ISO/TC 44/SC 9 - Health and safety

This document specifies a method for testing equipment for the separation of welding fume in order to determine whether its separation efficiency meets specified requirements. The method specified does not apply to testing of filter cartridges independent of the equipment in which they are intended to be used. This document applies to equipment that is manufactured after its publication. NOTE General ventilation systems are excluded from the Scope of ISO 21904-1.

This document specifies two methods for establishing the minimum air volume flow rate. One method is dedicated for use with captor hoods, nozzles and slot nozzles with a ratio of slot length to hose diameter of 8:1 or less. The other method is dedicated for use with on-gun extraction devices. These methods are not applicable to down draught tables.

This document defines the general requirements for ventilation equipment used to capture and separate fumes generated by welding and allied processes, e.g. arc welding and thermal cutting. This document also specifies the test data to be marked on the capture devices. It applies to the design and manufacture of parts of the equipment including hoods for welding, ducting, filter units, air movers, systems that inform of unsafe operation and workplace practices to ensure safe working with regard to exposure. Significant hazards are listed in Clause 4. It does not cover electrical, mechanical and pneumatic hazards. This document is applicable to: — local exhaust ventilation systems (LEV) excluding draught tables; — mobile and stationary equipment; — separation equipment used for welding and allied processes; This document is not applicable to: — general ventilation, air make up or air movement systems; — air conditioning systems; — grinding dust. This document applies to systems designed and manufactured after its publication. NOTE Specific safety requirements for thermal cutting machines are defined in ISO 17916.

ISO 21904-3:2018 defines a laboratory method for measuring the welding fume capture efficiency of on-torch extraction systems. The procedure only prescribes a methodology, leaving selection of the test parameters to the user, so that the effect of different variables can be evaluated. ISO 21904-3:2018 is applicable to integrated on-torch systems and to systems where a discrete extraction system is attached to the welding torch close to the arc area. The methodology is suitable for use with all continuous wire welding processes, all material types and all welding parameters. The method can be used to evaluate the effects of variables such as extraction flow rate, extract nozzle position, shielding gas flow rate, welding geometry, welding torch angle, fume emission rate, etc., on capture efficiency.

ISO 15011-4:2017 covers health and safety in welding and allied processes. It specifies requirements for determination of the emission rate and chemical composition of welding fume in order to prepare fume data sheets. ISO 15011-4:2017 applies to all filler materials used for joining or surfacing by arc welding using a manual, partly mechanized or fully automatic process, depositing unalloyed steel, alloyed steel and non‑ferrous alloys. Manual metal arc welding, gas‑shielded metal arc welding with solid wires, metal‑cored and flux‑cored wires and arc welding with self‑shielded flux‑cored wires are included within the scope of this document.

ISO 17916:2016 specifies the safety requirements and measures for machinery covering design, construction, production, transport, installation, operation, maintenance, and putting out of service. ISO 17916:2016 applies to machinery using thermal cutting and or marking processes such as oxy-fuel, plasma arc. This International Standard applies to machinery the basis of which is either designed as open gantry, cantilever machine, or the track of which is incorporated in the cutting table. ISO 17916:2016 does not cover design standards for specific tools, e.g. oxy-fuel hose standards, electrical requirements for plasma power supplies. