Kirk Bernard's Welding Rod Injury Law Review

Drug Warnings: Welding Rods Side Effects and Risks

Link for this post: Personal Injury - Drug-Toxic Chemicals - Welding Rods (Manganese poisoning) on FreeAdvice

Here is an excerpt from this article:

Welding rods, used to fuse metal together in the welding process, have been found to release toxic levels of several chemical elements into the air when heated. These chemicals, in the form of fumes and dust, can have serious side effects. The largest number of welding rods side effects are from toxic levels of the chemical element manganese, but adverse side effects have resulted from exposure to chromium and nickel as well. Toxic exposure to fumes and dust from welding rods happens most often in the workplace where safe levels are determined by OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration). For OSHA limits on manganese levels and the dangers of manganese Exposure, see the publication of the National Safety Council. Welding rods, used to fuse metal together in the welding process, have been found to release toxic levels of several chemical elements into the air when heated. These chemicals, in the form of fumes and dust, can have serious side effects. The largest number of welding rods side effects are from toxic levels of the chemical element manganese, but adverse side effects have resulted from exposure to chromium and nickel as well.

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Second Major Blow To Welding Industry In Nine Days

NEW YORK, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- In the second major verdict against the U.S. welding industry in little more than a week, a New York State appeals court on Dec. 29th affirmed the first-ever jury finding that asbestos-containing welding rods, sold in the billions up to the early 1980's, had caused lung cancer and mesothelioma, Attorney Jerome H. Block of the nationally known mass toxic tort law firm of Levy Phillips and Konigsberg, LLP announced.
The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department, in a published decision, upheld the July 2003 jury verdict in favor of, Angel Gomez, who died following the trial, and the late Daniel Tucker. Both men worked with and around asbestos-containing welding rods. The jury awarded Gomez a total of approximately $3.19 million against Lincoln Electric Company ("Lincoln"), reduced 25 percent since Gomez was a cigarette smoker. Tucker's estate was awarded a total of approximately $3.5 million split between Lincoln and Hobart Brothers Company ("Hobart").

Lincoln, publicly traded, and Hobart, a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded Illinois Tool Works, Inc., "had argued that their asbestos product was different and incapable of causing lung cancer and mesothelioma. The jury rejected these arguments, and now their verdict has been unanimously upheld by the appellate court," Block said.

On Dec. 20th an Illinois appellate court upheld a 2001, $1 million negligence and product liability award against Lincoln, Hobart, and Airco/The BOC Group, Inc. After a four-week trial a jury found that manganese fumes from the defendants' welding rods caused central nervous system injury resulting in the plaintiff's Parkinson's disease.

The welding rods at issue in the Gomez and Tucker cases, known by their American Welding Society Classification "6010," were and continue to be a top-selling, all-purpose welding rod. Up to the early 1980s, these rods were coated with a mixture containing 5% to 15% asbestos, according to trial testimony. "We proved that asbestos from the coating of these rods would be released in the air and breathed in by workers like Mr. Gomez and Mr. Tucker who had no idea that asbestos could kill them," Block explained. For at least a half century, from the 1930's through the early 1980's, Lincoln manufactured billions of asbestos-containing welding rods, which were commonly used in industry, Block noted. In addition to welders, others who worked around them were endangered by these rods, Block added.

Case Filed As: Christine Wiegman, Individually and as the Administratrix of the Estate of Daniel Tucker, Plaintiff-Respondent, v A C & S, Inc., et al., Defendants, The Lincoln Electric Company, et al., Defendants-Appellants.; Angel Gomez, Plaintiff-Respondent, v A C & S, Inc., et al., Defendants, The Lincoln Electric Company, Defendant-Appellant.

I Want to Fight for Mike

I read a story in the paper about Mike Reed. He's lived in Seattle his entire life, His neighbor and friends admire him He works long hours. At night he coaxes his kids’ hockey team.

Mike is a welder.

He can fabricate anything using all kinds of metals. Mike’s two main tools are his arc welder and a long strip of metal, which he melts into the joint of two large sheets of steel. That long, thin, round strip of metal contains manganese.

And it is killing him.

You see, welding with manganese rods gives off toxic fumes, which our friend Mike inhales. Every day. For five years. Or ten. Or thirty.

