Fume Extraction Systems

Local and international health and safety legislation (such as COSHH, NIOSHH, OSHA etc) states that it is the employers responsibility to protect the health, welfare and safety of their employees. Failure to do so can result in expensive legal action, potential fines and poor employee relations.

The Need for Fume Extraction

Many types of dust and fume are hazardous to health if inhaled. People can become permanently sensitised to fumes which means that continued exposure, even to very small amounts of fume, may cause asthma attacks or other respiratory diseases. A high performance fume extraction system will help to:-

• Protect employee health.
• Ensure compliance with Health & Safety regulations such as OSHA, NIOSH C.O.S.H.H, MAK, AFNOR, or equivalent.
• Increase production speeds.
• Reduce complaints by operators due to odours, dust and vapours.
• Avoid possible cost of health compensation claims.
• Reduce the cost & time to cleaning laser lenses, conveyors, guarding, soldering machines and other equipment.
• Reduce product contamination.
• Provide a better working environment.
• Reduce downtime.

Which Extraction System?

These are usually two types of extraction system available:-

• External - pump contaminated air into the environment outside the building
• Internal - at source capture and filtration or LEV (local exhaust ventillation) system

In our opinion the best system to use is an LEV system such as a Purex. These capture fumes at the source thereby preventing fumes escaping into the workplace. They also filter hazardous particles and gasses which would otherwise be pumped into the outside environment causing pollution.

Using an internal filter system also avoids issues with environmental regulations and potential complaints from neighbouring businesses about fumes and odours.

Purex LEV systems sit next to the process and the extraction rate can be altered precisely to suit the application. Purex machines are also easy to move if the process moves.

LEV systems have additional benefits over external exhaust systems.