A welder’s exposure to hexavalent chromium may occur from inhalation of fumes when performing “hot work” such as welding, brazing, or torch-cutting stainless steel or other chromium-containing metals. In these situations the chromium is not originally hexavalent, but the high temperatures involved in the process result in oxidation that converts the chromium to a hexavalent state in the fume. Stainless steels, in general, have 12 to 30 percent chromium content.