DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF A NEW SAMPLER FOR WELDING FUME

The development of a new sampler having an inhalable entry and a porou s foam plug, which can partition the respirable and non-respirable fra ctions of the sampled air, is described. The rationale for this partit ioning is that welding fume is primarily respirable, where dust genera ted by other welding related processes is generally non-respirable. Th e sampler is designed to operate inside the welder's face shield, and its attachment configuration fulfils the requirements stated in the pr oposed European Standard for welding fume sampling (CEN, 1996). The as piration efficiency agrees well with that of a breathing mannequin wea ring a face shield, although it undersamples compared to the inhalable convention (CEN, 1993) in wind tunnel tests. The penetration of weldi ng fume through the porous foam is consistently around 72%, comparable to that through a conventional personal cyclone. Field trials have in dicated that the sampler does not obstruct nodal work activity or visi on. Finally, the new sampler has been included in the proposed Europea n Standard. Crown copyright (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd .