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info@autoextract.co.uk +44 (0)1942 267 444Comprehensive and Effective Solutions for Fume Extraction...
Industrial substances such as fumes, gases and mists can be dangerous in the workplace, so it's highly recommended that you turn to fume extraction systems as a solution. Having the appropriate safety equipment to extract contaminants will reduce employees' exposure to hazardous substances and lower the risk of short- and long-term illnesses due to your business activities. We offer various products to help you keep your environment safe.
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There are many factors to consider when choosing a fume extraction system, so don't fret; we know it may be a confusing and overwhelming decision. Installing the right system for your business is paramount to ensure it suits your unique environment and working processes. Our LEV experts are here to assist you and can advise you on what products you will need. If you're unsure what is best for you, contact us today, and we will recommend a cost-effective solution tailored to your business.
At Auto Extract Systems, we offer a wide variety of fume extraction systems for a wide variety of industries and sectors. We're experts at capturing fumes in the workplace and safely removing them to help your business provide a pollution-free workplace. Our solutions include portable solutions, small bag filters, and even complex cyclone filtration systems.
Depending on your business's requirements, we'll help specify the suitable fume extractor for your needs. So whether you require a small bag filter and even complex cyclone filtration systems, we'll provide you with effective extraction and filtration solutions. We can protect workers' from fume from any material, including wood, rubber, metal, plastic, composites and many more.
Our industrial fume extraction systems can help free your working environment from dangerous fumes. By utilising the latest extraction technologies to increase production efficiencies, profitability and even create energy-saving efficiencies.
As described in the Control of Substances Hazard to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, hazardous substances can occur in many forms, including solids, liquids, vapours, gases and fumes. Fume is produced in a variety of working processes, so it can be hard to define the explicit processes where fumes are produced. However, some processes include:
It's important to remember that fumes can be derived from several processes.
Before you select the right fume extraction system, it's essential to understand the different types of hazardous fumes that can be generated across various industries. Each can present unique risks to health, safety and compliance, from welding fumes to solder fumes, diesel exhaust emissions and more.
Below is a summary of the common types of fumes encountered in working environments and how tailored solutions can help you control the risk.
According to the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) INDG248: Solder Fume And You - An Employee’s Guide, different types of solder fumes and working with rosin-based solder fluxes require you to take action. Solder flux fumes can make employees ill, and the health effects will get progressively worse if you breathe in the fumes.
The HSE's INDG249: Controlling Health Risks From Rosin (Colophony)-Based Solder Flux Fume states that "rosin (colophony)-based solder flux fume is a substance that is generated and released during the soldering process. It is hazardous to health, being a common cause of occupational asthma."
The COSHH Regulations require employers to prevent or control exposure to rosin-based fumes to prevent employees from developing health issues.
Employers and duty holders should use different measures to reduce exposure to solder fumes. For example, engineering controls can be used, such as a fume extraction system, good general ventilation in the work area, and temperature-controlled hand soldering irons.
According to HSE's RB1 (COSHH Essentials for Rubber Manufacturers) Fume General Ventilation guidance, "Rubber fume may be released when making rubber compounds, or when converting blended ingredients into finished parts and products." Meanwhile, in RB7 (COSHH Essentials for Rubber Manufacturers) Cooling Rack (Small Finished Articles), guidance goes on further to state that fumes can be released from either "natural or synthetic rubber products."
Both the manufacturing and cooling processes can produce high levels of rubber fumes. Fumes from hot vulcanised particles can make a substantial contribution to personal exposure, as well as contribute to the general fume level in the workplace.
The guidance also states that "chronic exposure to rubber fume and dust in factories can cause a higher-than-normal incidence of some types of cancers, whilst skin exposure to rubber fume may cause dermatitis and skin allergies."
The HSE advises in their COSHH Rubber [RB] guidance that employers should keep exposure to rubber fumes as low as reasonably practicable. Employers and duty holders should utilise a combination of different measures to reduce exposure to rubber fumes and dust, for example, using engineering controls, such as LEV fume extraction systems, good general ventilation in the work, and RPE.
