Is TIG Welding Bad For Your Health?

TIG welding is a very popular welding operation for welders as it is widely used for pipeline repairing, and pipeline welding. Despite its wide use, TIG welding can develop health issues for you as a welder. Accordingly, performing this welding for a long time can be problematic for your health.

You must be thinking about how bad TIG welding is for your health?

TIG welding can be harmful to your health in various aspects. Worry not, you can also minimize the issues by taking proper steps.

This article describes the matter in detail.

Let’s begin.

Table of Contents

Is TIG welding bad for your health?

TIG or Tungsten Inert Gas welding can cause you health problems. Yes, it can be bad for your health.

Moreover, TIG welding requires a welder to work in such an environment where exposure to harmful gas, UV radiation, and bright light is a common matter. These can lead to severe health issues. Besides, some health issues may develop after long-term working as a TIG welder.

Welding can be very bad for your health depending on various factors. To sum up, TIG welding can cause health issues for a welder.

Is TIG welding dangerous?

TIG welding is not dangerous for you as it is a safe welding process. Besides, it will not do any harm in most cases if you are careful enough about the hazards and take necessary safety precautions.

In contrast to this, if precautions are not taken properly or a careless act of welding can lead to danger. Accordingly, the danger can be fire, harmful gas exposure, electric shock, etc that can hurt you severely or create further health issues.

Know Details: Why Is Underwater Welding Dangerous?

Is TIG welding stainless steel dangerous?

Tig welding is commonly done for materials like aluminum, stainless steel, and nonferrous metals. Among them, stainless steel has the most risk factors associated with danger.

Some are given below –

Welding stainless steel can be very harmful to your eyes and skin for the UV light produced while welding.
It can affect your respiratory system. It is because welding stainless steel and its molten metal expose molecules as well as ozone that are very harmful.

The shield gas may cause you fainting, dizziness, or nausea by displacing oxygen gas.
You should handle electricity very safely. If not, you may face severe electric shock or explosions.

Common dangers of TIG welding

Tungsten Inert Gas welding can be dangerous from different aspects. Some common dangers of TIG welding are given here-

Cylinder gas can be dangerous

The gas cylinder used in your TIG welding can be a very alarming one. In case, the valve of the cylinder can come out, causing a hazard that can lead to an explosion with fire.

Besides, it can cause you severe injury. Along with this, it can damage the welding station also.

However, you need to take precautions to avoid the danger. For this, you are encouraged to use protective caps as a part of safety for your cylinder valve. This may reduce the danger to a great extent. Moreover, you need to maintain proper safety precautions as much as possible.

The danger of harmful gas and fumes

It is a common fact that you are exposed to gasses that are toxic most of the time while welding TIG. Adding to this, toxic fumes created while welding can be harmful. In case, if you inhale these toxic gasses accidentally, it will definitely harm your health.

Notably, welding steel results in creating fumes of Hexavalent Chromium. Inhaling these chromium fumes can be a severe health disaster for you.

Moreover, TIG welding metal causes ozone gas, and inhaling such toxic gas can lead to chest pain, irritation, suffocation, and throat problems initially. Hence, it can result in respiratory diseases like asthma.

To reduce the danger, you need to incorporate a proper ventilation system in the welding station. Accordingly, you must avoid working in tight spaces.

Electrocution due to water

The environment that you are welding is a vital fact. It is because the rapid change in the humidity can result in moisturizing air. For this reason, air contains water and a little bit of water is enough for electrocution in the welding zone. This can lead you to severe shock and death also.

Undoubtedly, welders need to use and exposure to electricity a lot. Therefore, it is highly advised to keep the welding zone dry and waterfree.

The danger of electric shock

As a welder, it is a common scenario that you need to face electric shock often. Though most of the time welders ignore the fact and get used to it, the electric shock has the potential to kill you within seconds.

To avoid electric shock, you are highly recommended to use dry gloves, necessary sandals, or shoes to get rid of direct contact with the floor. Try to keep the work environment safe and clean.

The danger of fire or explosion

Your TIG welding spot creates a lot of heat often up to thousands of degrees Fahrenheit within a small time. At the same time, it produces the spark and also spatters while welding. This can create fire or even an explosion if not maintained properly.

Therefore, you need to keep your work environment safe by using safety mats, proper equipment, maintenance, etc. It is wise to keep the wood, oil, gasoline, etc away from the welding spot to avoid the risk of explosion.

Conclusion

TIG welding is a safe welding process if it is done with proper preventive measures. On the other hand, if you are not aware of the dangerous facts of TIG welding then it can cause severe health issues or accidents.

TIG welding done in unsafe environments can cause an explosion, electrocution, and further health problems. You need to keep the environment hazard free to get rid of the risk factors as much as possible.