Accidental breathing in welding fumes can be very harmful to health. The mildest can cause nausea, dizziness and eye irritation, and the most serious can cause major problems such as lung cancer. Therefore, it is important to use the correct smoke exhaust equipment at work. Regarding the welding project.

Therefore, the new law enforcement expectation requires all companies engaged in welding activities to ensure that effective engineering controls are provided and used correctly to control fumes. Lower fume generating welding, such as TIG, usually only requires LEV protection. It is recommended that larger fume generating welding types, such as MIG and MMA, require dual protection from respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and local exhaust ventilation (LEV). 

HSE strongly recommends monitoring and training LEV to ensure that workers know how to use LEV effectively, how to check whether it works effectively, and to ensure that they follow safe working procedures. 

There is no “one size fits all” solution for each welding type and application, so it is recommended that occupational health air monitoring surveys may also be required to confirm the effectiveness of smoke control. In this guide, we have broken down the advantages and disadvantages of flashlight smoke extraction and mobile smoke extraction, so you can find a safety solution that suits your application. 

Flare exhaust-disadvantages 

When it comes to fume extraction torches, most welders will think of several common shortcomings. These include heavy and inconvenient fume extraction torches, failure to remove as much smoke as expected, too large to enter the welded joints, and poor welding quality. 

As with all smoke extraction methods, workers should understand the limitations of this method. It is recommended that welders use FFP3 disposable masks for less than one hour of work and use PAPR (electric air purifying respirators) devices with a minimum specified protection factor of 20 ( APF20) If they weld for more than one hour per day. 

About cutting torch exhaust-advantages 

Although there are some hesitations about using smoke torches based on their weight and efficiency, there are still several advantages to consider. The cumbersome fume extraction torches of the past have recently been upgraded to lighter and narrower models. These models focus on ergonomic design to help prevent discomfort and user fatigue after short bursts, while also improving the accessibility of welded joints. sex. 

As far as concerns about porosity and poor welding results are concerned, this often occurs when using older fume guns that do not consider gas dissipation and how the welding torch affects the gas flow. In these cases, the fume hood is often placed too close to the joint to be welded and sucks the shielding gas away, which can produce undesirable airflow and cause the resulting pores. 

In order to solve this problem, the new fume extraction welding gun is not only designed with these problems in mind, but also MIG welders can adjust their working methods and use mobile gas flow meters to measure the vacuum system and gas flow level to ensure that the correct flow is coming soon According to the voltage and current from the nozzle. 

Mobile fume extraction-advantages 

The most obvious advantages of using a mobile fume extractor can be found in its name. Having a portable device like the Nederman Filtercart 240v means that it is a more convenient and adaptable option that does not need to be a permanent fixture in the work area. Another advantage of mobile or portable smoke extractors is that they do not require a fixed smoke extraction system, which is a more cost-effective solution. 

Mobile fume extraction-disadvantages 

Although the initial investment cost of a mobile fume extractor may be low, in the long run, since moving the equipment from one location to another may cause potential damage and the filter must be replaced more frequently, so in the long run Look, they may be the most expensive option. 

No matter which fume extractor you choose for your project, at Engweld, we believe in working as safely as possible, and recommend that you use an air-fed welding mask according to the type of material you are welding and the level of flue gas to maximize your protection Free from potentially harmful welding fumes. 

Want to know more about our smoke extractor? Why not contact our team of technical experts, they will be happy to help you find the right Engweld product!