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Welding Respirator

Discussion in 'Shop Safety' started by Bajatransit, Dec 31, 2016.

  1. Dec 31, 2016
    Bajatransit

    Bajatransit Member

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  2. Dec 31, 2016
    PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Hills of NH
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    Restoring an 1893 bridge I had concerns about lead paint residue. Used filter cartridges rated for "fumes."
    You can see I had to carve out my mask to fit the filters.

    Can't objectively tell you how much good it actually did.

    Always have felt some concern about all the many other possible contaminants when welding, but obviously a respirator also adds a level of nuisance. (= PIA)
    So I don't often use one for small outdoor jobs, but probably should.

    A fresh air blower mask supply has also been discussed here in the past, IIRC.

    Firefighting, we have "positive-pressure" masks which would be ideal to exclude any toxic intake. A fully integrated system like a diver's air-supplied u/w welding helmet with a neck-dam might be the ultimate solution, and much more convenient than a bunch of overlapping entanglements.

    DSC03270.JPG
     
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2016
  3. Dec 31, 2016
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    USA
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    I use the same MSA half mask respirator with P95 filter cartridges. It is very comfortable for me and the cartridges can be purchased relatively inexpensively. It works VERY well for grinding and rust removal. I use a 3M half mask when painting because I like it for that purpose. You may need to find a half mask to fit as different sizes and manufacturers fit different faces. A poor fitting respirator is really bad because you might not notice the effects until its too late.

    3M™ Adflo™ Powered Air Purifying Respirator #26-1101-30SW | Welding Respirator | 3M Respirator | Safety Equipment | Welders Supply Company Beloit-Big Bend-Burlington Wisconsin and Rockford & Crystal Lake, Illinois

    Also when doing work where toxic or dagerous dust is involved, disposable tyvek suits is a good idea to not contaminate your house or vehicle
     
  4. Dec 31, 2016
    Howard Eisenhauer

    Howard Eisenhauer Administrator Staff Member

    Tantallon, Nova...
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    I'd wait to see if follow up studies can duplicate these findings before panicking. The world of science is knee deep with one-off papers that could never be duplicated and/or got trashed because of sloppy methodology.

    Or outright BS.​

    This process depends on human nature- that being that basically scientists are Nasty *** Bastards who take a perverse delight in proving other scientists effed up. :susp:

    The problem from our viewpoint is that the media hardly ever report on a study being shown to be wrong, all we get is the original WOW! release.

    Note that this was a press release, not the actual study- we have no way of knowing what the actual results were, if they were what you & I would consider to be statistically significant (a whole subject on it's own) & what the "noise level" of this type of study typically would be. Studies that depend on people filling out forms are notorious for producing questionable results- to use that methodology successfully requires some pretty strict guidelines put in place & I'm mildly incredulous that they can see changes in their test subjects after only one year :confused:

    And how does this compare to the test group of people who aren't welders? ​

    Was the a the test group of people who aren't welders? :whistle:


    I'd think that if this is a real problem there'd be a lot of retired welders who people would be noticing are having these issues.

    For a good overview of how actual studies are run & evaluated, both good & bad, peruse the following.





    H.
     
  5. Dec 31, 2016
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    "...can cause manganism, a severe neurologic disorder with symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease, including slowness, clumsiness, tremors, mood changes, and difficulty walking and speaking."

    That describes a lot of the old-timers I've worked with in welding shops over the years. Scary.

    I wish that article would go into more detail on the preventative end. What class of mask or filter is needed? Is the manganese fume a particulate or vapor?

    I always wear a Moldex mask when I'm in the shop when there are airborne nasties from either welding or grinding. It amazes me how quickly they clog and turn black to the point of not being able to breathe through them.

    [​IMG]

    I rarely wear anything beyond that; only if I'm welding something unknown or exotic will I break out the full cartridge respirator mask.
     
  6. Dec 31, 2016
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
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    If you really want to know the health risks of welding, I posted this over in the "shop safety" section a year ago.

    Welding Health Hazards
     
  7. Dec 31, 2016
    47v6

    47v6 junk wrecker! 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    And all this time i just thought they were stupid!(y):rofl: Just kidding!

    In all seriousness though, the old guys who had worked the Bremerton shipyards that i worked with in Shelton WA and had made a living welding for 20 plus years all had these symptoms. They straight up told me this was a side effect of being a welder. There is established studies that link welding to degenerative workplace related illnesses. Says so right on the filler wire or welding rods. This is not a new idea, just repackaged as click bait. You must assume that anything you breathe in or ingest in a chronic workplace related environment will eventually probably cause some health risk. Do your best to mitigate the effects of it and accept these risks. Don't bury your head in the sand and pretend there aren't any.
     
  8. Dec 31, 2016
    tarry99

    tarry99 Member

    Northern California
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    Always a risk with the Arc and MIG smoke in the air , Not so much with TIG with 12-15 cfm of inert argon gas blowing across and away from the weld zone , although breathing in large quantities of argon could asphyxiant you but that would take someone pretty stupid..... Good Idea to clean the metal far enough back to stay away from any contaminants on the surface like paint , rust or plating. When outside using arc or flux MIG I try to position myself between the work and any air movement from behind and move so it keeps the smoke blowing away from the helmet.......I even have a small battery operated fan on suction cups that also works well with no air movement either inside or out , to keep the smoke blowing away from the hat...........I think the fellows that welded 8-10 hours per day without protection years back are for sure at risk...........hardly a job shop or job site now that does not use a smoke evacuation system or clean air hats.......any non-approved for welding filter or respirator would be of only limited protection.
     
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