Newly emerging scientific evidence from the International Agency for Research on Cancer suggests that exposure to all welding fumes, including those produced when joining mild steel, can cause lung cancer, with limited evidence also linking it to kidney cancer. The HSE will now be strengthening its enforcement expectation for all welding fumes, as it believes general ventilation does not achieve the necessary control.
“There are lots of companies which may not know that guidance has changed and the enforcement is now stronger,” explains Chris Harper, general manager at Multi-Fan Systems. “This could be a very expensive oversight and, more importantly, might put staff at risk if the right ventilation controls aren’t used.
“Under the new HSE guidance, manufacturers who weld mild steel now have to put in place controls for all indoor welding activities,” he continues. “The safety alert issued earlier this month includes the following; “regardless of duration, HSE will no longer accept any welding undertaken without any suitable exposure control measures in place, as there is no known level of safe exposure”.
Local exhaust ventilation (LEV) is widely recognised as the most effective option for removing fumes from workplace air. Extraction will also have to control exposure to manganese, which can cause neurological effects similar to Parkinson’s disease.”
Multi-Fan Systems provides a single-source solution for customers looking to benefit from cleaner, safer and more productive working environments. The company’s team provides a full turnkey solution – from designing and specifying the right fume-extraction equipment, to installation, commissioning and ongoing monitoring – to ensure installations are performing as intended.
“There are a lot of benefits to ensuring workplaces benefit from good quality air, not least on the morale and health of staff so they are happy and more productive,” says Harper. “That’s not even taking into account days no longer lost due to ill health.
“We can give you peace of mind that you’ll have the best, fully compliant fume extraction system for your specific requirements,” he adds. “Our proven track record in completing turnkey projects on time and to budget speaks for itself, including high-profile contracts with Cummins, Ricoh and the University of Birmingham.”
