Virtually all materials when processed will emit some fumes that are hazardous to the health of the operator, even seemingly harmless materials such as cardboard and paper
Laser marking, engraving, welding and cutting systems, are now used throughout industry, education establishments and in research facilities to process a wide and varied range of materials.
Most of these lasers burn away layers of the material to make a cut or mark, this causes the emission of hazardous toxicological particles and gas.
Examples are benzene and toluene from certain plastics and chromium and nickel from metals. Virtually all materials when processed will emit some fumes that are hazardous to the health of the operator; even seemingly harmless materials such as cardboard and paper labels can produce respirable dust and formaldehyde.
Increasingly stringent environmental legislation deems that exhausting hazardous fumes outside into the atmosphere is becoming a restricted option, so the alternative is a filtration system.
It is imperative to ensure the laser operator is not exposed to hazardous fumes from the process and so only the correct type of fume extraction system should be installed.
Any system should take into account factors such as the laser make and model, the airflow required, the volume of hazardous material produced, the fume composition and many other factors.
To help the laser operator and their employers, Purex International has developed a new website containing process survey forms that the laser operator can use to fill in their process detail and find out which extraction system is required.
There are separate forms for laser marking, engraving, welding and cutting applications as well as resources such as links to health and safety information and other laser related sites.
