Why Is Underwater Welding So Dangerous?

Underwater welding is a highly specialized form of welding that involves a lot of training and specialized skills. Underwater welders often fix damaged offshore pipelines and typically work on offshore oil rigs. While underwater welding can be very lucrative, it is arguably the most dangerous occupation in the country.

One study indicates that underwater welders have the highest accidental death rate of any occupation.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track underwater welders as a group and does not list the accidental death rate for this occupation, but it is estimated that about 15% of underwater welders die on the job.

For comparison, loggers and fishermen, which are also very dangerous occupations, accident rates are below about 0.2%, which means that underwater welders are more than 60 times as likely drop dead on the job as a logger of fisherman, which are among the most dangerous occupations in the United States.

In this section, we will examine underwater welding hazards and the dangers associated with underwater welding, as well as precautions that underwater welders can take to protect themselves.

Underwater Welding Hazards

Underwater welders face constant risks due to operating dangerous equipment in dark places. Their injuries often lead to long-term health problems and even death.

Typical hazards of this occupation include:

1. Electric Shock

The greatest hazard to underwater welders is electrocution. All underwater welding is done with waterproof equipment. All equipment needs to be properly tested and insulated before it can be used.

2. Explosions

Gas pockets from the formation of hydrogen and oxygen are very dangerous for underwater welders. If ignited, the gas pockets can lead to deadly explosions.

Explosion Safety Rules

• Look for any locations in the work area that may trap the gases overhead. Use a vent tube to increase effects if needed by directing the gases to the surface.
• If able, work from the highest points to the lowest points while welding.
• Electrodes in the 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit range in a gas-filled void environment could explode on sparks.
• Thick material: work from the outside and rotate around. Frequently pull away the electrode (a few seconds) then make a brush action. You may allow water to weld while keeping the temperature down, however this reduces the quality of the weld.
• Welds are dangerous above and near riverbeds or riverbeds that have cows nearby due to possibly explosive gases, like methane, that could be already trapped under the mud.

3. Decompression illness. 

Many underwater welders perform their work hundreds of feet beneath the surface where significant pressure changes exist. Decompression sickness, also called “the bends,” occurs from a decrease in atmospheric pressure surrounding the body.

There are two hazards to your health in underwater welding, decompression sickness and arterial gas embolism.

Decompression sickness occurs with bubbles growing in the tissues and injecting further local damage. Arterial gas embolism occurs when bubbles travel in your arteries, choking off blood flow and injecting damage to the tissue.

4. Drowning. 

Differential pressure can be responsible for drowning accidents and often goes unnoticed until too late after a person is trapped beyond escape. Venturi effect differential pressure occurs when two bodies of water of different elevation converge.

This pressure difference possibly reaches hundreds of pounds per square inch and the diver could become trapped and then drown. The diver may face equipment failure by way of leaking mask, hose or oxygen tank resulting in drowning wounds.

The biggest issue is don’t panic, aka, you can make a non-issue situation into a lethal situation by overthinking and not following chambers operating crew surface direction.

Have a cooler head and attempt to slow the respiratory rate to prevent the cardiovascular system from taxing from hyperventilating.

If the diver has a cut off the air supply through annoyance umbilicals at work he can switch to one of the backup gas SCUBA supply tank.

The diver would check his helmet to verify no malfunction. The diver may wish to ascend to the extremum depth at a reasonable rate of ascent if they are relatively shallow to surface.

5. Freezing

As a general rule of thumb, the deeper you go, the colder it gets. If the water penetrates your skin, it will rapidly reduce your body temperature in a cold environment. This can lead to cardiac and respiratory distress, and eventually can lead to hypothermia and death.

Welder divers will inspect their dry suit and gloves for small tears in addition to their scuba equipment which is highly insulated.

In certain instances, saturation divers will also utilize helium in their ambient environment to further limit the chances of decompression sickness.

Because of the thermal properties of Helium, divers must continuously monitor their temperature after they have absorbed a significant load of helium into their bloodstream; hypothermia can onset in minutes.

6. Ear, Lung, and Nose Damage

Spending a lot of time in high-pressure waters can lead to long-term ear, lung, and nose damage.

7. Hypothermia

Maritime workers may be so focused on their work that they fail to notice the signs of hypothermia. Divers work on significant projects, like hull repairs or pipe maintenance, and need breaks in which to come out of the water and regular communication with the crew above surface.

8. Marine Life

The light produced from welding can potentially attract plankton, and plankton will consequently attract fish.

From a biological perspective, marine life does not have any physiological effect on underwater welding incidents, but they can interrupt the welder-diver’s task, which can also delay the project time. The greater the project time, the greater the risks.

Underwater welders should clear their workspace beforehand of all obstructions, including fish.

The future of underwater welding, and is it worth it?

As technology advances in robotic capabilities, advancements are also being made to protect underwater welders.

While the future cannot be predicted, with their industry moving closer to more conservation, underwater welders are responsible for maintaining some of the most critical components of many industries worldwide today.

Until robots can perform the nuanced and complex tasks of human and do it 100% accurate, underwater divers will always be needed by companies worldwide.

It is a challenging job, both mentally and physically, however, for all of the stress that it creates, it makes up for the job pride of maintaining the technologies of the world today.

In terms of working conditions and requirements, underwater welding may not be one of the best careers, but it is an amazing job for someone who wants to make a very high salary in a short period.

To put the underwater welding compensation into perspective, in the U.S, an entry-level underwater welder starts at roughly $32,000 a year and climbs to about $151,000 for the best in the field.

To avoid being a victim of a fatal accident, underwater welders need to be very aware of the hazards they work around and be sure to strictly adhere to their safety protocol prior to, and during any underwater welding project.

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