Sunday, May 29, 2011

Why Think Of Adding Welding Fume Extraction Systems In The Workplace

By Adriana Noton


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.

There are several things that contribute to the generation of smoke and gases. They include the type of shielding gas that you use, the welding process used such as Stick, TIG and MIG among others. Others things include the contaminants in the atmosphere and the base material used along with its coating. The smoke emitted as one welds is made up of minute particles that come from the base metal, its coatings and from the elements that are consumed.

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.

The equipment contains important features such as a HEPA filter, ten-foot extraction hoses and a five-stage filtration system. Welding fume extraction is essential because it reduces the chances of the welders suffering from effects of the smoke. Some the immediate effects expected include burning skin and eyes, dizziness, nausea and fever.

Long-term effects will bring about iron deposits in the lungs, a condition referred to as siderosis. Long term effects also affect pulmonary function and cause bronchitis. The need therefore arises to try and control exposure to these gases. Apart from using gas-extracting equipment, you can also utilize natural ventilation, local exhaust systems and exhaust hoods, which are crucial when industrial ventilation is concerned.

When the installed ventilation does not efficiently control gas exposure according to the recommended limits, you can use approved respirators. You can easily know whether the concentration of gases in your work area is lower than the recommended ranges by contacting an industrial hygienist. This professional can perform an analysis on a sample of air that you are breathing.

There are a number of factors that will enable you to know the kind of ventilation that you need. These factors include how large the work area is, the number of welders, the consumables that are being utilized, and the process used to weld. You can also achieve adequate ventilation by using machines that remove foreign particles from the air cleaning it in the process. These particles include dust and the machines are referred to as dust extraction systems. They serve the purpose of purifying 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.




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