Pregnant Welders

[Jim Riley]

I have a student who has recently become pregnant.

She has finished all of the basic arc welding processes and has recently started oxyfuel.

After oxyfuel she is scheduled to start SMAW prepipe (structural multipass) and then pipe .

Any concerns we should have?

[Broccoli1]

No more than any other student:

Keep yer head outta da fumes
Don't catch on fire
etc
etc.

My wife welded during the pregnancy of both our chillins- hmmm they are kinda whacko but that may just be the genes

Same concerns and we got our Dr's approval.

[ironman715]

Perhaps you could have her wear 7000 series 3m respirator with the pink pancake filters while she is welding. Be sure and grind any paints or coating off the metal before welding on it to lessen the toxic fumes breathed in...Really its stuff we SHOULD ALL be doing to live long lives.
I would say have her get a doctors ok before doing anything.

'Mike

[BigDaddyCool]

up here ( Quebec , Canada )

there's the C.S.S.T. kinda public health and safety, inspection / insurance etc...

and as soon as they know your pregnant, even 3 weeks , your out at full pay for the rest of pregnancy.

and after you have like a year a 75% pay to take care of your baby...


so Yes should be concern , very dangerous for the baby....

[mrandrei]

Your preggie student should wear fume masks for welding fumes. I really can't see any problems for as long as she wears some kind of fume protection.

[6010]

I think it would make sense to me to maybe have her run it by her family doctor. Anytime current travels through a wire there will be a magnetic field surrounding the wire. The higher the current, the stronger the field. Could this have an effect on a developing fetus? If I were the mother and could not get a definitive answer, then I wouldn't want to chance it. I think if one looks hard enough he will be able to find in welding literature the possible dangers of the magnetic fields associated with welding and not to wrap the leads around any part of the body.

Is the girl concerned ? She needs to be comfortable with the decision, because if something did turn up wrong with the baby, there would always be that doubt in her mind that she did the right thing.

I don't have a shingle to hang out, so I am not going to try to advise you on whether it is safe. But I am sure if her family doctor is a good one, he will know where to go for a good opinion. I think there are many things a woman may do, that they advise against, when she is pregnant.

[MarkBall2]

Several Canadian studies have an undeterminate link to childhood leukemia from electromagnetic exposure. I didn't read the whole study, but that may be where the CSST is making the determination, welding & pregnancy is not to be done together.

Also a Canadian report with a California research quoted here: http://www.cfpc.ca/cfp/2003/Feb/vol4...clinical-1.asp

[ahoron]

I wouldn't want her welding while pregnant. Not worth the potential risks to the baby.Not sure what the doc would say but, if it was me I would ask for a note from the doctor releasing her to weld. No note no welding. my .02

[KChoate]

My wife calved 2 years ago and our dr. was big on her not getting anywhere neer me welding. Im with the guy that said make her get a pass.

[Jim Riley]

Thank you everyone. We have asked her to visit with her doctor on this.
She has removed herself from the shop and is currently taking some courses that are required for her certificate in the computer lab(mag fields?). I have not been able to find much dealing with pregnancy at OSHA or UOSH.

[dakook]

The legal climate being what it is, I would be careful with this one either way. If you shelf her just because she is pregnant I could see opening yourself to some kind of discrimination thing. As much as I hate to say it I would kick this decision up, to some one in the school who can look at the legal aspects of it.

[Rhinorider]

Jim, I work for MSHA, and we work very close with NIOSH (National Institue of Occupational Safety and Health). If you give them a call, I am sure they will have some info for you. They do all the studies on everything.

[Jim Riley]

I will check with NIOSH. Our state risk assessment rep advised us to give all the MSDS's for the materials we use in the shop to her and her doctor for evaluation. Our rep has experience with the Navy, OSHA and safety at Cerro. She is also doing additional research for us.

Thank you everyone.

Jim

[ol' Stick Guy]

Hmmm lets see EMFs, Arsenic, Sulphur-Dioxide, Ultraviolet radiation, Metal Fume Fever (from welding on galvanizied and Cadmium-plated pieces) not to mention epoxy primers and metal born toxins (leads, aluminum, etc.) absolutely not unless you live in like Texas (right to work states).

[JC'sWelding]

Dang! I jumped in here looking for pictures!

[Sparky#1]

Hmmm lets see EMFs, Arsenic, Sulphur-Dioxide, Ultraviolet radiation, Metal Fume Fever (from welding on galvanizied and Cadmium-plated pieces) not to mention epoxy primers and metal born toxins (leads, aluminum, etc.) absolutely not unless you live in like Texas (right to work states).

True indeed.

[tatzaana]

How severe should the stress be during pregnancy to affect the baby? Lots of women are stressed out, depressed, emotional or simply just moody during pregnancy. But how severe is the stress to actually affect the baby?

[MarkBall2]

Depends on the amount of stress & how long the lady is being stressed.

For instance, a car accident (minor) is extremely stressful, but usually doesn't have a lasting effect on the fetus. A high strung woman that is constantly "stressed out" due to job, significant other not paying attention to her, her own feelings of frustration, ongoing unrelieved anger or other stressful situations that don't stop, those may affect the fetus significantly.

Basically if the stress is momentary, or limited in the time the stress is on the body, there is little effect on the fetus. The longer that stress remains on the body, the more hormones are released into the bloodstream & the greater the chance of it affecting the fetus. This could lead to any number of problems with the newborn, everything from a newborn developing physical disabilities, to just being "hyper" as they get older. Or it could have no effect whatsoever.

[snappy101]

no lifting heavy metal stuff
no breathing heavy metal stuff

[Stack of Dimes]

What? Does she think there's gonna be some requirement to weld in the kitchen while she's getting me a beer and making me a sammich?? She's gonna get her bare feet burned doing that!

Tell the little gal she needs to worry about the little things, like how much mayo to put on and if there's enough brewskis in the fridge for when the fellas come over after work to watch the game.

[rad3766]

What? Does she think there's gonna be some requirement to weld in the kitchen while she's getting me a beer and making me a sammich?? She's gonna get her bare feet burned doing that!

Tell the little gal she needs to worry about the little things, like how much mayo to put on and if there's enough brewskis in the fridge for when the fellas come over after work to watch the game.

I'm gonna assume you're single......or divorced

[smawgmaw]

If not now, he may soon be !!!

[MarkBall2]

Either that or he will be kilt dead by his girlfriend/wife/mother/grandmother, for a comment like that.

[Stack of Dimes]

Either that or he will be kilt dead by his girlfriend/wife/mother/grandmother, for a comment like that.

Nope, mine KNOWS BETTER!

[mercurybds]

Pregnent or not (and I'm not), y'all oughta be doin what you can to minimize exposre to welding fumes. They be nasty, Read all about it: Welding fumes health hazards
Respirators, fume extraction . . . even a steel that can minimize weld fumes