Milk is an essential part of a person’s growth. This is a fact that has established itself for several years. In fact, the absence of milk in a child’s life can amount to several complications and health issues. But do you know that milk is vital for welders?
Welders take milk to remove the carcinogenic fumes they inhale while welding. During welding, the toxic metals material enters the human body and causes Metal fume Fever. Many believe that the calcium in milk can prevent this condition.
In this article, I’ve discussed the reasons and importance of milk to welders.
What is Metal Fume Fever?
Though that might sound weird, drinking milk is a practice that some welders have grown accustomed to. The question, however, is, “Why do welders take milk?”
Galvanization is a procedure that involves the coating of steel with zinc to provide protection. The process protects the steel from corrosion as the zinc acts as a barrier for the structure. The problem is that during heating the galvanized Metal, these gases leave the surface because the zinc coating melts at a far lower temperature than steel.
Metal fume fever occurs when someone inhales fumes from welding, brazing, or cutting galvanized steel. Other names for this condition include zinc shakes, brass shakes, galvie flu, metal dust fever, welder’s shivers, Monday morning fever, and spelter shakes.
Its symptoms include headaches, fever, aches, nausea, joint pain, changes in blood pressure, chest pains, shortness of breath, and pneumonia. Symptoms usually manifest themselves after a few hours of initial contact and might last anywhere between 24 and 48 hours after that. On the other hand, repeated exposure to welders’ fume fever appears to result in a tolerance to the fumes themselves.
On the other hand, tolerance only lasts as long as the individual regularly comes into contact with the substance. If you’re exposed to fumes throughout the week, the symptoms will arise during a break like weekends. This is because your tolerance has been compromised.
This is why we refer to it as “Monday morning fever,” as it can affect you throughout the weekends till the beginning of a workweek.
It is uncertain of the long-term consequences of repeated exposure. However, some health organizations have attributed it to the cause of pulmonary infection, respiratory and heart diseases, cancer, and some neurological problems.
Does Milk Prevent Metal Fume fever
There is a belief that milk prevents metal fume fever. Is it possible for calcium to battle against such toxic metals? Is milk remedy still a recommended source if the welder already suffers from Metal Fume Fever?
While many will tell you that taking milk can prevent the effect of toxic metals, know that this is untrue. In other words, no amount of milk can control the impact of these toxins on your body. Instead, taking milk might make the welder more susceptible to fume poisoning.
The notion of milk preventing fume poisoning stems from the belief that milk can remove toxins from the body. Some people even believe that they will filter out the potentially harmful vapors by holding milk in their mouths when welding. Such is impossible because the welder is breathing through their nose, which means that any poisons they inhale will skip the milk in their mouth.
It’s important to note that drinking milk when suffering from a cold will thicken your phlegm, causing it to thicken even more and become more irritating. Milk is also one of the most heavily contaminated food sources in our diets, which should be considered. But don’t be alarmed; milk is still good for your health.
It continues to be an essential part of our diet because it is a virtually complete food source. In fact, when a person ingests or swallows a specific poison, milk is occasionally a means to help remove the toxins from of their system. But, it does not act as an antidote to poisoning and does not effectively remove contaminants from the human body.
The treatment of Metal fume fever is the same as treating most flu-like symptoms. The key is to get plenty of sleep and drink enough fluids. Aspirin or ibuprofen are sufficient treatment options for symptoms such as headaches, body aches, and joint stiffness.
How Do You Prevent Metal Fume Fever
Whether drinking milk before welding is a myth or not, there are various other things you can do to minimize or avoid getting exposure to the fumes. By utilizing local exhaust and general ventilation, you can keep your head out of the fumes and reduce your exposure to the toxins in the fumes.
If you’re not sure if your ventilation or exhaust is enough, go through the Threshold Limit Values (TLV). You can also check using the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) (Material Safety Data Sheets).
You can employ an expert to keep track of your exposure and measure it for you. Wear an approved respirator when working with galvanized steel, especially if you are unsure whether or not there will be adequate ventilation in your workplace.
Aside from ventilators, you can make use of certain respirators. The purpose of some respirators is to remove harmful particles from the air, while others are to supply clean air from a different source. You should receive authorization for your respirator from the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) or the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Make sure you understand how to use the respirator before proceeding. Wearing one is pointless if you don’t know what to do with it once you get it. As a result, you might need to get training before receiving authorization for a respirator.
The training should cover how to operate the respirator, its capabilities and limitations, and how to properly maintain and store the device.
Finally, you can remove the zinc through grinding. This will leave the Metal naked and unprotected. However, you can always apply a protective coating after welding though this would only take a longer time to complete.
