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Welding Rod Fumes
Welding Rod Fumes Linked to Manganese Poisoning
Manganese is a common metal used in welding in order to create steel. Welding joins pieces of metal by the use of heat and/or pressure. Welding is one of the most dangerous industrial activities. In addition to Manganese poisoning from toxic fumes, the dangers of welding include metal fume fever, fire, electric shock, compressed gases, and injury to the eyes, hands, feet, lungs, heart, kidney, and central nervous system.Manganism / Parkinson's
Manganism results from damage to the basal ganglia area of the brain, which controls many movement and motor control signals. Manganese poisoning symptoms may include: tremors, muscle stiffness, rigidity, instability and lack of balance, slowness of movement, joint pain, cramps, memory loss, partial paralysis, drooling, difficulty swallowing and constipation. There is no cure for manganism. In order to treat it successfully, it must be caught early when cessation of manganese exposure is still possible. Manganese-induce Parkinsonism does not typically respond to Parkinson's disease medications such as Levodopa.
Welding Safety Precautions
Welding requires an enormous degree of precautionary measures because the risks of injury are extremely high. Fumes are a natural by-product of welding, and are expected from even simple welding operations. Even simple welding work should require the use of respiratory protection or ventilation. Simple operations lead to fumes like carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and ozone. Extra precautions must be taken when welding metal coated with or containing zinc, cadmium, chromium, copper, fluoride, lead, manganese, or vanadium, because the resulting fumes can cause a condition known as metal-fume fever. Another serious concern is working with metal that has been coated or painted.
Many of the paints that have coated metal are lead based; lead is a known carcinogen. Employers are required to provide well-ventilated workspaces so that manganese fumes do not reach toxic levels. They are also required to provide personal protective equipment such as respiratory masks and protective suits and gloves. Welding rod manufacturers should adequately warn welders about the hazards associated with their products. Failure to meet OSHA occupational safety standards and failure to warn about dangerous welding rod products may mean that your employer or the welding rod manufacturer could be found negligent.
Legal Help for Victims of Welding Rod Fumes
If you or a loved one developed manganism or other injuries from welding rod fumes, you have legal rights. Please fill out the form at the right for a free case evaluation by a qualified welding rod attorney. Alternatively, call 1-800-LAW-INFO (1-800-529-4636) to speak to someone at our firm.
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Manganese - Parkinson's Disease Litigation Shines a Light on the Way Industry Can
Jun 25, 2008 | Parker Waichman Alonso LLP
Manganese, a chemical used in welding, has long been suspected as a culprit in the development of Parkinson's Disease. In fact, the manufacturers of manganese-containing welding wire and electrodes—also called rods or sticks - have been named in numerous lawsuits filed by welders stricken with the devastating disease. But for decades, the industry has been insisting its products are safe, and have been able to point to many studies that indicated there was no association between the...
Lawsuit in Cleveland asserts link between welding, nerve disease
Jun 12, 2006 | AP
In a closely watched case unfolding in federal court, a jury is being asked to take up an intriguing question that has confounded many medical researchers: Can welding fumes cause neurological diseases such as Parkinson's? The lawsuit was brought by a former welder who suffers arm tremors and other movement problems that he says could be Parkinson's. Ernest G. Solis, 57, of Corpus Christi, Texas, is seeking unspecified damages from four welding rod makers. It is the first trial among about...
First trial in nationally consolidated welding cases starts
Jun 4, 2006 | AP
Ernesto G. Solis often welded as part of his maintenance work at a naval air station in Corpus Christi, Texas. Solis, 57, married and the father of four adult children, still works, but avoids welding. He believes that years of exposure to welding fumes has taken a serious toll on his health. His lawyers say his physical skills have gradually deteriorated. Solis has become the focus of a federal court trial here that may help set a national legal precedent for thousands of other cases in...
Federal Judge Will Allow Plaintiffs to Argue Welding Fumes Cause Parkinsons Disease
Jul 27, 2005 | www.newsinferno.com
Federal District Judge Kathleen McDonald (Cleveland) has denied a defense motion that sought to exclude testimony that welding-fume exposure causes Parkinson’s disease.In permitting the plaintiffs to argue their theory that welding fumes cause this extremely serious neurological disorder, Judge McDonald has opened the door for some 5,000 cases premised on the same theory of liability to now move forward in several state courts as well as in some 4,500 cases which have been aggregated...
Study: 3 Painkillers' Heart Risk
Feb 14, 2005 | www.cbsnews.com
A new study has linked painkillers Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra to increased cardiovascular risk, reinforcing findings of other trials that have already sparked concern over the safety of a popular category of drugs.Vioxx and Celebrex increased patients' risk of heart attack and stroke by about 20 percent while Bextra increased the risk by 50 percent, according to a study by WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest provider of health benefits which is based in Indianapolis.Dr. Sam Nussbaum,...
Welding Rod Fumes
Quick Facts
Welding Rod Fumes Reference Guide
Diseases/ Ailments
Parkinson's Disease
Manganism
Manganese Poisoning
Manganese Toxicity
Lung ailments
Heart problems
Kidney damage
Nervous system problems
Welders
Related Topics
Parkinson’s Disease
Toxic Substances
Diseases
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