In 2019, welding fume was reclassified as a carcinogen after new scientific research came to light from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). HSE changed their enforcement expectations to state that: "There is no known level of safe exposure" in their STSU1 – 2019 bulletin Change in Enforcement Expectations for Mild Steel Welding Fume. Exposure to hazardous substances, such as welding fumes, can result in lung cancer or even kidney cancer.
We have assembled valuable and helpful guidance for employers and duty-holders on our Welding Fume Extraction page.
Diesel Engine Exhaust Emissions (DEEEs) are a mixture of particulates, gases and vapours, which are produced when diesel-fuelled engines are running. In 2012, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) reclassified DEEEs as carcinogenic to humans.
We have assembled valuable and helpful guidance for employers and duty-holders on our Vehicle Exhaust Extraction page.
In HSE's OC 668/22: Plasma Cutting: Control of fume, Gases and Noise guidance, it states that plasma cutting generates fumes, gases, noise and ultraviolet radiation (UV) hazards. The fume produced from the cutting process depends on the metal and its coatings. Stainless steel is potentially the most hazardous to cut, as the fumes contain chromium and nickel. Copper and its alloys are also commonly cut and can also produce a significant fume hazard.
According to the HSE WL15: Plasma Arc Cutting (Fixed Equipment) guidance, there are two primary methods of controlling plasma cutter fumes. These measures can be used at cutting machines, such as water baths or local exhaust ventilation (LEV).
As plasma arc cutting overlaps with the welding fume metal cutting guidance, the HSE has placed their guidance in the COSHH Essentials for Welding, Cutting and Allied Tasks [WL] series. You can find more information about the health risks associated with plasma arc cutting on the Welding Fume Extraction page.
With such a variety of different products and processes, there isn't a set health effect that derives from fume, explicitly. Each material type of process come with its own risk; so you must research what the health effects are from the specific task you or your business is undertaking. With this knowledge, you can then implement effective measures to mitigate the risk of health effects. Industrial fume extraction systems can help keep you and your employees safe.
Under the COSHH regulations, employers should regard fume as a substance hazardous to health, these can include a mixture of constituents. The substance being used, or being generated as part of the working process should be controlled as per the HSE's Workplace Exposure Limit guidance. Learn more about Workplace Exposure Limits in the paragraph below.
Once a formal risk COSHH assessment has been completed, prevention of fume exposure should be the first objective. Fume can easily be eliminated from the workplace with personal protective equipment and suitable engineering controls like fume extraction systems.
In the majority of cases, the most effective method of extracting airborne substances, such as fume is to capture at-source. We always recommended at-source extraction and depending on the working processes undertaken. This prevents fume and gases from dispersing into the broader working environment because of cross draughts and air movements, which can reduce the LEV system's efficiency.
Don't forget, according to COSHH regulations and HSE HSG258: Controlling airborne contaminants at work (A Guide to Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) guidance), which both state: "LEV equipment should be thoroughly examined and tested at least once every 14 months." We offer a comprehensive LEV testing and maintenance service, find out more about how we can help your business with LEV Testing services.
In HSE's INDG408: Clearing The Air - A Simple Guide to Buying and Using Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV), advises business to make sure that your LEV system installer is competent to define, design and install a suitable LEV system to meet the performance intended. We offer a full LEV Installation service, and we offer FREE site assessments too!
The HSE requests that you only employ competent, experienced, specialist LEV-trained companies when making these important decisions. Specifying an appropriate system has many facets, including the products encountered, the quantity and allowed exposure to that contaminant, and airflow rates required against WELs (Workplace Exposure Limits).
To find out more about the latest fume extraction LEV installations we've been working on, check out our Case Studies section.
Auto Extract Systems is the UK’s leading Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) company. Over the last 20 years, we've helped thousands of businesses create dust and fume free workplaces.
As experts in all things LEV, we can help your business become COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulation 2002 compliant with a tailored LEV solution. We provide comprehensive design, installation, maintenance and certification services across a range of industry sectors. Find out more about us here.
Industry processes we can add value to:
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