For expert advice on your requirements contact our team. We’re open Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:00pm.
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.
Read More
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 from. However, some processes include:
It's important to remember that fume can derive from a number of working processes.
According to the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) INDG248: Solder Fume And You - An Employee’s Guide, there are different types of solder fume and working with rosin-based solder fluxes requires you to take action. Solder flux fume can make employees ill and the health effects will get progressively worse if you carry on breathing in the fume.
Whilst in HSE's INDG249: Controlling Health Risks From Rosin (Colophony)-Based Solder Flux Fume, it 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 requires employers to prevent or control exposure to rosin-based fume; to prevent employees from developing health issues.
A combination of different measures should be utilised by employers and duty holders to reduce exposure to solder fume. For example, with the use of engineering controls, such as local exhaust ventilation (LEV) like 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." Whilst in RB7 (COSHH Essentials for Rubber Manufacturers) Cooling Rack (Small Finished Articles) guidance goes on further to state that fume can be released from either "natural or synthetic rubber products."
Both the manufacturing and cooling processes can produce high levels of rubber fume. Fume from hot vulcanised, articles can make a substantial contribution to personal exposure, as well as contributing to general fume level in the workplace.
A number of processes that involve rubber can produce high levels of dust in the workplace, these may include: bag opening and weighing, mixing ingredients, milling, or trimming and finishing products with buffing activities etc.
As stated on HSE's IACL - Safe to Breathe webpage, the current Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs) for rubber fume and dust is:
However, WELs are constantly being reviewed to ensure employees provide safe working environments for their employees. To find out more about WELs, scroll down to the Workplace Exposure Limit paragraph.
HSE's RB1 guidance 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 advise in their COSHH Rubber [RB] guidance, that employers should keep exposure to rubber fume as low as reasonably practicable. A combination of different measures should be utilised by employers and duty holders to reduce exposure to rubber fume and dust, for example, with the use of engineering controls, such LEV fume extraction systems, good general ventilation in the work and RPE.
A suite of guidance sheets have been assembled to help employers, managers and duty-holders implement the safest control approaches when manufacturing, processing and handling rubber products. These include:
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 fume can result in lung cancer or even kidney cancer.
We have assembled lots of useful and helpful guidance for employers and duty-holders on the 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 lots of useful 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 fume, 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 will contain chromium and nickel. Whilst 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 fume. These are measures that can be used at cutting machines and are either 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 with 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:
Get the latest in-depth advice and news about everything to do with fume extraction systems and how they can help you be LEV compliant.
Celebrating 20 Years’ of Service
Experts Across Multiple Industries
Affiliate BOHS Member & Fully Accredited With CHAS, ISO and More!
High Quality LEV Design, Supply & Installation
12 Months Installations Warranty
Free LEV Site Assessments, UK-Wide
