This guide helps doctors to monitor the health of workers exposed to cadmium.  

Cadmium (CAS 7440-43-9) is a soft, silvery, squashy metal similar to zinc. You will find it in batteries, pigments, coatings and platings, as a plastic stabiliser and in photovoltaic devices. 

Examples of work using cadmium and its compounds include: 

• welding, soldering, oxy cutting and smelting 

• welding or oxy cutting of cadmium alloy and cadmium plate 

• using cadmium-silver alloy for silver soldering or brazing 

• electroplating 

• making cadmium alloys 

• extracting cadmium from mineral ore smelters 

• opening containers and weighing out cadmium powders 

• charging cadmium powders into process plant 

• grinding, discharging and packaging cadmium powders 

• working with nickel-cadmium batteries 

• making and handling paint and plastic containing cadmium pigments and recycling the plastic 

• textile production. 

This guide is part of a health monitoring guide collection. 

There are also health monitoring guides for: 

• persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) 

• guide for workers 

• registered medical practitioners 

• hazardous chemicals