Occupational health and safety for welders should be at the top of every manufacturing company's agenda. But some employers have a difficult task in convincing their welding specialists of the best means to extract harmful welding fumes: fume extraction torches.
Health protection with fume extraction systems
The best health protection for welders includes a welding fume extraction system that absorbs the fumes directly at the process on the principle of extraction at the source. According to many health & safety authorities and official guidelines, extraction at the source is even expressly recommended. For this purpose, an extraction system with an extraction capacity adapted to the process and a suitable connection to a fume extraction torch is required.
A fume extraction torch is the core element for safe welding. However, there is still a widespread problem that fume extraction torches are not accepted by welding specialists.
Extraction torches: too heavy, not comfortable, unreliable?
There are several reasons why welders do not like to use fume extraction torches as work equipment:
- Shielding gas could be extracted
- The extraction torch is too heavy and unwieldy
- Accessibility to the workpiece is limited
I would like to refute these arguments. The fact that shielding gas could be extracted is no longer a problem with modern fume extraction torches. Optimum shielding gas coverage is guaranteed with the new extraction burners. In the meantime, there have also been great improvements in terms of weight and handle size: today, there are extraction torches which are insignificantly heavier than comparable standard welding torches with the same welding capacity. Likewise, the handle diameter has been considerably reduced and the front end of the extraction torch has been redesigned to ensure an easy view of where you are welding.
Therefore, from a developmental point of view, there should no longer be any concerns about rejecting the use of fume extraction torches. Please refer to this video for more information:
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