Valerie- I have been working almost exclusively with stainless for the last 8 years or so, and I find the safety information about it extremely confusing.
I have been reading a series of articles about it lately in magazines like Practical Welding, and they mostly seem to be written by salesmen for Ventilation systems.

Most of the industrial examples deal with either stick or mig welding stainless- and I never do either. I Tig it exclusively. We also forge it quite a bit. And, unfortunately, grind or sand it from time to time.
I have been unable to find precise info on the dangers of tig welding stainless, and whether or not that creates Hexavelent Chromium? do you know?
Similarly with forging, at red heats, do you know if Hex Chromium is released into the atmosphere, and if that is something to be worried about?
My reading of the subject indicates that breathing fumes is the worst danger, along with breathing dust.
I have had blood tests done recently, with low to normal results in Chromium and Zinc, but again, which tests to have done, what to look for, and what is really dangerous do not seem to be covered in the Osha stuff or any of the articles I have read.
I dont want to endanger myself or my employees, but I know my shop, with adequate ventilation, never looks like the shops described in these articles- we dont have smoke or fumes in the air, at least no visible ones, from either tig welding or forging.

Any idea on what the real dangers are?

I have a lot of interest in this very subject, although the majority of the rods I have burned have been mild steel. I have worked with the alloys and other materials as well. I would recommend checking out what osha has to say about mild steel welding fumes at this link:

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/weldingfumes/recognition.html

I'm not trying to start a growling contest or anything, but I also wouldn't term mild steel welding fumes as non-toxic. I use MIG, TIG and sticks as well as oxy-acetylene for cutting, welding and brazing. I have never noticed any effect when oxy-acetylene welding as you find in brazing. I am actually afraid to find out what the fumes coming from low hydrogen and 5P electrodes may have done to me over the years. I will not go into graphic detail, but just blowing your nose will scare you. My advice to anyone is avoid breathing them as much as possible.

I do know a lot of old welders with health problems and 7018 and 6010 were their primary electrodes.

Just my humble opinion based on 30 years of observation.

I would like to thank the Jury members in this case for doing their civic duty. I would also like to say that I hope that if they ever have to use the judicial sysytem that they get the same intense just jury as they were. The Lawyers for the Welding Rod companies must have been the best in the World and you the Jury members must have been listening to every single word that was said in the Court Room to be able to, GO-TO-LUNCH-COME-BACK-MAKE-A-DISSICION IN-LESS-THAN-1hr-an-15min. This is unreal for such a long trial that much information and big dissicion. What about you, the ones that sleep most of the time, except on the last day, when you new you would be going home. If it was you on trial would you want the Jury to run in, vote, run out, so we don't have to stay any longer. I hope one day you get to use the sys. and get the same type of dedecation from your Jury not an unjust one, just the same way you came to your dissicion, scary to thank about it is't it. Thanks again from all of us that may one day have to use the sys. and have time to think that we might get a jury like you.

Thanks.....