Underwater welding is considered to be among the riskiest jobs on earth. The risks that come with underwater welding are why most people do not consider it an intelligent decision for anyone interested in building a career as an underwater welder.
However, anyone that manages to successfully take it as a career usually gets high remunerations.
From several analyses performed, it is clear that welding is risky and life expectancy is not that high compared to the life expectancy of other careers.
Welder divers are known to receive huge salaries for diffusion plunging, overtime, and a wide range of things. Although underwater welding might sound easy, underwater welders are well aware of how difficult it can be, especially for a newcomer.
This article will be looking at underwater welder life expectancy and some of the safety measures welders need to take.
Underwater Welding Basics
Have you ever imagined what can happen when electricity gets into the water? It can pose lots of damage to anyone inside the water or even the surrounding areas. Water has the least conflict with electricity. This explains why it is capable of causing lots of problems to you.
The Life Expectancy of an Underwater Welder
According to recent research findings, the average age of underwater welders ranges between 35 and 40 years. The research data is based on a few investigations so it is not that conclusive. However, the underwater welder death rate is slightly higher than other welders.
Evaluating the Life Expectancy of an Underwater Welder
The first thing that will come to your mind whenever you hear about underwater welder life expectancy is how you can evaluate it.
Despite the wet and dry welding methods being very popular among underwater welders, one needs to know the life expectancy of an underwater welder.
How deaths happen is the first decisive factor whenever you want to evaluate an underwater welder’s life expectancy.
Most professionals usually believe in the same thing, and they always strive to find out the cause of underwater welder death in the water.
Total death rate and age associations can be of great help when checking an underwater welder’s life expectancy.
Ensure you check the common things that cause deaths among underwater welders. Mark some of the common things that lead to underwater welder’s death. This will also play an important part when you are determining the life expectancy of an underwater welder.
Underwater Welding Dangers
You are now aware of the basic information concerning underwater welding and the dangers that come with underwater welding.
You must look around for some information concerning underwater welding and the risks involved in underwater welding.
In case you are interested in getting rid of the doubts concerning the underwater welding dangers, ensure that you take a keen look at the points below that will help educate you on some of the main dangers you need to be keen on.
- Decompression Sickness
Decompression Sickness also referred to as diver’s sickness is one danger most underwater welders encounter from time to time.
Whenever a welder moves from a high-pressure area to a low-pressure area, it can easily get into touch with decompression sickness. Decompression sickness is among the top dangers that come with underwater welding.
When there are changes in pressure, an underwater welder’s chances of inhaling dangerous gases available in the water, such as nitrogen, increase; apart from extreme nausea and joint pain, several other outcomes can be caused by decompression sickness.
- Explosions
Gas pockets are usually crafted by mixing hydrogen and oxygen, leading to a huge hazard to most underwater welders. When the underwater welders use gas pockets that are made using oxygen and hydrogen, there will always be a hazard created that might not be visible to most underwater welders. In such a situation, the welders will be forced to adhere to safety protocols that might help them achieve their work without any doubt or cause of alarm.
- Nose, lung, and ear damage
To complete any dangerous occupation that entails underwater welding, the welders will always have to be inside the water for quite a long time. The welders will always be under high-pressure water for longer periods, leading to ear, nose, or lung damage.
- Electric shocks
Since you are already aware that electricity and water lead to electric shock when they come together, this is one of the dangers most underwater welders have to face.
The underwater welders will always have an electric-powered welding gun in their hands, and since they will be using it inside the water, electric shock can be one of the major threats to them.
However, there are specialized tools welders can use safely with underwater welders. The underwater welder should ensure that they have all the right tools before they get into the water. All will be well when the welder uses well insulated and waterproof tools whenever they are welding inside the water.
- Drowning
In situations where some of the underwater welder’s tools or equipment fail when they are inside the water, they can always drown. In case the welder is not in a position of taking full control over the equipment or tools, the chances of drowning will be high.
