HEALTH & SAEETY
HSE ENFORCEMENT
EXTRACTABILITY
HSE FOCUS-IN ON THE HAZARDS OF WELDING FUME
Five months after the HSE issued a change
in their guidance and enforcement
expectations in relation to the control of
exposure to welding fume, including fume
from mild steel welding, the response and
industry activity has not yet died down.
of new, next generation fume extraction
torches recently launched by Extractability,
a division of Weldability Sif.
The HSE have begun conducting visits to
sites where welding is being carried out,
along with any other business where fumes,
dusts, vapours or small fibres considered
detrimental to human health might be
present or created. They are very keen on
seeing welding fume control systematically
enforced and companies who are found not
in compliance with the HSE enforcement
expectations can expect to be given an
improvement notice, enforcement order
or fine. There is no window of leniency;
businesses are expected to have already
tackled this problem. The SifGUN Evolution fume extraction
MIG Torch is more robust than competing
models, with a sturdy metal swan neck,
available in a range of angles and an
ergonomic, easy to manipulate, metal
trigger. The brand new fume extraction
concept includes improved airflow and
greater visibility of the weld pool, so while
the gun may look very similar, the internals
have been totally upgraded. This kind of
on-torch extraction offers a 95% reduction
of fumes and the SifGUN in particular
features an optimised nozzle, which
balances pressures to prevent disruption of
the shielding gases. This means you can use
the same shielding gas flow rates as with a
standard MIG torch.
Compliance with the Health and Safety
at Work Act 1974 and the Control
of Substances Hazardous to Health
Regulations Act 2002 means, in part,
accepting that opening a window or relying
on general ventilation is inadequate in
terms of welding fume control. Similarly,
welding outside will require at the very
least, suitable respiratory protection
equipment (RPE). This has led to a shift
towards fume extraction at-source and
coincides with the emergence of a range Businesses with appropriate fume
extraction systems could still face fines,
however, if their equipment hasn’t been
COSHH tested annually or records of up-
to-date testing cannot be provided. As
well as a range of high-spec, low-cost fume
control solutions, Extractability provide a
comprehensive on-site LEV COSHH testing
service on all makes and types of welding
fume and dust extraction equipment,
working strictly in accordance with HSE
guidelines.
114
PECM Issue 40
It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure
up-to-date fume extraction equipment
is being used correctly. The ProtectoScan
Edi is an indoor Environmental Detection
Instrument (Edi) that measures particulate
levels, records real-time data and is capable
of switching on your fume extraction
equipment once a pre-set level has been
detected. Edi has an LED traffic light display,
alerting users to any notable issues and
providing an instant visual representation
of what is going on in the workshop. Edi
will also measure noise, temperature and
humidity and is the perfect solution for
monitoring and recording exposure levels,
every second of the day, 365 days a year.
With the recent Industry 4.0 trend seeing
a greater integration of automation and
data exchange in the manufacturing sector,
the ProtectoScan Edi is Extractability’s
boldest step yet to help employers remove
hazards from the workplace, stay within the
regulations and improve health and safety
among their workforce, creating a safe and
clean workplace environment for everyone.
For more information, an evaluation
to determine if you are compliant,
or to have your current fume
extraction equipment tested, contact
Extractability on 0845 862 2620 or
email [email protected]