Hazardous Substances at Construction Sites

The construction industry brings a challenging mix of traditional hazards mixed with the new. Besides age-old threats of lead, silica, and asbestos workers must contend with hazardous modern chemicals and advanced material.

The dynamic nature of constantly changing construction sites brings many challenges—none as perilous as exposure to hazardous chemicals. These chemical hazards can be in the form of dusts, fumes, gases and vapors. And all can give rise to severe health disorders, such as poisoning, asphyxiation and cancer. Other injuries may include: severe burns, disfigurement, internal organ damage, neurological injury, birth defects, and respiratory problems.

How Toxic Chemicals Enter the Body

A chemical can cause injury in various ways depending on its form. The routes into the body are by inhalation or breathing in, ingestion or swallowing and absorption through the skin.

Inhalation or breathing in is the most important route of entry. Some toxic gases and vapors cause irritation in the nose and throat and give warning of their presence. Others, however, do not and penetrate deep into the lungs or blood stream.

Ingestion or swallowing is possible where chemicals such as lead-based paints are handled then the handler eats something or smokes without first washing his/her hands. Toxic vapors contaminate drinking or eating utensils, or when meals are eaten onsite.

Construction Accidents in Confined Spaces

• Workers who have to enter confined spaces are exposed to even greater hazards, such as the possibility of no oxygen, toxic fumes from welding and soldering, and electrical shock—all of which, can cause bodily injury, illness, or death. The media constantly shares stories of workers injured and killed from a variety of atmospheric factors and physical agents. Throughout the construction job site, contractors and workers encounter both inherent and induced hazards in confined workspaces.
• Inherent hazards can be electrical, chemical, or mechanical associated with specific types of equipment and the interactions among them. These hazards usually cannot be eliminated, so sites need a higher emphasis on hazard control methods.
• Induced hazards are induced from incorrect decisions and actions that occur during the construction process.

Hazardous Agents

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) publish various guidelines related to chemical handling, chemical storage and chemical exposures. Here’s an excerpt of their welding hazardous (both chemical and physical) agents:

Chemical Agents

Zinc: Used in the manufacture of brass, galvanized metals, and various other alloys. Inhalation of fumes can occur when welding or cutting on zinc-coated metals. Exposure can cause metal fume fever.

Cadmium: Used as a rust-preventive coating on steel and as an alloying element. Acute exposures can produce severe lung irritation, pulmonary edema, and death. Long-term exposure can result in emphysema and can damage the kidneys. OSHA estimates about 70,000 employees in the construction industry have been exposed.

Beryllium: Used as an alloying element with copper and other base metals. Acute exposure can result in chemical pneumonia. Long-term exposure can result in shortness of breath, chronic cough, and significant weight loss, accompanied with fatigue and general weakness.

Iron Oxide: Iron is the principal alloying element in steel manufacture. During the welding process, iron oxide toxic fumes arise from both the base metal and the electrode. The primary acute effect of this exposure is irritation of nasal passages, throat, and lungs.

Mercury: Compounds used to coat metals to prevent rust or inhibit foliage growth (marine paints). Under the intense heat of the arc or gas flame, mercury vapors will be produced. Exposure may produce stomach pain, diarrhea, kidney damage, or respiratory failure. Long-term exposure may produce tremors, emotional instability, and hearing damage.

Lead: The welding and cutting of lead-bearing alloys or metals whose surfaces have been painted with lead-based paint can generate lead oxide fumes. Inhalation and ingestion can cause lead poisoning. Lead adversely affects the brain, central nervous system, circulatory system, reproductive system, kidneys, and muscles.

Fluorides: Fluoride compounds are in the coatings of several types of fluxes used in welding. Exposure to these fluxes may irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. Repeated exposure in air over a long period may cause pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) and bone damage.

Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Solvents: Various chlorinated hydrocarbons are used in degreasing or other cleaning operations. The vapors are a concern in welding and cutting because the heat and ultraviolet radiation from the arc will decompose the vapors and form highly toxic and irritating phosgene gas.

Phosgene: Formed by decomposition of chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents by ultraviolet radiation. It reacts with moisture in the lungs to produce hydrogen chloride, which in turn destroys lung tissue. For this reason, any use of chlorinated solvents should be well away from welding operations.

Carbon Monoxide: Is a gas usually formed by the incomplete combustion of various fuels. Welding and cutting may produce significant amounts of carbon monoxide. In addition, welding operations that use carbon dioxide as the inert gas shield may produce hazardous chemical concentrations of carbon monoxide in poorly ventilated areas caused by a "breakdown" of shielding gas.

Ozone: Ozone (O3) is produced by ultraviolet light from the welding arc. Ozone is produced in greater quantities by gas metal arc welding (GMAW or short-arc), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW or heli-arc), and plasma arc cutting. Ozone is a highly active form of oxygen and can cause irritation to all mucous membranes. Both nitrogen dioxide and ozone may have long-term effects on the lungs.

Nitrogen Oxides: The ultraviolet light of the arc can produce nitrogen oxides (NO, NO2), from the nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O2) in the air. Nitrogen oxides are produced by gas metal arc welding (GMAW or short-arc), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW or heli-arc), and plasma arc cutting. High concentrations can cause shortness of breath, chest pain, and fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema).

Physical Agents

Ultraviolet radiation (UV): Is generated by the electric arc in the welding process. Skin exposure to UV can result in severe burns. Many arc welders know the condition "arc-eye," a sensation of sand in the eyes.

Infrared Radiation: Exposure to infrared radiation (IR), produced by the electric arc and other flame cutting equipment may heat the skin surface and the tissues immediately below the surface. Most welders protect themselves from IR (and UV) with a welder's helmet (or glasses) and protective clothing.

Intense Visible Light: Exposure of the human eye to intense visible light can produce adaptation, pupillary reflex, and shading of the eyes. In the arc welding process, eye exposure to intense visible light is prevented for the most part by the welder's helmet. However, some persons have sustained retinal damage resulting from careless "viewing" of the arc.

If you or a loved one has been injured because of exposure to hazardous chemicals or physical agents where inappropriate safety or lack of training was the cause, you may be able to get just compensation. Consult the experienced injury attorneys at Seeger Weiss today. Begin by filling out this form.

• Seeger Weiss Wins 5th Verdict Against Accutane Maker, Dealing a $25.16 Million Blow
• Seeger Weiss Delivers $11 Million Verdict to Small, Family Farms Overrun by Corporate Agriculture's Waste
• Seeger Weiss Obtains $41.5 Million Global Resolution of Zetia and Vytorin Claims
• Seeger Weiss Secures $4.85 Billion Vioxx Settlement from Merck
• Seeger Weiss Named to National Law Journal's Plaintiffs' Hot List Three Years Running
• Seeger Weiss & Milberg Drive Bernie Madoff into Personal Bankruptcy