I've never seen or heard about this, but apparently there are a lot of lawsuits about it and one suit is coming to a head that could have all sorts of legal ramifications for machine shops, the cost of welding rod, and the costs of all things that are welded.
Can you imagine the new safety regulations that would come down from OSHA? Or price increases on the cost of welding supplies if this lawsuit is proved to be true?
Lawsuit claims welding fumes hit nerves
By M.R. KROPKO, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 30 minutes ago
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 3,800 lawsuits from around the country that have been consolidated in federal court in Cleveland. Solis' case could set the ground rules for the other lawsuits.
At issue is whether manganese — a chemical element found in vitamin supplements, tea, nuts and grain, as well as the fumes from burning welding rods — can at high exposures lead to tremors or shaking, poor balance and difficulty walking and swallowing.
Companies that make welding equipment argue that any link between fumes and Parkinson's has not been established, and that in any case, warning labels and welding safety equipment minimize any risk.
"It's a really hot topic," said Alan Ducatman, chairman of community medicine at the University of West Virginia. "A lot of people weld and there is manganese in welding rods. Manganese is very bad stuff at very high doses. The problem is defining when doses are high enough to cause a neurological disease. That's what the research is all about."
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs point to a recent $1 million verdict for a welder in an Illinois case as an examples of what such lawsuits could cost the industry. Similar cases have gone to court individually around the country, with varying results.
Dr. Edward Baker, a University of North Carolina professor and director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, testified as the leadoff witness in Solis' case that extensive research has linked manganese fumes that emit from welding rods to neurological disorders.
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation says welding fumes are just one of the suspected but unconfirmed causes of the disorder, which afflicts nearly 1 million people in the United States.
"We don't know what brings it on," said Robin Elliott, the foundation's executive director. "If we knew that, we could know the cause, and then we'd be closer to finding a cure." James Antonini, a toxicology researcher for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is leading research on the effects of welding-type fumes on rats to try to pin down a link.
"There's definitely not a final conclusion on it," he said. "There is a question whether manganese is even available enough in welding fumes to cause an effect."
In the scientific journal Neurology a year ago, Dr. Joseph Jankovic, director of the Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic at Baylor University's College of Medicine, questioned whether reliable or convincing evidence exists that welding is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease.
Jeff Weber, associate executive director of the Miami-based American Welding Society, said a study the group paid for two years ago did not draw a conclusive link to welding and Parkinson's disease. "My general impression is there is no great fear among most welders," Weber said.
Labels on packages of welding rods — the long, thin sticks that become the substance of a weld — warn that fumes may be hazardous but do not draw any link to Parkinson's. At factories, construction projects and repair shops, some welders use fans to blow away fumes. Others wear breathing devices.
Can you imagine the new safety regulations that would come down from OSHA? Or price increases on the cost of welding supplies if this lawsuit is proved to be true?
Lawsuit claims welding fumes hit nerves
By M.R. KROPKO, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 30 minutes ago
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 3,800 lawsuits from around the country that have been consolidated in federal court in Cleveland. Solis' case could set the ground rules for the other lawsuits.
At issue is whether manganese — a chemical element found in vitamin supplements, tea, nuts and grain, as well as the fumes from burning welding rods — can at high exposures lead to tremors or shaking, poor balance and difficulty walking and swallowing.
Companies that make welding equipment argue that any link between fumes and Parkinson's has not been established, and that in any case, warning labels and welding safety equipment minimize any risk.
"It's a really hot topic," said Alan Ducatman, chairman of community medicine at the University of West Virginia. "A lot of people weld and there is manganese in welding rods. Manganese is very bad stuff at very high doses. The problem is defining when doses are high enough to cause a neurological disease. That's what the research is all about."
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs point to a recent $1 million verdict for a welder in an Illinois case as an examples of what such lawsuits could cost the industry. Similar cases have gone to court individually around the country, with varying results.
Dr. Edward Baker, a University of North Carolina professor and director of the North Carolina Institute for Public Health, testified as the leadoff witness in Solis' case that extensive research has linked manganese fumes that emit from welding rods to neurological disorders.
The Parkinson's Disease Foundation says welding fumes are just one of the suspected but unconfirmed causes of the disorder, which afflicts nearly 1 million people in the United States.
"We don't know what brings it on," said Robin Elliott, the foundation's executive director. "If we knew that, we could know the cause, and then we'd be closer to finding a cure." James Antonini, a toxicology researcher for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is leading research on the effects of welding-type fumes on rats to try to pin down a link.
"There's definitely not a final conclusion on it," he said. "There is a question whether manganese is even available enough in welding fumes to cause an effect."
In the scientific journal Neurology a year ago, Dr. Joseph Jankovic, director of the Parkinson's Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic at Baylor University's College of Medicine, questioned whether reliable or convincing evidence exists that welding is a risk factor for Parkinson's disease.
Jeff Weber, associate executive director of the Miami-based American Welding Society, said a study the group paid for two years ago did not draw a conclusive link to welding and Parkinson's disease. "My general impression is there is no great fear among most welders," Weber said.
Labels on packages of welding rods — the long, thin sticks that become the substance of a weld — warn that fumes may be hazardous but do not draw any link to Parkinson's. At factories, construction projects and repair shops, some welders use fans to blow away fumes. Others wear breathing devices.
I think it would be a good idea for anyone who welds to use ventelation equipment if possible, or at least a good fan to dissipate the smoke and fumes.
On a serious note, I have no clue about the fumes from S.S. But thanks to this Forum, I found out that welding GALVENIZED steel is very dangerous and can kill you! I'm glad I posted the inquiry before I tried it.
You can weld overhead aluminum?! 
