Ventilation system keeps fumes from re-entering workplace

Kemper America offers the CleanAir Tower for ventilation in welding environments. The unit removes polluted air and dust; filters it; and returns clean, purified, safe-to-breathe air to the welding workplace. It is designed for use where the recommended local extraction of fumes at source is not possible, and where ventilation in the workplace is insufficient.

The unit works using displacement flow and layer ventilation principles that are recommended by health and safety organizations to help ensure compliance with OSHA’s fume exposure limits, the company reports. According to the company, the unit saves energy while safeguarding against the possibility of welding dust and fumes mixing with the clean air, and it requires no hoses or restrictive setups.

As the warm contaminated air rises, it is sucked into the 360-degree ventilation gills at the top of the tower and filtered by a two-stage method using automatic cleaning filters. The purified air is then pushed slowly out of the tower at a low level that corresponds with the welders’ breathing zone. At the same time, uncontaminated dust is deposited in collection bins for disposal.