Employers are being urged to ensure workers are properly protected against welding fumes. This is because welding fumes have now been upgraded to a class 1 carcinogen. The raised control standards state that all forms of welding fume can cause cancer. Enforcement of the raised control standard by the HSE is in place with immediate effect.

The requirement is that for indoor welding tasks there must be suitable LEV in place to control fume capture; if the LEV is unable to do so then RPE is required. For external welding then RPE must be used.