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 Brown &
Crouppen's Illinois Welding Rods Lawyers are representing welders who have suffered serious
side effects from working with welding rods. We know that
exposure to toxic fumes in the workplace can be life
threatening to welders as well as others in the immediate
area, and that welding rod manufacturers and trade
associations have a responsibility to ensure the health,
safety and welfare of their workers.
Traditionally, the biggest fear welders had was that of being burned or blinded.
Scientists are now finding that the fumes produced from using certain welding
rods can be far more dangerous, leading to serious physical disabilities or, in
some cases, death.
One of the
most dangerous welding rod materials is manganese. Manganese is also found in
stainless and carbon steel and has been linked to Parkinson's Disease for over a
century.
Welders are at great risk for manganism, also known as
welder’s disease, because they use welding rods. To
understand manganism, it helps to understand manganese –
one of the most popularly used metals in industry.
Manganese does not occur naturally; it is a component of
more than 100 minerals, including sulfides, oxides,
carbonates, silicates, phosphates and borates.
Manganism results from excessive exposure to manganese.
Manganism is also known as “Parkinson’s Syndrome,” because
its symptoms closely resemble Parkinson’s disease, a fatal
neurological illness. Some symptoms associated with
manganese welding rods:
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Moving
slower
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Shaking/tremors
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Loss
of balance
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Physical stiffness
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Leg
cramps at night
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Less
coordination
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Slurring speech
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Face
muscles tightening
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Poor
handwriting
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Walking difficulties
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Anxiousness & irritability
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Impotence
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Emotional changes
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Short
term loss of memory
Manganism causes problems with movement and damages the
liver, kidneys and central nervous system. Research has
shown some links between manganism and Parkinson’s
disease: A recent study found that a group of welders who
had Parkinson’s disease developed symptoms approximately
15 years earlier than did other Parkinson’s patients,
indicating a like between exposure to manganese and the
development of Parkinson’s.
Although welders are at greater risk of contracting the
disease than most, on-the-job exposure to airborne
manganese occurs in construction workers, railroad
workers, miners, steel workers and those who handle
pesticides containing maneb and mancozeb.
Ventilation and proper respiratory protection equipment
are the best ways to avoid risks associated with the
welding process. If you believe that you or someone you
know suffered serious side effects from working with
welding rods and would like to speak with a lawyer, please
contact Brown & Crouppen, at Toll Free: 866-991-4700, or
click here and an experienced attorney will
promptly contact you and give you the help that you need.
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