Underwater welding is a highly specialized job requiring meticulous preparation and execution to avoid the many dangers involved. Although the official mortality rate of underwater welders is not tracked, it is often thought of as one of the most dangerous jobs in the nation. Take a closer look at why.
Underwater Welding Hazards
Many people wonder, “How dangerous is underwater welding?” The hazards involved are numerous and frequently fatal.
First, underwater welders face general diving risks, such as:
- Gas narcosis and gas toxicities
- Decompression sickness
- Acute pain
- Drowning
- Hypothermia
These risks can be avoided with standardized measures all divers use, both commercial and recreational. However, commercial divers, such as oil rig underwater welding workers, face unique risks that are absent in the recreational world of diving for the most part.
Why Is Underwater Welding So Dangerous?
Unlike recreational divers, commercial divers can face a higher risk of death. But how do people die from underwater welding exactly?
On top of the general diving risks, workers also face specific underwater welder risks, including:
- Electrocution
- Injury or death by explosion
- Injury to the ears, nose, and lungs
Regarding electrocution, divers must use specialized equipment and techniques to mitigate this risk, such as rubberized dry suits and waterproof equipment. Welders must have a thorough understanding of how to use this equipment and how to know when it is defective or malfunctioning.
Explosion risks are primarily owed to the buildup of pockets of gasses rich in oxygen and hydrogen. These mixtures can explode with great force when ignited by welding operations.
Types of Underwater Welding
There are two types of underwater welding: dry and wet. Both offer advantages and disadvantages.
Dry Welding
Dry welding occurs when a welder is working underwater but is housed inside a cofferdam or a hyperbaric chamber. As such, these welding operations are carried out in a dry, more controlled environment, which allows for superior weld quality.
However, a few factors discourage its use when wet welding would suffice. These factors include:
- Cost of setting up a chamber
- Logistics of transporting and stabilizing the chamber
- Extensive time required
This means the dry environment is typically chosen for projects in need of superior results or in circumstances where the water and weather conditions are not favorable to wet welding.
Wet Welding
Wet welding refers to welding in open water conditions, meaning the welding occurs while the welder is fully submerged in water. It is the most common form of underwater welding due to the simplicity in which it is carried out and how cost effective it is.
As you might imagine, wet welding has its own set of challenges. Because underwater welders are directly submerged in water, their movements are substantially altered compared to when moving in a dry environment.
Wet welders are also more subject to underwater welding dangers presented by the sea, such as dangers from marine life, currents, and cold temperatures. However, its low cost compared to dry diving and ease of deployment and execution make it the industry go-to unless the job needs superior weld quality.
Choosing Dry vs. Wet Welding
When a job needs the highest weld quality, dry welding is often the chosen method. Wet welding features too many variables that can have a direct impact on the quality of the weld. For example, ocean currents can reduce the quality of a job by causing instability during operation. Likewise, underwater visibility can fluctuate greatly based on the current seawater content.
Ultimately, both methods are useful and are accepted as safe methods of managing the dangers of underwater welding.
Planning Means Prevention: Keeping Underwater Welders Safe
Commercial diving comes with certain dangers, which means accident prevention is fundamental to keeping the underwater welding fatality rate low. Most underwater dangers can be avoided with proper planning and preparation. However, when offshore accidents do happen, personal injury attorneys work to help victims get the compensation and justice they deserve.
Contact a Baton Rouge, LA Personal Injury Lawyer from Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
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