Measure welder exposure to manganese, chromium (VI), nickel and other metal fume against EH40 workplace exposure limits, and get clear evidence for your COSHH assessment.
Welding fume WEL testing measures how much metal fume a welder breathes in at work and compares the result with the EH40 workplace exposure limits (WELs) for the metals in that fume, such as manganese, chromium (VI) and nickel. Welding fume as a whole has no single WEL in EH40 Table 1, but HSE treats all of it as a carcinogen, so testing is used to check the individual metals against their limits and to show that controls such as local exhaust ventilation (LEV) are working.
In EH40, "fume" means solid particles generated by chemical reactions or condensed from the gaseous state, usually after metal has been vaporised from a melt. It does not mean gases and vapours. That is why welding fume testing looks at particulate metals, and why gases such as ozone and nitrogen dioxide are assessed separately against their own limits.
Yes. Welding fume is subject to COSHH, and the assessment must identify the controls needed. Air monitoring supports that assessment by showing what exposure really is, instead of what you estimate it to be.
Under COSHH, control is only adequate if good control practice is applied, any WEL is not exceeded, and exposure to carcinogens is reduced as low as is reasonably practicable. For welding fume, which HSE treats as a carcinogen with no known safe level, meeting individual metal limits is the minimum, not the finish line.
Step 1
Samples are taken in the breathing zone of the welder across representative welding tasks, then analysed for the relevant metals and reported as 8-hour time-weighted averages (TWAs) against their EH40 limits.
Step 2
We look at the welding processes, materials and consumables, and at whether LEV, fume-reducing techniques and RPE are doing their job, so results can be traced back to specific tasks.
Step 3
A tailored report with results against the WEL, the calculation behind them, and practical recommendations such as improved extraction, process changes, RPE selection and re-testing after changes.
Welding fume exposure testing uses personal air sampling. The employee wears a small pump that draws air through a sampling head designed to collect the fume fraction, usually across a full shift or a representative part of it, then a laboratory analyses the sample for metals. The result is calculated and reported as an 8-hour TWA.
We can also deploy a range of monitors and sensors to remotely view the overall air quality and ventilation effectiveness in the building.
Employers must prevent or control exposure to hazardous substances under COSHH. For welding fume that means engineering controls first, RPE for residual fume, and keeping individual metal exposure below the WEL. Where workers are regularly exposed, health surveillance may also be required. HSE's welding guidance covers health surveillance for welders.
We don't just measure welding fume. We trace exposure back to the processes, materials and controls behind it, then report in plain English with next steps you can act on. We are air quality specialists, using current best-practice frameworks to guide every assessment.
We're SafeContractor and BESA certified, and we play an active role in shaping UK standards like BS 40102. Whether you need a one-off welding fume exposure assessment or ongoing monitoring support, we deliver clear results you can act on.
+44 (0)1722 710312
22 High St, Alderbury, Salisbury SP5 3DU
