How to maximize indoor air quality for welders

Healthy air quality is essential for anyone carrying out welding tasks, whether they are working indoors, outdoors, or in confined spaces. Of course, each environment has unique challenges, so it is important to address your shop’s specific issues.

The EPA, OSHA, and other organizations provide strategic suggestions to help mitigate common health hazards for welders. However, implementing these suggestions require proper equipment, particularly when it comes to ventilation.

Basic Strategies

The EPA suggests three basic methods for improving indoor air quality in welding operations:

1. Source control
2. Improved ventilation
3. Air cleaners

Source Control. Source control, the most effective method of improving air quality indoors, involves eliminating or reducing pollution at its point of origin.

Welding creates hazardous pollutants that contribute to common health risks. The best way to remove ultrafine particles and polluted air is at the source, which also happens to be the welder's breathing zone (Figure 1). Filtration units that extract pollutants from the air before they reach the welder offer optimal protection.

Filtration units are available in various configurations. Some are mobile, others are wall-mounted, and large machines can operate as central extraction units. Used in conjunction with fume hoods and flexible exhaust arms, they provide easy-to-use, nonobtrusive source extraction.

Improved Ventilation. The obvious way to improve ventilation is by opening doors and windows. In many workshops, this is the only means of ventilation, and it is insufficient. Welding environments require more balanced systems.

Many types of full-room ventilation systems exist. A stand-alone system filters hazardous fumes and substances from the air that has risen and reintroduces clean, purified air at a lower level that corresponds to the welders' breathing zone (Figure 2). These systems are appropriate for workshops of all sizes and can be relocated to wherever welders operate.

Another suitable form of ventilation relies on a circular flow of air through inlet and outlet pipes. Polluted air enters, and clean air is pushed out. While similar in concept to the stand-alone system, it requires ductwork and hoses and is best-suited for large, open welding workshops.

OSHA points out that general ventilation, whether in the form of forced or natural movement of fresh air, helps to reduce gas and fume levels in welding work areas.

Figure 1: At-the-source fume extraction system.

Ultimately, the optimal ventilation system for welders working indoors combines local, or source, exhaust equipment with the best-possible balanced ventilation system.

Air Cleaners. The systems previously mentioned are among the many different types of air cleaners. The critical issue is whether they remove gaseous pollutants, which is why it's essential to opt for air cleaners explicitly developed for welding operations.

Overall, it is the responsibility of employers to ensure that their welders remain safe and healthy. Personal protective equipment is not enough.

The Takeaway:

• Control contamination at the source.
• Provide adequate ventilation.
• Use air cleaners explicitly for welding workshops.

Implementing proper systems reduces employee illness and fosters productivity. Healthy, happy welders improve a shop’s bottom line.

Figure 2: Full-room ventilation system.