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 Brown
& Crouppen's St. Louis 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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