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Posted By John Murgatroyd
Workplace: Length 36 metres, width 18 metres and height 5 metres. 6 bays, 5 with roller-shutter doors.
Heating, gas fired indirect air heating via heat exchangers, closed loop (workplace air recirculated).
No dust or fume extractors. Ventilation by open door. this is winter, so doors shut.
Business: steel fabrication and welding.
Metal: mild steel hot rolled beams, pre-painted with primer at between 10-80 micron thickness.
Production operations: gas cutting, grinding, sanding and welding. Then painted in a separate paintshop.
Grinding by hand tool, depressed centre grinding wheels reinforced with glassfibres.
The welding bay is part of the main workshop and not separated, it has a movable extraction system designed for an enclosed welding area and adapted.
Question: Is general extraction needed ?
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
John
The short answer is 'yes' and the long answer is 'yyyyyyyeeeeeeessssssss'!
Seriously, as workplace air is recirculated, it is possible that airborne contaminants could be building up, at least during the winter. Local exhaust ventilation systems generally, and welding extraction in particular, are not completely effective at preventing contaminants from entering the workplace
There is likely to be some adventitious ventilation through existing openings such as doors, windows, etc. and it would be possible to measure the air change rate (but expensive in such a large space) to find out what the present situation is.
The HSE's COSHH Essentials recommends 5 - 15 air changes per hour, the exact value depending on the contaminants involved.
Paul
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Posted By june
HI
I am about to give up my job due to air quality.I have been having respiritory and throat problems but not serious enough to have much time off work.Also during the holidays,I am fine.
I have been a swimming teacher for 11 years in the present job and 10 years in another pool.
At present iam working in a pool which has only two extractor fans and a low roof.
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Posted By John Murgatroyd
Well, according the the HSE inspector, the answer is no.
It should be noted that when tests were done on the workplace air...the results were pretty bad. At a slack time for work (when are the tests done except at a slack time ?) with dust at 10mg/cuM. The respirable dusts were 4mg/cuM. the weld fume was also bad, with the welders exceeding the OEL for iron oxide and the CR3 at 0.14 mg/cuM.These tests were done and the results projected from the MSDS info from welding consumables and from paint MSDS.
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
John
Thanks for confirming my feelings about the need for ventilation; I'll bet you find it difficult to persuade the financial people to spend money on extraction when the inspector says he is happy with the situation. What is your next move?
Paul
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Posted By John Murgatroyd
There is no next move.
All routes have been examined. The HSE seem happy that all employees be required to wear RPE during working time. The employer is not interested in spending money. He is also not interested in ACOPs with reference to RPE.
My major concern is that a significant component of the dust is the glassfibre reinforcing from grinding wheels (handgrinders) and paint dust from pre-coated metals. With the glassfibre residue the HSE seem to be in two minds as to the longterm effects, although the yanks seem satisfied that it ain't good. The paint manufacturers MSDS infers that continued inhalation will extend your life by several decades.
Of course, there is always the time-worn phrase: Where are you working tomorrow.
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Posted By Paul Leadbetter
John
How does the cost of providing RPE compare with the capital cost of installing adequate general ventilation? If the payback time on this basis is short enough, you might get the purse strings loosened.
Paul
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Posted By John Murgatroyd
Apart from the capital cost of adequate extraction/ventilation, there is the added cost of heat waste, in winter.
The two welders have full RPE with filtered air to the headshield. Everyone else can wear passive RPE of they want. Obviously, if things get too bad then I wear the face mask but working in RPE is not one of lifes pleasures !!
A short while ago the insurance co wanted fume testing because they were not convinced that the provided unit was adequate...the firm did the tests in the evening, with the workshop manager and foreman doing the business...and the H&S consultancy providing the test gear..
New year, new job ??
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