Z4® welding/grinding respirator combines safety, convenience, and comfort

The welding/grinding respirator has an ANSI Z87+ approved grinding visor beneath a flip-up welding visor, which can be lifted quickly when necessary. The RPB Vision-Link™ offers 650 lumens and can be attached to the Z4 at any time, without modifications to the respirator.

Safety is essential in any work environment, but it’s paramount in metal fabrication. Unfortunately, safety sometimes can be uncomfortable or seem inconvenient.

In the world of welding and grinding, occasionally welders choose the convenience of no PPE during spot welding or quick grinding jobs. Other times welders don’t wear the proper PPE because it is heavy and uncomfortable. For this reason, RPB® Safety LLC, Royal Oak, Mich., has developed the Z4® welding/grinding respirator in hopes it will help convince welders that safety, convenience, and comfort can be one in the same.

The welding/grinding respirator combines the light-duty safety requirements of a grinding shield with the heavy-duty protection necessary for welding. One of the marquis features of the welding/grinding respirator is its overall weight of 1.77 lbs., which the company reports is 23 percent lighter than similar PPE.

Sam Kelly, engineering manager at RPB Safety, said the Z4 addresses a need to provide end users with a light and ergonomic helmet that provides protection for the user’s eyes and lungs. But most notably, the all-in-one respirator eliminates the need for separate PPE, ensuring users are protected at all times.

“More often than not, we came across welders wearing two head tops—a grinding shield and a welding helmet. We found they were constantly switching between the two, and in most cases, the grinding visor was not a respirator. The other point was the risk of the end user doing a quick grind job between welds without wearing any protection,” Kelly explained.

Lose the Weight, Configurate

The welding/grinding respirator evenly distributes weight to the sides of the head, eliminating top-heavy pressure points around the forehead and temples. This, in turn, helps to alleviate strain on the neck and upper back. The emphasis on weight distribution is the result of feedback the company learned through observing and talking with metalworkers out in the field.

“We worked very closely with manufacturing plants during our initial research and development stages. During each visit we observed and discussed end users’ likes and dislikes around their current head tops. We realized a lot of the feedback came down to comfort and weight distribution, so we put a lot of emphasis on that during development,” Kelly said.

For individualized comfort, users can configure certain aspects of the welding/grinding respirator to fit their preferences. One of the customizable elements is the adjustable, padded head suspension, which provides six points of adjustment to ensure the helmet fits securely. The optional side padding helps to distribute weight evenly for increased comfort and stability.

Another customizable element is the adjustable airflow, a dual-air distribution system that delivers 75 percent of the air through a swivel outlet, allowing users to direct the flow as they choose. The remaining 25 percent of the air is directed to the lens automatically to prevent fogging.

“We have heard that people in hot environments keep the head tops on even while they’re not working because the airflow in the helmet keeps them cool,” Kelly added.

The welding/grinding respirator has an ANSI Z87+ approved grinding visor beneath a flip-up welding visor, which can be lifted quickly when necessary. The RPB Vision-Link™ offers 650 lumens and can be attached to the Z4 at any time, without modifications to the respirator. The idea for this was generated from users who struggled to work in dimly lit environments, Kelly said.

Comfort is the name of the game, and it was the main design intention behind all features of the welding/grinding respirator.

RPB Safety LLC, www.rpbsafety.com