Welders, sadly, are still one of the professions that suffer from workplace fatalities. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), four in one-thousand welders die every year, which is extraordinarily high. Welders confront danger every day at work and incur long-term illnesses due to the nature of their job. This post will go over the immediate and long-term injuries.

The injuries that welder’s face can be divided into two categories: immediate and long-term. Immediate injuries occur because welders work with high temperatures that can result in burns if they are not careful. To be clear, all welders suffer minor burns as part of the job. However, if a welder is not careful, his arc-torch could slip and severely burn himself or a colleague. Furthermore, sparks can and do light oil soaked rags which can cause fires in the workplace.

Additionally, welders must contend with respiratory problems and loss of vision. When welders weld metals together, the welding process heats the metal which releases gas. These gases, even with protective gear, eventually cause respiratory problems. Moreover, welders must stare at their weld while they are working, keeping control of the torch. The welds are extremely bright and prolonged exposure results in significant retinal damage.

If you suffered an injury at work, such as a chemical or gas exposure, then you may want to speak to a workers’ compensation attorney. A lawyer can go over the circumstances of your injury and help you file the paperwork to get your workers’ compensation claim going. The faster and more accurate your paperwork, the sooner you can get compensation. You don’t want to risk receiving compensation, especially wage replacement because you filled the forms out incorrectly.