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Fumes

Fume extractors, filtration and ventilation.

Fumes are harmful solid particles generated by chemical reactions such as oxidation and thermal breakdown and are one of the key health risks facing site workers today. Gases, mists, vapours and smoke can also cause significant harm to workers’ health. RVT Group’s diesel and welding fumes extractors, filtration, and ventilation are available for hire. Protect your workers from harmful fumes while working.

Managing Fume on Site View Health Risks

Ravex Fume Control Equipment

Fume extraction and filtration units are the ideal solutions to hazardous fume on site. By positioning the capture hood as close as possible to the activity that is producing fume, you allow the fume to be captured, contained and controlled, reducing the dangerous particles in the atmosphere and preventing migration to outside the work zone.

RVT offer a wide range of fume control solutions which are available to hire.

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Why Ravex is the original & preferred solution

Legal Compliance

Ravex fume extraction units help to ensure that you remain well within Work Exposure Standard (WES) limits

Robust and Reliable

Ravex units are durable and reliable, ensuring you don't have any downtime on site

Highly Effective Filtration

A variety of filters available to suit different applications

Welding Fumes

Welding Filters enable you to remain compliant with state regulations

Volatile fumes

Capable of removing hot and volatile fumes when used in conjunction with our spark guard

Multi-purpose

Albeit paint fume, welding fume, vapours or other volatile substances, Ravex is the ideal fume control solution

Scaleable

From small welding filter units to full scale fume extraction and ventilation systems

Fully Approved

All RVT products are fully approved to European standards and hold third party certification

The Source of Fume on Site

Several applications can lead to dangerous fume production, such as heavy equipment repairs, ship repairs, steel erection, and pipe fitting. Here, different types of welding can be used, such as arc welding, MIG welding and thermit welding. Whilst workers are likely to be aware of the more obvious hazards associated with welding, such as very high temperatures and electricity, the catastrophic effects of breathing in the chemical process gases may be unknown.

Solvent vapours are also extremely dangerous. A solvent is used to dilute or dissolve another substance to create a solution and most solvents used in industry are ‘organic’ petroleum-based chemicals, which release toxic gases. Activities such as industrial coating, degreasing, manufacturing, paint removal and printing ink can lead to dangerous levels of exposure.

Capturing and filtering fumes, mists, vapours and gases at source, whilst continuously forcing fresh air into the work area, is essential to maintain a safe environment for workers. A site lacking in adequate fume control now can result in poor health later.

The Health Risks

The effect of fumes, mists, vapours and gases can vary substantially depending on the exposure time, type and concentration. In the short term, workers can experience headache, dizziness, nausea and fatigue when exposed to these hazards. Exposure to solvent vapours can also result in reddening and blistering of the skin, as well as poor coordination.

In the long term, inhaling the dangerous fumes, mists, vapours or gases can result in conditions including lung disease, heart disease, brain and nerve damage, and decreased fertility. Some more volatile fumes, such as welding fumes, have also been classified as carcinogenic, meaning that they can cause a range of cancers, including lung, kidney, and bladder cancer. Solvent vapours have also been linked to the development of Dementia in later life.

Without effective control measures in place, the fume produced on site today can have a huge negative impact on your workers’ health in future.

Managing Fume on Site

RVT believe that effective fume control can be managed in three easy steps;

  1. Capture the hazard - Using appropriate extraction equipment, you need to capture the fumes as close to the source as possible.
  2. Contain the hazard - Contain the area to ensure that harmful fumes, gases and vapours cannot affect those working nearby.
  3. Control the hazard - In addition to extraction, you need to ensure that you have sufficient ventilation in place. This not only dilutes the contaminates in the air, but can also create negative pressure to ensure that the fumes do not migrate to other areas.

Trusted By

“RVT are our supplier of choice for our noise, dust & fume extraction equipment. We find that the service we receive, technical knowledge and understanding of the legislation is first class.”

Mark Hierons Operations Director - Morris Leslie Plant Hire Ltd

Fume Control FAQ's

Learn More About Fume Control

Where will I find fumes on site?

Fumes are generated by a variety of activities on site, for example; welding fumes, diesel fumes, fumes from solvents and many more.

Up to 1.2M workers in Australia are exposed to dangerous levels of diesel exhaust fumes each year. This is due to the use of diesel vehicles or equipment, such as construction site plant, forklifts, lorries and tractors, and fixed-power sources, including compressors, generators and power plants.

What are the health risks associated with fumes?

The concentration of toxins and duration of exposure can be the difference between feeling a little dizzy or dying within a few minutes, which is why it is so important to ensure that you have adequate ventilation and/ or extraction in place. Even if the concentration is low, excessive exposure over several years, can lead to the development of life threatening illness’s and diseases, such as cancer.

What are WELs?

WELs stands for Workplace Exposure Limits. There are 500 substances individually listed within EH40 with a workplace exposure limit, therefore we would strongly recommend that you download a free copy of this document from the HSE website. Employers must implement adequate controls to ensure that exposure limits are not breached.

What is a carcinogenic fume?

Carcinogenic substances are defined as either causing or helping cancer to grow.

Can I extract flammable fumes?

Yes, however the type of machinery you can use will depend on the scenario. If the fan needs to be situated within an Atex-rated area, the extraction unit must carry the relevant class of certification. However, if the unit will not be situated in an Atex zone area, you could use (a) non-Atex rated centrifugal fan. Centrifugal fans are safe to use with volatile fumes, because the motor sits outside of the airflow.

Can I extract hot works fumes/ sparks?

Yes, metal-bladed centrifugal fans are suitable for extracting heat and sparks. A Spark arrestor should be fitted to the intake of the extraction system if there is the danger of these being drawn in.

What is a carbon filter?

A carbon air filter or an activated charcoal air filter consists of treated charcoal. These will remove airborne contamination through the process of adsorption, whereby molecules chemically react to the treated charcoal. They are often used to remove gases and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s).

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