QUALITY WELDING HELMETS ACCOMODATE RESPIRATORS

Employers are required by law to use mechanical means to extract air contaminants wherever feasible. But welding related contaminants are the hardest to extract and many times repair welding is done in remote or confined areas where extraction systems are not present or effective. If a qualified Industrial Hygienist or other qualified safety official determines that welders exposure to air contaminants still exceeds accepted standards, respirators are required

We have stayed away from respiratory PPE posts because respiratory protection is a complex process best left to experts. But we can try to make you aware that there is respiratory PPE that can be used in a welding operation. Why is that of interest? Because there are more than 80 different types of welding and associated processes. Each produces some kind of respiratory hazards. Dust, smoke, fumes, gases, or vapors are present in varying concentrations and combinations in virtually every welding environment. It is estimated that nearly 1 million people may be exposed to welding fumes or other related respiratory hazards while doing their jobs.

OSHA and NIOSH use a PPE metric called the “utilization rate”. It is a measure of how many workers use a type of PPE versus the number who are required to use it by law. The utilization rate for respirators over all is only about 30%. For welders, it is probably only half of that.

The reasons for the low respirator utilization rate include welders claims that they are so uncomfortable they cannot do their jobs, and to an even greater degree, employers are not aware of respirators with adequate protection that fit comfortably under welding helmets.

Part of the blame lies with welding helmet manufacturers. The trend in recent years from the low end suppliers and importers has been to produce smaller shells that fit closer to the welders face. That kept the price down and lowered the weight especially in ADF equipped models. But it also trapped smoke and fumes inside of the helmet because air could not circulate to help clear them out. The smaller more narrow shells will also not accommodate a respirator. Because ADF equipped welding helmets stay in the down, work position longer, without being lifted to allow smoke and fumes to clear, the build-up can be substantial.

The top quality, traditional welding helmet brands, like Fibre-Metal by Honeywell, who build products up to a standard instead of down to a price, do not have either the design or fit problems. Both the Fibre-Metal TIGERHOOD and FUTURA brands were designed by welders for welders with an eye toward the need for room for eye protection and respiratory protection. Their designs allow for maximum air circulation with room at the top for smoke and fumes to escape, and their shapes are full at the bottom to fit comfortably over a respirator with the appropriate filters.

North by Honeywell, the leading brand of respirators, produces several types of respirators that protect from the respiratory hazards of welding and fit comfortably under Fibre-Metal by Honeywell brand helmets.

From left to right are disposable, limited use and low maintenance, and half mask with special low profile"pancake" filters respirators from North.  Each type and model fits comfortably under Fibre-Metal brand TIGERHOOD Classic and Futura model welding helmets to give you the widest selection of styles and degrees of protection available.

The graphic at the beginning of this post shows a Fibre-Metal/North by Honeywell PAPR system for welding. A powered air purifying respirator (PAPR) is a motorized system that uses a blower to pull ambient air through one or more filters to clean it before it is delivered to the breathing zone of the user. A PAPR system typically includes a blower, battery, headpiece and a breathing tube.


PAPR systems can provide a higher level of respiratory protection than non-powered air filtering respirators. Their constant flow of air may help provide a feeling of coolness resulting in greater comfort for the welder. Because a battery-powered blower pulls the air through the filter there is no additional breathing resistance to the wearer. PAPR's are used in extreme welding conditions or where qualified safety officials determine they allow welders to be more productive. They are perhaps the fastest growing type of welding respiratory protection. Again, the combination of the Fibre-Metal by Honeywell welding helmet quality and North by Honeywell respiratory technology and quality have resulted in the PAPR most welders prefer.

Selecting appropriate respiratory protection is as important and difficult as deciding whether respiratory protection is needed in the first place. The selection process can be complex and time-consuming. Deciding the type of respirator that is appropriate for a given situation requires understanding the job-specific variables, including the identity and concentration of contaminants that are present (or may be present) in the work area. The safety director or industrial hygienist must understand the different types of respirators and their protective capabilities to determine the options that exist. Other factors, including worker health, worker comfort, training and preference should also be taken into consideration.

Most personal protective equipment manufacturers offer recommendations on choosing respirators. These recommendations may be available as an online or published guide, or may even take the form of an onsite analysis of the workplace. Regardless of these recommendations, it is ultimately the responsibility of the employer to ensure that proper respirators are being used for worker protection, and that they meet all local, state and federal regulations.

If you work in or are responsible for a welding operation, you may need to take another look at your respiratory hazards and your need for appropriate PPE. But as we said earlier, considering a respiratory protection program requires the use of experts. A good place to begin or to gather information is NIOSH at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/respirators/. OSHA also has good information at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/respiratoryprotection/index.html.  The North by Honeywell Respiratory Protection catalog at http://www.northsafety.com/TriggerWorkflow.aspx?WorkflowModuleGUID=a3c3bf34-f500-45aa-a73f-13a246669a21&Alias=NSUS&SB_ContentItemGuid=babf5024-993c-4792-9ed5-442e9335ee49&ReuseToken=True&CDTID=a2de4ac6-0971-431d-ac14-d9496fd9b052 is also a good source of information on the products discussed here.

The need for and selection of respirators is best left to the experts. But this blog post shows you that there are respirators that fit under and work well with quality welding helmets.

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This blog post is informational only. The author relied on information from secondary sources available at the time of its posting. The author is in no way liable for the accuracy of the contents. Anyone considering the use of respiratory protection must enlist the assistance of experts to help determine the presence of hazards and the appropriate protection from them. Failure to do so could result in injury or death.