Welders alerted
to poison danger

A Pearl Harbor shipyard union
is offering free screenings
for damage

As many as 10,000 current and retired shipyard welders who repaired submarines and other Navy vessels may have been affected by welding fume poisoning, the Pearl Harbor labor union that represents them said yesterday.

Shipyard workers warned What: Screening for current and retired Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard welders and those who worked around them, such as fire watch workers, shipfitters, boilermakers and welder helpers. Why: To check for possible manganese poisoning. Early warning signs: Hand tremors, difficulty walking or speaking, handwriting changes and other neurological disorders. When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Moanalua Middle School, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the interisland conference center on the seventh floor of the Hawaiian Airlines terminal parking structure. Cost: Free. Call: A 24-hour hotline at 734-4855 to set up an appointment.

The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers is urging these workers to be screened this weekend for manganism, a Parkinson's-like disease caused by prolonged exposure to manganese fumes and dust, said Ben Toyama, the federation's vice president.

The heat of the welding process causes small amounts of manganese to be released into the air, where they can be inhaled, union officials said. It is added to steel to help prevent corrosion.

The welders are not the only ones who may have been affected by working in tight quarters and breathing welding fumes inside submarines.

Fire watch workers, shipfitters, boilermakers and welder helpers at the state's largest industrial facility could have been affected, Toyama said.

The union said workers at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard most at risk are those who worked in tight quarters without ventilation, including submarines and other Navy vessels.

Toyama said that attorney Janice Kim is paying for screening sessions that will be held this weekend and for tests to determine whether there has been neurological damage. The screening is free by appointment from the union's 24-hour hotline at 734-4855. People living on the Neighbor Islands can call the same number to register for future screenings.

Toyama said Kim is paying for screenings and the testing because of the possibility of lawsuits against companies that provided the welding equipment and supplies.

Jason Holm, spokesman for the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, said the Navy is "aware the union is posting information offering free medical screening to workers who have concerns.

"The safety and well-being of our workers is our top priority," he said, "and we will continue to take every step possible to provide them with a safe work environment." Welding rods and welding wire, used to fuse pieces of metal together through the welding process, may contain very high levels of manganese, placing welders and those who work with them at a high risk of exposure, Toyama said. Risks increase with welding in enclosed spaces or without proper ventilation.

Today workers are "well-protected with respirators, and usually work in a well-ventilated areas at the shipyard.

"This was not always the case in the past," Toyama said.

He said he doesn't know if shipyard workers here have been affected by manganism. "But we have reports from the union that this has been a problem at mainland shipyards, especially in Mississippi," Toyama said.

He said long-term exposure to high levels of manganese can cause damage to the central nervous system. Symptoms can include weakness, lethargy, speech problems, paralysis, tremors and psychological disturbances. Exposure to welding fumes has also been linked to various forms of cancer and the early onset of Parkinson's disease.

Toyama said that only a medical examination can confirm the onset of manganism or manganese poisoning.

He added that "not every welder might have been poisoned, but every welder should be checked."

A fact sheet provided by the Hawaii Federal Employees Metal Trades Council estimates that of the 1.5 million welding workers exposed in the United States, about 10,000 live in Hawaii.