Page 78 - Occupational Health & Safety, July/August 2019

RESPIRATORY PROTECTION
Breathe Easy
Today’s welding helmets and PAPR advancements mean that the prospect for worker safety is brighter than ever. BY VICTORIA FRANK
There is no denying it—developments in tech- nology accelerated to near “warp speed” in the 20th century. Thanks to these technologi- cal improvements, industrial PPE has signifi- cantly improved the life of welders around the globe.
But how did we get here? Advances in the medi- cal sciences have deepened our understanding of the human mind and body, which has helped fuel vast im- provements in worker safety.
Today, welding employs approximately 650,000 in North America. Anywhere we see metal formed into a structure, welding was a part of the process. Protect- ing welders with advances in today’s personal protec- tive equipment (PPE) has drastically improved since the old days of single-shade filters, metal helmets, and welding outdoors to avoid overexposure to fumes.
In the beginning, welding operations assumed the main concern was preserving welders’ eyesight. The unprotected eye exposed to the intense brightness of a welding arc was just as dangerous as staring into the sun. Dark, single-shade lenses did provide eyesight protection, but they had shortcomings. Welders were still running the risk of accidental flash from other arcs being struck on the production floor.
New Advancements in Welding Helmet Design
One of the biggest and most impactful leaps was in 1981, with the introduction of the first auto-darken- ing filter (ADF). This filter allowed the welder to go from a less intense filter shade in “rest” state—which would allow more light into the helmet—to a much darker filter shade, which automatically protected the welder when he or she struck an arc. The light state al- lowed the welder to maneuver and get around without having to flip up the helmet.
Nearly four decades later, next-generation welding
helmets are featuring an ADF that offers a “rest” shade of 2.0, the lightest rest shade the industry has ever seen. This kind of ADF allows much more light in its “resting” state, making it almost like having no filter interference at all. It also allows welders to shift from welding to inspection to grinding without ever having to adjust the helmet or the ADF – which saves time and improves productivity. In addition, these helmet designs have the grinding shield over the ADF, which protects not only the welder, but the ADF itself. The average price to replace an ADF is around $300.
To appreciate the significance of this improvement, realize that some welding helmet manufacturers today still put the ADF on the outside of the helmet, which require welders to flip up the filter. This configuration can have significant impact on the product, the busi- ness, and, most importantly, the worker.
Older ADF configurations can result in:
1. Potential product damage. Leaving the ADF exposed to damage by striking it against something when it is in the upright position.
2. Loss of productivity. Welder may spend precious work time flipping the filter up and down in between welding, inspection and grinding.
3. Harmful exposure to flash. Flipping the filter also can expose the welder to accidental flash, when the unprotected eye is impacted by the arc of a welding torch anywhere within the welder’s eyesight.
Adding Respiratory to the
List of Protection Factors
Welders’ acceptance of protecting their vision has nev- er been a safety challenge. However, what has taken longer to accept and adopt is respiratory protection.
Welders, whether they acknowledge or realize it or not, are exposed to a myriad of contaminants. De- pending on the type of welding and chemical reaction between the two metals, contaminants can be gases, vapors, or particulates—and all can be extremely dan- gerous to inhale.
The most common contaminants are welding fumes, which are considered aerosol particulates. One of the most common welding fumes is hexavalent chromium. Depending on its concentration in the environment, it is recommended for welders to use a tight-fitting mask and a P100 filter. The most popular configuration has been a half-mask with a flat P100 filter, which allows the respiratory protection to go under a welding helmet. Historically, it has been an inexpensive, yet efficient respirator choice.
72 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2019
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