The Problem
Indoor air quality was a big problem for the Galt Display Rack Company. Employing welding applications in their manufacturing process, their workers were exposed to a number of toxic fumes on a routine basis. Hexavalent chromium, metallic oxides, silicates, fluorides and shielding gases are just some of the harmful byproducts found in weld fumes. If left unchecked, breathing in weld fumes can lead to serious immediate consequences such as suffocation and asphyxiation. Other long-term health conditions posed by exposure to weld fumes include:
- Lung and nasal cancers
- Liver and kidney failure
- Siderosis
- Heart and skin disease
- Emphysema
- Silicosis
Understanding the seriousness of the situation, the Galt Display Rack Company explored multiple options to try to alleviate the problem and clean their indoor air. The biggest obstacle in their way was their limited floor space. Because their workers have to weld large products, source capture capabilities were not a feasible option. Trying a number of engineered solutions to eliminate the weld fumes, they installed source capture units, fume guns, fans and exhaust fans. All proved to be ineffective options and failed to improve their indoor air quality. In the end, the company was still faced with the serious issue of weld smoke contaminating the shop air.