Re: welding galvanized steel
I may have joined this party late. But here is my .04 cents worth, Obama's inflation.
I speak as someone who came out of high school in the late sixties and begin working in the Portland shipyards as a third generation Coast Guard Certified welder. I have welded miles of handrail, miles of gangplanks, and stadium size fields of elevated walkways all of them constructed of hot dipped galvanized most of it twice as thick as anything I have seen in recent times.
TD is 100% correct ?welders hate galvanize? if anyone writing in this post has ever had what is referred in the trades as ?galvanize poisoning? you would have clue as to why. I personally have had it three separate times in my life, each time worst than the time before. Until I read this article I was under the impression that as zinc sulfates built up in your blood system the effects were accumulative. I understand now that this was probably not the case.
As for the comparison to a case of the flu, this is a great understatement and I feel this comparison is used because it is the only thing that comes close to helping those who have never had ?galvanize poisoning? comprehend what it feels like. Depending on the length of exposure the actual effects can be ten times as severe as the average flu case, not withstanding the thousands who die each year from influenza.
As a point of interest 5150afb there was a time before you started your career that respirators were not readily available. I understand that as a result of those who came before you that respirators are now required, sadly that was not always the case. But please be sure that it is the correct type of respirator, with the gas filters you?re wearing if you are welding galvanizing.
As in many work environments much is now known that wasn?t before and yes galvanize can be welded safely. And a quality job can be issued, but if you ask that welder how he feels about welding galvanize I am will to bet he says "He HATES IT".
