There are many ways to manage weld fume. In this article, we talk about three of them that will help keep your processes moving forward uninterrupted and in applicable compliance.

The first way to manage weld fume is to complete a risk assessment of your facility and keep it current. Next, if you haven’t already, you should install proper dust collection equipment to capture fumes at the source. Third, consider using a tool or service to monitor your equipment performance in real time.

When used in combination, these steps can help improve your plant’s air quality, create a cleaner work environment, and help increase productivity. Before delving into these steps, let’s examine the unique aspects of weld fume.

Whether you run a large or small fabrication and welding operation, you’re producing weld fume that consists of various types of dust and gas byproducts. Weld fume produces ultrafine particles that can linger and degrade the air quality. The particles are generally very small, often 50 to 75 times smaller than the width of a human hair, making them extremely easy to inhale.

Some authorities consider these particles “metal dust” because they are generated by working with metals, while other experts consider them non-metallic, since they are a mixture of oxidized materials. As a mixture of oxidized materials, the fume particles tend to burn more slowly and have lower combustion temperatures than purely metallic dusts. Either way, the particulates are considered combustible when they enter the air and could be combustible if combined with air and an ignition source.

Every fabrication and welding operation has a different risk level determined by:

Although there is no single guideline regarding a safe amount of weld fume exposure, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety enforces specific occupational exposure limits.

Many Canadian welding operations also strive to stay below threshold limit values for weld fume exposure spelled out by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, which is internationally recognized for setting industry best practices. It is the respective Canadian territories and provinces, though, that determine the exact limits, so be sure to seek out local regulatory information and use approved materials in your jurisdiction to ensure you’re meeting the necessary thresholds.

To proactively manage weld fume generated in your plant and help reduce exposure to workers, take the following three steps.

A well-executed dust hazard analysis (DHA) should uncover any risks related to combustible dust events associated with weld fume in your shop. Many regulations now require DHAs for processes and facilities that generate combustible dust, which includes weld fumes.

The graphics above show the elements needed to ignite an unwanted event in a manufacturing facility. To mitigate these risks, one or more of these elements needs to be removed from the environment. Proper dust collection and weld fume management can help manage these risks.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 652 standard is focused on the safe handling of combustible dust. The NFPA previously set a deadline of September 7, 2020, for plant managers to complete a DHA and to have a combustible dust mitigation plan in place. The NFPA 652 also requires a DHA to be reviewed and updated every five years. Many local governments have made this standard mandatory.

The professionals involved in a DHA may include facility operators, engineers, owners, equipment manufacturers, and industrial hygienists. The elements of a DHA enable a plant management team to:

Completing a DHA will the clarify risks you need to document and address, helping you stay compliant with national and provincial regulations.

Because of the nature of and potential impact of weld fume, simply turning on a fan, opening a window, or even welding outside will not remove all the fumes from a welder’s breathing zone or workstation. Investing in an industrial dust collection system that captures fumes and associated particles at the source will help reduce the amount of fumes and particles that are dispersed into your facility’s air.

Verify the locations where weld fume is being generated and whether those locations create fume continuously or intermittently. Next, identify where you can place a collector in your shop. The layout of your facility and the space available will help determine the type of collector to install.

Consider using high-efficiency filters with cleaning systems that extend filter life and help minimize the chance of unexpected maintenance or a downtime event. Cartridge-based systems or a filter packs may both be viable options, depending on your facility’s unique operation. They both use compressed air to clean the filters and offer enhanced filtration capabilities.

Finally, you’ll want to consider any necessary mitigation solutions needed to address the risks presented by collecting weld fume in your own plant.

The third step in mitigating risk associated with weld fume is implementing a remote monitoring service to stay on top of dust collection equipment performance and real-time maintenance issues. Production capacity, staffing issues, and job demands can make it a challenge for any operation to manually monitor its equipment with regularity.

The Industrial Internet of Things has made its way to weld fume management. Today, using several strategically placed sensors on your dust collection system can help establish operational parameters for your equipment and remotely track the performance of your collectors via monitoring software and internet connectivity.

Remote access to near-current data for your dust collection system is available for most makes and models today. Sensor technology is especially valuable because it helps determine the collector system’s performance, such as its differential pressure, so you can decide when a filter needs replacement or if there’s another equipment-related issue to address by simply viewing the dashboard on your computer or mobile device.

One type of fume collector for heavy-duty applications or frequent plant operations is Donaldson’s Easy-Trunk Collector. It is portable and has a built-in pulse filter cleaning system.

Weld fume is an unavoidable byproduct at any fabrication and welding operation, and it warrants close attention by you, your workers, and regulators. Following these three steps will help you keep your plant in good standing with compliance requirements, maintain a cleaner work environment, and improve operational efficiency.

Karen Wear is a product market manager at Donaldson, 1400 West 94th Street, Bloomington, MN, 55431, 952-887-3131, karen.wear@donaldson.com, donaldson.com.

Donaldson’s iCue connected filtration monitoring provides real-time maintenance alerts and performance data for one or more dust collectors through a single dashboard.

See More by Karen Wear

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