Hi, I have on site 1 maintenance technician who ocassionally does spot welding. He would mostly do stick welding, rarely MIG welding. I am in the workshop a lot so I know that this "spot" or "tack" welding takes him no more than 5-10 minutes at the most each time. He probably welds something once per month and it would be a fallen small metal plate / pipe stopper from the pipe rack, or something similar. If we have more welding requirements, we simply bring a specialist contractor on site. Our workshop is a massive open space with few machines and pipe racks; workshop has got some roof extractors and 3 full size roller doors. Some welding is also done outside.

In these circumstances, how should I interpret the latest HSE advice on welding: does he need to have extraction and RPE or is RPE enough for short term welding that he does?

Edited by user 10 July 2019 09:45:41(UTC)  | Reason: some typos found

The 'new' guidelines are much more specific now. You will be expected to have engineering controls (i.e LEV). There is currently no safe exposure limit for mild steel welding, and as such you need to bring it to as low as is practicably possible.

I know this makes it very hard, we are struggling with this too. However it is hard to argue against protecting your workers from a known carcinogen. Given the hierachy of control always had engineer controls at the top I suppose we should have seen this coming.