Welding Fume Control Policy and Procedure

Suits welding, fabrication, automotive, plumbing, farm and maintenance businesses that weld, cut, braze or solder. It follows the Welding Processes Code of Practice 2021 and the Regulation duties on exposure, air monitoring and health monitoring.

What Is Included In Our Welding Fume Control Policy and Procedure?

• Policy statement with an approval sign-off
• Duties by role, from managers and welders to the competent person
• Checking what is on the metal: galvanised, painted, plated, stainless and lead-coated
• Controls in order, with local exhaust, extraction torches and positioning
• General ventilation as support, not the main control
• Respirators: fit, checks and storage
• When air monitoring is needed, and 30 year result records
• When health monitoring is required, and why it is not Schedule 14 only
• Lead process rules and the hot work permit as our own system
• Training, records and review

Legislation and Codes of Practice Referenced

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld): s 19 (primary duty of care), s 26A (approved codes of practice), s 28 (duties of workers), ss 35 and 36 (notifiable incident, serious injury or illness), s 38 (record), ss 47 and 49 (consultation)
• Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld): ss 32 to 38 (risk management), s 39 (information, training and instruction), s 44 (personal protective equipment), ss 49 and 50 (exposure standards and air monitoring), ss 51 to 53 (fire and explosion), Part 4.3 from s 62 (confined spaces), schedule 19 (definitions)
• The same Regulation: s 328 (where Part 7.1 applies, including the generation of hazardous substances), ss 368 to 378 and schedule 14 (health monitoring), and for lead processes s 392, s 395, s 402, s 403 and s 405
• Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld): s 133 (employer’s duty to report an injury)
• Welding Processes Code of Practice 2021 (Qld), an approved code of practice: sections 3.1 (airborne contaminants), 3.4 (fire and explosion), 3.8 (lead), 4.1 (ventilation), 4.2 (personal protective equipment), 4.3 (maintenance of equipment) and 5 (health monitoring), and appendix B (by-products of welding). Under s 26A of the WHS Act a business must follow an approved code or manage the risk in a way that gives an equivalent or higher standard
• Confined Spaces Code of Practice 2021 (Qld): for welding in confined spaces
• Workplace Exposure Standard for Airborne Contaminants and the biological exposure standard (Safe Work Australia): relied on by the Regulation, named only and not reproduced. AS 1674.1 (fire precautions), AS/NZS 1715 and AS/NZS 1716 (respiratory protective equipment) are named in the code and cited by title only
• This document is general information for Queensland workplaces and is not legal advice

What You Get

• An editable Microsoft Word document (7 pages), A4 portrait
• Business details and document control typed once and filled in on every page, plus a space for your logo
• Purpose, scope and a policy statement with an approval sign-off
• Definitions, and responsibilities for each role
• A step-by-step procedure that says who does what
• Records, training, monitoring and review, related documents and a revision history

Review it and adjust it to suit your business, your sites and the way your team works, and talk it through with your workers. If you have any trouble downloading this template, you can contact us at any time. Please make sure you read our Disclaimer before downloading.