#galvanized

Isamu Noguchi, "Atomic Haystack," 1982 / 1983,

Galvanized steel,

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Guardian Angel

(Mafia! Stucky x Bodyguard! Reader)

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At my last job, I was welding galvanized steel, which is just regular steel covered in a zinc coating. It's very difficult to weld because you pretty much have to burn through the zinc coating in order to weld smoothly or else it'll just fight back the whole time. But when welded or grinded(mostly when the metal gets hot enough that fumes are created) breathing in the fumes can make you sick. Welding fume fever mimics the feeling of the flu, giving you chills, body aches, a fever, and often causing you to throw up. And long term exposure to the fumes can cause cancer and other permanent damages. Most welders/grinders will be provided respirators to help filter out the fumes but it only helps to a certain extent.

Thankfully at my job the levels of zinc were low enough that it never caused me to throw up. Since we were welding thin gauged metal that wasn't meant to hold much weight. Because the purpose of the galvanized coating is to make the metal more resistant against corrosion/weather and/or help with structural strength. Which is why it's used in buildings, bridges, auto industry, and even in the food industry.