppm | 200ppm | None |
Helium* | None | None | None |
Hydrogen Fluoride** | None | None | 3ppm |
Nitric Oxide | 25ppm | None | None |
Nitrogen* | None | None | None |
Nitrogen Dioxide | 3ppm | None | None |
Ozone** | None | None | 0.1ppm |
Phosgene | 0.1ppm | None | None |
**Cannot be recirculated
It’s important to remember that according to the regulations: “Provided the time-weighted average exposure value is not exceeded, excursions in exposure levels may exceed 3 times that value for a cumulative period not exceeding a total of 30 minutes during a workday. Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of those excursions in exposure levels may exceed 5 times the time-weighted average exposure value during any length of time whatsoever.”
ACGIH – Threshold Limit Values for Welding Fume, Metals, and Gases
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is a key organization that conducts research on hazardous substances and recommends exposure limits. Their suggested Threshold Limit Values (TLV) significantly impact most health and safety organizations in North America and are vital to understand.
Threshold Limit Values are protected under copyright by ACGIH and cannot be copied onto other websites. However, you can find the links to the relevant pages on their website below.
ACGIH hasn’t issued a specific guideline for welding fumes as a whole. Hence, they are classified under the Particulates Not Otherwise Regulated category. In this case, ACGIH’s recommendation is a TLV-TWA of 3mg/m3 for respirable particles and 10mg/m3 for inhalable particles.
- Aluminum
- Antimony
- Arsenic
- Beryllium
- Cadmium
- Chromium
- Cobalt
- Copper
- Iron Oxide
- Lead
- Manganese
- Molybdenum
- Nickel
- Silver
- Tin, organic
- Tin oxide & inorganic
- Titanium
- Vanadium
- Zinc Oxide
- Argon*
- Carbon Dioxide
- Carbon Monoxide
- Helium*
- Hydrogen Fluoride
- Nitric Oxide
- Nitrogen*
- Nitrogen Dioxide
- Ozone
- Phosgene
* A concentration limit is not included because available oxygen is the limiting factor.
Health risks associated with breathing welding fumes
According to OSHA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, and the CNESST, inhaling welding fumes may cause the following health effects:
- Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
- Dizziness and nausea
- Breathing complications that could lead to suffocation or asphyxiation
- Metal fume fever
- Lung injury and various cancer types
- Stomach ulcers
- Kidney injury
- Damage to the nervous system
- Manganism
- Chest discomfort
- Asthma
- Bleeding
- Dermatitis or eczema
- Kidney disease
- Bone and joint issues
- Siderosis (iron oxide in lung tissue after inhalation)
- Stannosis (tin oxide in lung tissue after inhalation)
- Anthracosis (poisoning after inhalation of carbon dust)
- Berylliosis (poisoning after inhalation of beryllium dust)
- Fluid accumulation in the lungs
These issues underscore the importance of protecting welders, complying with standards, and extracting pollutants as effectively as possible. Welding fume extractors will be the best way to do so.
For more information about welding fume regulations in other Canadian provinces or territories, feel free to click on one of the links below to navigate to our relevant article on the subject:
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- New Brunswick
- Northwest Territories
- Nova Scotia
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon
Any Questions?
Feel free to contact us. We will help you protect your workers and comply with welding fumes standards anywhere in the US and Canada.
1-866-800-8421
info@airgomig.com