Safety
How fresh is your air?
November 7, 2022
Things move fast in the welding industry and it's easy to forget about changing your particle filters. But sometimes small things can make a big difference. Let's take a closer look at three reasons why changing particle filters regularly is very important.
Roger Rasmussen
1. Safe breathing
Perhaps the most obvious reason to change your particle filters is to breathe safely on the job. Maintaining a steady flow of fresh air is a key part of welding safety – fresh air makes welding more enjoyable, while improving clarity and focus.
If we look at it another way, a clogged or dirty filter can have serious implications for welding safety by compromising the performance of your fresh air system. While the long-term consequences of breathing small airborne particles is still debated by many, the science behind the effects of breathing in dust particles is remarkably clear.
Dust particles smaller than 10 μm can get trapped in the nose, mouth and upper respiratory tract, contributing to respiratory disorders like asthma, tracheitis, pneumonia, allergic rhinitis and silicosis. Fine dust particles can also penetrate the lower respiratory tract and contribute to cardiovascular disorders by entering the bloodstream.
Source: WMO article on atmospheric dust.
The peace of mind and long-term health benefits of breathing safe air far outweigh the relatively small cost of changing your particle filters once a month.
Read more about welding safety
2. Optimal equipment performance
Many people wait for the 'change filter' alarm on their respirator. But did you know that the alarm is not a polite reminder? It's actually an indication that the filter is well beyond optimal performance. Think of it like a fault code on your car, when the light comes on the dashboard, the performance of the car is already affected.
How fresh is your air? Change the filter regularly.
Using a dirty filter affects the positive pressure generated by your respirator. Positive pressure is needed to keep contaminated air out, while ensuring a steady flow of fresh air into the helmet. Using a respirator without positive pressure places unnecessary stress and load on the mechanical parts of your breathing system. In the long run, this can lead to unscheduled repairs and higher maintenance costs.
Changing filters once a month is an important part of good maintenance hygiene. It is an easy way to ensure trouble free operation of your Kemppi fresh air system.
Increased productivity
Being interrupted by an equipment issue is an unwelcome distraction. Experts know that maintaining safety equipment is critical to creating a work environment where you can devote your full attention to the task. But with a dirty particle filter, there is a real risk that you won't make it through a full day without charging your respirator.
A dirty or clogged filter restricts air flow and forces the fan to compensate by spinning faster than normal. The increased load on the fan can significantly reduce the battery life of your respirator and force you to charge it sooner.
The battery lifetime for a standard duty (SD) battery and a heavy duty (HD) battery.
Maintaining proper air flow increases productivity by ensuring that a welder is free to do their job without worrying about being interrupted by a low battery level.
We want to make it easy to change particle filters – See our free filter pack offer now
Watch also the evergreen video about how to choose a suitable filter for the welding respiratory system.
Roger Rasmussen
Vice President, Torches, Consumables and Safety at Kemppi Oy
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