One day, Mike notices his hands are shaking. His feet are dragging. He stares at people. He cuts himself shaving. He has Manganism. Or Parkinsonism. He is sick, and permanently injured. He needs help. He needs a good doctor. And, suddenly, he needs income, because he can no longer weld.

To make things worse - the manufacturer of those manganese strips knew since the 1930's that their products’ fumes would hurt Mike - and other welders. But the manufacturer did not tell Mike - - or his employer. In fact, the manufacturer, along with the other rod manufacturers, allegedly knew the problem and covered it up. For decades.

Welders Show Elevated Rate of Parkinson Symptoms

On Reuturs, "Welders Show Elevated Rate of Parkinson Symptoms" by Amy Norton. Here is an excerpt:

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Welders may have a higher-than-average rate of Parkinson's disease symptoms, the results of a new study suggest.

Researchers found that among more than 1,400 welders from Alabama, the prevalence of Parkinson-like symptoms, including tremor, muscle rigidity and slowed movement, was 7 to 10 times higher than the norm for the general population.

The findings, based on a group of mostly male welders between the ages of 40 and 69 years, are published in the journal Neurology.

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Trial Begins for Welder Who Contracted Parkinsonism

On Yahoo Finance -- "Trial Begins for Welder Who Contracted Parkinsonism" about Ronald Presler, whose lawyer has filed a complaint against Lincoln Electric Company and Hobart Brothers company. They will argue:
" ... that these companies' failure to properly warn of the health hazards their products present caused the victim to contract a painful and permanently debilitating disease.
Mr. Ronald Presler worked as a welder from 1966-1997. After many years of inhaling dangerously high levels of manganese fumes from welding rods, Mr. Presler was diagnosed with Parkinsonism. Symptoms are virtually identical to Parkinson's disease, including tremors, rigidity, difficulty walking, slurred speech and facial masking.

"These manufacturers destroyed Mr. Presler's life," said John Neese, an attorney from Williams Bailey. "Sadly, Mr. Presler's case is not unique. There are literally thousands of welders out there who worked hard all their lives, took pride in their profession and now are having to suffer with this horrible disease."

A Million Dollars for Welding Rod Injuries

A Madison County, Illinois jury recently awarded $1 million dollars to a 65 year old former welder named Larry Elam who claimed his exposure to manganese in welding fumes caused him to develop a central nervous system disorder that affects movement and coordination. Although the medical profession had known since the 1830’s that exposure to toxic levels of manganese is a health hazard this case was the first major legal victory for welders who have been battling rod makers and employers for decades over the issue of welding fume induced illnesses.

Welding is the process of joining metals by electric arc or flame with a filler material.The process of welding causes the release of concentrated particulate fumes and gases which contain a number of elements including fluorine (F), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), calcium (Ca), sulfur (S), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni) and manganese (Mn). Many of these gases, including manganese, cause known health hazards when ingested by humans. Furthermore, these potentially dangerous gases may be odorless and invisible to the naked eye.

While traditionally, occupational exposure of manganese had been limited to mining and alloy production, the Elam case and recent medical studies have brought to the public’s attention that for decades, welders were unknowingly breathing disease inducing manganese fumes. To make matters worse, many of these welders were working in confined spaces and indoors with little or no safety or ventilation equipment. The combination of inadequate ventilation coupled with the close proximately of the welder’s nose and mouth to manganese laced welding fumes often results in the inhalation of toxic levels of manganese, with sometimes devastating side effects.

While there are a number of documented health problems attributed to the inhalation of welding fumes,[3]one of the most serious potential injuries is an irreversible parkinsonian-like syndrome. This condition, first described by J. Couper in 1837, [4] is characterized by fixed gaze, bradykinesia, postural difficulties, rigidity, tremor, dystonia and decreased metal status. This syndrome has been termed “Manganism”. Additional symptoms of this disease include tremors, shakes, loss of balance, slowed movement, walking problems, impotence, slurred speech, extreme drowsiness and nighttime leg cramps. For years, welders have been misdiagnosed as suffering from Parkinson’s disease (Lou Gehrig’s disease) or MS (Multiple Sclerosis) because the similarities between the symptoms