Reasons to Consider Adding Welding Fume Extraction Equipment in the Workplace

Welding is practiced in many places such as construction sites and garages among other areas. Regardless of where you are practicing this activity, it is important to follow safe practices that include wearing safety glasses, helmets, long sleeve shirts and long pants. You should also be aware of the electrical hazards that this type of work poses. The other important factor is to control the gases and smoke produced. This is the point at which you should consider welding fume extraction in order to control exposure to the smoke.

A number of factors contribute to gas and smoke generation, they include the process used to weld such as MIG, TIG, Stick among others, the shielding gas used, the base material and its coating, and other contaminants found in other materials and the air. The smoke that rises in the air usually contains fine particles from the base metal, base metal coatings and the consumables.

In order to ensure the safety of all welders, it is important to perform smoke extraction using a welding fume extractor. This is a device that has now become common in shops where welding takes place especially because of the lawsuits that have come into play. Smoke extractors come in many makes and models and many manufacturers of equipment used in this field produce their own lines of fume extraction equipment.

This equipment comes with features such as HEPA filters, five stage filtration and ten-foot extraction hoses among others. Welding fume extraction is important because it eliminates the chances of welders suffering from the effects of smoke. The immediate effects of this smoke include burning eyes and skin, fever, nausea, dizziness and fever.

The long-term effects of exposure to this smoke include iron deposits in the lungs, which are known as siderosis, deterioration of pulmonary function, lung fibrosis and bronchitis. It is therefore important to control exposure to such smoke. Apart from using equipment to extract the fumes, you can also control exposure to the same by using natural ventilation, local exhaust and movable or fixed exhaust hoods, which are also important when it comes to industrial ventilation.

If the ventilation installed is not able to control the exposure to gases to the recommended limits, welders can put on approved respirators. The best way to know whether the amount of exposure is lesser than the applicable ranges is to use the services of an industrial hygienist. The hygienist can analyze the air that welders are breathing.

The type of ventilation required depends on factors such as the workspace volume, number of welders, the process used to weld, natural airflow and the consumables used. When it comes to ventilation, machines that clean the air by getting rid of foreign particles including dust are available. These machines are known as dust extraction systems and they attempt to purify the air.

In this way, they prevent hazardous materials that can cause illnesses from affecting people by removing them from the air. After the materials are removed from the atmosphere, they are stored in these machines and then disposed off when the machines are full. Welding fume extraction is necessary in all areas where welding takes place because it will prevent workers from getting ill due to the hazards associated with their jobs.

Author Bio: Local Industrial ventilation fans and Industrial ventilation systems are a perfect solution as contaminants can be collected for recovery or safe disposal.

Category: Business
Keywords: industrial ventilation fans, dust extraction systems, fume extraction arms, local exhaust, home

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