Solution Summary: Portable Vacuum Fume Collector without HEPA filtration
Description:
A portable vacuum fume collector without HEPA filtration is an engineering control that can reduce exposure to welding fumes, particles and dusts. Portable vacuum fume collectors use a motor and fan to draw air and contaminants from the point of generation, through a flexible arm or duct and into the unit. The fumes and particles are then collected on a filter or exhausted away from the work area, reducing the concentration in the worker's breathing zone. Some units have the option of HEPA, high efficiency particulate air, filters for use during tasks with greater health hazards.
A welding fume capture and control system may be necessary to meet occupational exposure limits and is most commonly used in the form of a vacuum fume collector. These collectors use a filter or exhaust air to the outdoors to remove most hazardous fumes that result from welding.
Portable welding fume control systems are solutions that also address the constant mobility of welders on construction sites. A welding ventilation bench hood is the safest way to remove the hazardous fumes, but the portable fume extractors provide a solution for the cases where semi-permanent fume hoods are not applicable.
Lincoln Electric X-Tractor 1 Fume Gun
(Photo courtesy of The Lincoln Electric Company)
- Used for portable welding fume extraction with filtration for Stick, MIG, TIG, and Flux-Cored welding in an enclosed space
- Power Requirements: 120 volts, 15 amps or 220 volts, 9 amps
- Net Weight: 37 pounds
- Air Flow Rate: 55 - 115 cubic feet per minute
- Air Speed: 4,000 - 5,000 feet per min
- Proximity to Fume Source: 2-4 inches
- Sound Pressure Level: 74 A-weighted decibels (dBA) (90 dBA is OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit for an 8-hour time-weighted average)
Lincoln Electric Prism® Direct Exhaust Fan Mobiflex®100-NF Portable Welding Fume Extractor (115V)
(Photo courtesy of The Lincoln Electric Company)
- Used for portable welding exhaust for Stick, MIG, TIG, and Flux-Cored welding in an enclosed space
- Power Requirements: 115 volts, 10 amps
- Net Weight: 37.5 pounds
- Air Flow Rate: up to 765 cubic feet per minute
- Maximum Reach Distance: 32 feet
- Sound Pressure Level: 69 A-weighted decibels (dBA) (90 dBA is OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit for an 8-hour time-weighted average)
Enviroflex Enviromac MAC 1 and MAC 2
- Used for mobile welding fume extraction with filtration for welding in an enclosed space
- Power Requirements: 120 volts, 15 - 20 amps
- Net Weight: 290 pounds (with arm)
- Air Flow Rate: up to 1,050-1,400 cubic feet per minute (with arm)
- Maximum Reach Distance: 10 feet
- Sound pressure level: not available (90 dBA is OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit for an 8-hour time-weighted average)
RoboVent VentBoss G121
(Photo courtesy of RoboVent Products Group, Inc., https://robovent.com/equipment/ventboss-series/)
- Used for portable welding fume extraction with filtration for welding in an enclosed space
- Nanofiber Merv 15
- Power Requirements: 110 volts
- Configures into a single fume arm, dual fume arm
- Air Flow Rate: up to 1,200 cubic feet per minute (with arm)
- Sound pressure level: 76 dBA (90 dBA is OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit for an 8-hour time-weighted average)
Risks Addressed:
Metal
|
ACGIH TLV (mg/m3)
|
NIOSH REL (mg/m3)
|
OSHA PEL
(mg/m3)
|
Manganese
|
0.2
|
1
|
5 (as ceiling)
|
Hexavalent chromium
|
0.1 (insoluble)
|
0.001
|
0.005
|
Nickel
|
1.5
|
0.015
|
1.0
|
Iron oxide
|
5 (respirable)
|
5
|
10
|
How Risks are Reduced:
However, in a different report focusing more on the use of portable fume extractors, the breathing zone concentration of manganese was 22.16 +/- 20.90 μg/m3 which was reduced to 8.25 +/- 4.5 μg/m3 after application of a portable local exhaust ventilation (LEV) system, showing about 63% removal of the manganese concentration from the breathing zone of the welder. In another experiment conducted with a mobile LEV unit for heavy-duty work, the concentration of manganese in the breathing zone without operating the mobile LEV was 70.06 +/- 37.38 μg/m3 but was lowered to 8.29 +/- 1.76 μg/m3 after operating the mobile LEV. This indicated an average removal of manganese content by about 88% from the breathing zone of the welder. In both experiments the locations of sample collection were similar (Zaidi, 2004).
Effects on Productivity:
Additional Considerations:
There are additional conditions and practices that can improve the performance of fume collectors and reduce fume exposure:
- Keeping your head out of the fume plume and using adequate ventilation is key to controlling exposure to hazardous materials in the welding fumes and gases.
Hazards Addressed:
- Structural Steel
- Fabricate metal structures in shop and field
- Weld, plasma cut, air-arc and flame cut metal
Availability
RoboVent Products Group, Inc.
To obtain information, visit VentBoss series
or contact 1-855-432-1256
Enviroflex International, Inc.
To obtain information, visit ENVIROMAC™ MAC 1 and MAC 2
or contact 1-877-368-3539 info@enviroflex.com
The Lincoln Electric Company
To obtain information, visit X Tractor 1 Fume Gun and Prism® Direct Exhaust Fan
or contact 1-216-481-8100 weldfumecontrol@lincolnelectric.com