Welding Respirator Question...Help ?

[k0ua]

Hey Congratulations, Brin is no longer a welding virgin!.. welcome to the club. Keep at it, it is a worthwhile thing to know. You will derive much pleasure in being able to repair/make things on your own.

james K0UA

 

[brin]

Thanks James.....I know it's just fixing a rake but it was neat to fix that for my son when it would have otherwise been throw away...I'm sorry I waited so long to become promiscuous with welding.. and give up my virginity...

 

[grsthegreat]

personally,

im very fond of my lungs. We get bombarded with all sorts of crud daily in our air without adding the smoke, gases,etc from welding to my lungs.

I personally use a hobby air half mask kit when i weld or plasma cut. Heck, i usually use it when i spray rattle cans of paint in the shop.

The system uses a simple garden style hose 50' long and a pump to bring in good, filtered outside air to the mask for me to breath.

HOBBYAIR Respirators - HVLP Spray Guns

i got mine thru ebay for a few hundred, new. Fits easily under my hood,and never have to worry about dangerous toxins in the air.

I piped the intake outside of my shop for added safety, and i even added a variable speed control cause i felt the factory flow was too much, and tended to push mask off of my face.

 

[ericher69]

personally,

im very fond of my lungs. We get bombarded with all sorts of crud daily in our air without adding the smoke, gases,etc from welding to my lungs.

I personally use a hobby air half mask kit when i weld or plasma cut. Heck, i usually use it when i spray rattle cans of paint in the shop.

The system uses a simple garden style hose 50' long and a pump to bring in good, filtered outside air to the mask for me to breath.

HOBBYAIR Respirators - HVLP Spray Guns

i got mine thru ebay for a few hundred, new. Fits easily under my hood,and never have to worry about dangerous toxins in the air.

I piped the intake outside of my shop for added safety, and i even added a variable speed control cause i felt the factory flow was too much, and tended to push mask off of my face.

Just wondering if you "defeated" the built in safety factor; positive pressure by reducing the flow to the mask?

Like SCBA's this respirator is designed to allow air out if there is not a tight seal but not let any nasties in...

Something to consider

 

[grsthegreat]

Just wondering if you "defeated" the built in safety factor; positive pressure by reducing the flow to the mask?

Like SCBA's this respirator is designed to allow air out if there is not a tight seal but not let any nasties in...

Something to consider

i cant see how. its still pushing alot of air in, and there is no back pressure when i breath in. i was having some issues with humming from the air hose without the pressure reduction. The sound was sriving me crazy. It was like a high pitched shrill unless i held the mask to my face. Now there is no shrill and its obvious that the fresh air is still flowing at a good velocity.

 

[ericher69]

i cant see how. its still pushing alot of air in, and there is no back pressure when i breath in. i was having some issues with humming from the air hose without the pressure reduction. The sound was sriving me crazy. It was like a high pitched shrill unless i held the mask to my face. Now there is no shrill and its obvious that the fresh air is still flowing at a good velocity.

Ok was only worried about a false sense of security with the supplied air if it was not adequate. Almost like a poor fitting APR

 

[HUCKthe1]

Make sure when buying new filters that you get the correct ones. Some are made for fumes, others for particulates. I believe there is ones also for both. Big issue for MIG welding is welding on Stainless or inconel. These are high in manganese, nickel, and create hexavalent chrome when welded, and are extremely unhealthy to weld without a respirator.

 

[Inkomodius]

I use Miller PAPR, at the end of the day I feel a whole lot better compared to my days with just a pipe liner.

 

[dstig1]

Make sure when buying new filters that you get the correct ones. Some are made for fumes, others for particulates. I believe there is ones also for both. Big issue for MIG welding is welding on Stainless or inconel. These are high in manganese, nickel, and create hexavalent chrome when welded, and are extremely unhealthy to weld without a respirator.

A welding fume is actually a particulate. The reason you see welding fumes sometimes called out as a special item is that these kinds of particulates tend to load up a filter and plug it up fairly fast. Some manufacturers have made special filters that are more resistant to this kind of plugging up, so they tout them specifically for welding fumes. They all have to pass the same standards, which in the US are the NIOSH standards. These range in ratings from N95 (min 95% efficient) to P100 (essentially 100% efficient) when tested with a specified particle challenge (particle size is important, and type of particle - dry or oily). The classes are N, R, and P, and the efficiencies are 95, 99 and 100. Most filters you will find are either N95 or P100, though there are a a few others that you will see from time to time. For hobbyist/home welders, N95 is perfectly fine...IF YOU WEAR IT! For example - Taking it off 10 seconds after you are done welding exposes you to all the stuff still in the air, so leave it on.

If you are in an industrial setting welding with SS or the like, special rules apply, but that is way beyond the scope of this thread.

 

[sparc]

Industrial environments don't require respirator

I don't believe a blanket statement like the above is correct.
It misleads people into thinking that no PPE is required no matter what the conditions are which is wrong. What about working in a confined space at an industrial facility?

It depends on the material being welded, the conditions at work site, the type of welding being performed, and the equipment being used. Not sure but I believe each facility would have to undertake a study sampling the air as Gary talked about under the same or similar conditions as what would be done on the job, be it in a shop enviroment or in the field. I don't think they can make a call on respirator use or not based on sampling done elsewhere by someone not under their control. Respirators are not always required yes, but some sort of fume extraction of local exhaust ventilation is good to have and will make life easier for the welder.

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=10699