Educational guidance on how workplace induction and safety instruction generally work — connected to workplace safety, occupations, industries, employment documents and company types. Informational only — not certified training, not an official qualification and not a substitute for mandatory workplace instruction; employers remain responsible for required training, competence and authorisation.
What this instruction covers
This page outlines, in general educational terms, the safety information around harmful fume — the fine particles and gases given off by welding, hot work and certain processes — how it is meant to be controlled, and the role of extraction and respiratory protection.
It is awareness material, not training. The employer must assess fume exposure and provide the right controls and instruction; this page does not deliver or replace that.
The hazards
- Welding and process fume contains fine particles and gases that are breathed deep into the lungs.
- Exposure is linked to serious respiratory illness and other long-term health effects.
- Fume rises directly into the breathing zone of the person doing the work.
- Some fume is invisible or quickly disperses, so the absence of visible smoke does not mean it is safe.
Who needs it
- Welders and those doing hot work, soldering or brazing.
- Workers near welding bays or processes that release fume or gases.
- Supervisors who plan hot work and arrange ventilation and extraction.
- New starters before they weld or work where fume is present.
The safe system of work
- Reduce the fume at source where possible — a different process, consumable or material can produce less.
- Capture fume with local exhaust ventilation positioned close to the work, and reposition it as the work moves.
- Keep your head out of the plume and work so that fume is drawn away from your face.
- Use respiratory protection in addition to extraction, especially in confined or poorly ventilated areas.
Required PPE & controls
- Local exhaust ventilation, on-torch extraction or general ventilation as the main control.
- Suitable respiratory protective equipment — including powered air or supplied air where the task requires it.
- Tight-fitting RPE used only by clean-shaven users and subject to face-fit testing.
- Welding screens, eye and skin protection, and the controls from the employer’s assessment.
Pre-use & pre-task checks
- Check extraction is in place, switched on and positioned close to where you will work.
- Check RPE is the right type, clean, charged where powered, and fits with a good seal.
- Confirm the area is ventilated and not a confined space without a separate safe system.
- Do not start hot work with extraction missing or not working — report it.
What the worker is and is not authorised to do
- Carry out welding and hot work only with the method and controls your employer specifies.
- Do not switch off or move extraction away from the work to make the job easier.
- Do not rely on a basic mask where the assessment calls for higher-protection RPE.
- How fume is controlled is set by the employer’s assessment, not by this page.
What to do if something is wrong / reporting
- Report extraction that is missing, weak or pointed away from the work.
- Report RPE that does not fit, is damaged or is the wrong type for the fume.
- Report breathing difficulty, irritation or other symptoms linked to fume.
- Follow the site’s reporting route so exposure can be reassessed and reduced.
Training & competence
Where workers are exposed to fume, employers are generally expected to provide information and instruction on the risk and the controls, ensure RPE is suitable and fit-tested, and arrange health surveillance where it is needed.
Instruction such as this page is information, not competence. Reading it does not make anyone competent or replace the exposure assessment, task-specific instruction and RPE arrangements the employer must provide.
Documentation
- The fume exposure assessment for the processes and materials.
- RPE selection and face-fit test records.
- Records of instruction given and any health surveillance.
- A record documents what was provided; it is not, by itself, proof of competence.
Common mistakes
- Welding without extraction because there is no visible smoke.
- Leaving the head in the plume rather than working out of it.
- Using a basic mask where higher-protection RPE is required.
- Doing hot work in an enclosed area without proper ventilation.
Who is responsible
The employer is responsible for assessing fume exposure, controlling it so far as is reasonably practicable, providing suitable extraction and RPE, arranging fit testing and surveillance, and keeping records. This page is an educational outline only.
It does not deliver training, satisfy any legal requirement, or transfer the employer’s responsibility for controlling fume exposure.
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