

More toxic metals such as chrome, manganese, stainless steel, nickel, and cadmium, have stricter PELs.įor each workplace, consult local and state regulations for specific permissible exposure limits. The level of particle filtration and extraction required for your shop will depend on what metals or particulates workers are exposed to.įor aluminum, iron, and mild steel, the PEL is 5 milligrams of particulates per cubic meter of air (5 mg/m3) averaged over an 8-hour period. The function of a fume extraction welding system is to vacuum out the unwanted fumes that can travel throughout your facility and harm not only your welders, but essentially all workers. OSHA sets different permissible exposure limits for different types of metals. Poor ventilation and fume extraction can lead to inhalation of hazardous fumes, which can cause respiratory diseases. Because fumes containing metallic particulate and other carcinogens can be 50 to 75 times smaller in diameter than a human hair, they are easy to inhale. The performance of fume extractors are regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and other state and local regulations. Without fume extraction systems, the workers, machinery, and workspace would not be protected and safe. Many industries rely on fume extraction to keep workers safe from hazardous particles, such as welding, grinding, sanding, thermal spraying, plasma cutting, and any other processes that create exhaust fumes. At the end of the process, clean air is either expelled from the building or recirculated to the workspace. The hazardous fume particulates are collected within the filters.
Fume extractor system series#
As the air passes through a series of filters, it removes toxic chemicals and hazardous particles from the air in the workspace. A fume extractor is a system that utilizes a fan using induced draft, or negative pressure, to pull fumes and particulate into a contained filtration system.
