Characteristics of air exposure in welding workshop workers

¹ Occupational Safety and Health, Polytechnic of Manpower, Indonesia
² Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia
³ Radiation Detection Technology and Nuclear Analysis Research Centre, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: ekafitrianiahmad@gmail.com

Abstract

Welding activities contribute to Indoor Air Pollution (IAP), and without proper control measures, they can pose health risks to workers. The goal of this research is to analyze indoor air quality, including CO, CO₂, humidity, temperature, Total Suspended Particulate (TSP), and heavy metal composition, during 8 hours of welding activities. This study employed an experimental method using personal dust monitoring equipment worn by workers during 8 hour welding shifts. Environmental parameters such as CO₂, CO, temperature, and humidity were measured using Si-AQ Pro. The results indicated that CO₂, CO, temperature, and humidity concentrations in location 1 were higher than in location 2 but remained below the permissible exposure limits based on occupational health and safety regulations (Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Regulation No. 13/Year/x/2011) for carbon monoxide. The dominant heavy metal exposures during welding were Fe and Zn, with other heavy metals including Al, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, and Pb. These nine heavy metals remained below the ACGIH threshold limits. In conclusion, preventive measures such as improved ventilation can effectively reduce indoor air pollutant concentrations.