- Wildlife creatures
Whenever you consider a career as an underwater welder, you will have to consider the dangers that creatures living inside the water can pose. Most oceans and seas are full of both small and big creatures that can be very dangerous to any human being’s life.
You understand that any underwater welder will encounter different ocean creatures as they try to perform the work. Whales and sharks can be among the most dangerous creatures in the ocean, which explains why welders will have to keep an eye on them. Any underwater welder needs to have a protection mechanism in place together with a backup team.
Ways to Perform Underwater Welding
By now, you have collected some of the important information you need to know when it comes to underwater welding. It is also important to know how easily you can perform while welding underwater.
Despite the work not be that easy, if you can use better methods, it will be very easy for you. You can also think of several safety considerations whenever you want to bind two metal pieces under the water.
- Using dry chamber systems in underwater welding
The majority of underwater welders use different approaches to help them accomplish their tasks quickly. One of the most reliable methods any underwater welder can use to accomplish the task is dry chamber systems. Using dry chamber systems will help stop water from entering the work area, thereby enabling you to focus on your work.
- Wet Welding underwater
There are situations where you cannot use the dry chamber systems when welding underwater. In such a situation, you can always take the risk and use wet welding.
However, most experts argue that wet welding is one of the last options underwater welders always go for if there is any need for welding inside the water. In such situations, the chances of cooling down the weld will always increase, which explains why the risk of water cracking will always be high.
Tips to Ensure you are Safe when Doing Underwater Welding
After enlightening you about the methods of doing underwater welding, it is important to know how you can be safe and the safety standards you require to ensure successful underwater welding.
You need to always keep in mind to help prevent certain problems from coming up whenever you are welding under the water. Always check the underwater welder’s life expectancy to be assured about the risks together with other things.
- Training and certification
Any person who wants to get into the underwater welding career will have to acquire certification that they will achieve after undergoing proper training from any recognized institution.
- Go for a diving school
It is advisable for anyone willing to get into an underwater welding career to join a specialized diving school to enable him or her to sharpen his diving skills.
- Ensure you upgrade your equipment’s and tools
To be successful as an underwater welder, you need to always upgrade your equipment and tools. Using modern and updated tools and equipment will help increase your life expectancy.
Using upgraded tools will ensure you can accomplish the task at hand easily and within a short period.
The Average Life Expectancy of an Underwater Welder
The underwater welding profession is a bit different from the other welding works. It is never an easy career, and that is reflected in the remuneration of underwater welders. From recent research findings, an underwater welder’s life expectancy ranges from 35 to 40 years old.
As you know, welding is a process that uses high heat emissions such as acute flames, heat, or current, which can easily cause injury or even death to the welder. Which leads to an increase in the underwater welder death rate.
However, such accidents can happen when you ignore preventive measures. Although it is not that true that it can shorten your life, but there are high chances it can shorten your life expectancy when not used well.
Since underwater welding is a very risky job, welders will always have to follow some guidelines to protect their health and life. For example, the fumes that are emitted during welding are capable of causing different types of diseases like urinary issues, lung disease, and cancer.
Some underwater welders have complained of suffering from diseases like
- Nervous system damage
- Stomach ulcers
- Damage to the kidney
- Fever
You can avoid some of the dangers posed by underwater welding by being aware of some welding tricks. Since you will always require a 120 volt to run a welding machine, the voltage is never enough to kill someone, although there is a possibility that a 50 voltage can cause injuries to the welder or even death. It is important for any welder using a welding machine to exercise lots of caution and care. Skill and experience will also play an integral part in ensuring a welder is always safe.
Conclusion
Although the underwater welder’s career is a very lucrative one, most of the welders are a bit demoralized by the underwater welder life expectancy. It is one of the world’s riskiest jobs, and that explains why so many people avoid it.
However, when you invest in modern and top-quality underwater welding machines and tools and exercise all the precautionary measures and acquire the right skills and experience, you will always save yourself from the probable dangers of underwater welding.
