Air emissions: Air emissions in the metal fabrication industry mainly come from VOCs that are released during degreasing and cleaning operations. These can also occur through the volatilization of solvents when they're placed in storage.
There can be issues from dust and particulates that are emitted during grinding operations.
Welding also generates gases like carbon monoxide, and toxic metal fumes, too.
Noise & Vibration: On-site equipment and the processes they are designed to help with can produce levels of noise that can be harmful to people and the environment.
Actions such as grinding, hammering steel, guillotining, cutting metal, pressing, and disposal of scrap metal can produce harmful levels of noise.
In addition to this, there are risks to humans from the vibrations caused by these processes, such as hand and arm vibration syndrome.
Metal Working Fluids: Metalworking fluids can become spoiled or contaminated with extended use and reuse, no matter how careful operatives are in any given situation. These used fluids contain high levels of metals and they can sometimes also contain contaminants from other processes, e.g. acids, alkalis, waste oils, and solvents.
Soil and Water Contamination: Contamination is often caused by the discharge of untreated wastewater to sewers and the incorrect disposal of metal sludge on working sites. This is something that could have occurred in the past and could also still be happening in the present.
Contamination can occur if there are accidental spillages and leaks of solvents and oils.
Solid Waste: Solid waste is usually related to metal offcuts and chips that have been contaminated with cutting fluids or cleaning agents.
These wastes are hazardous and a danger to human life and as a result must only be disposed of by registered handlers.
Wastewater: Wastewater that contains acidic or alkaline wastes, waste oils, and solid wastes, such as metals and solvents, are often created by the metal fabrication industry and must be treated safely and handled professionally prior to their discharge.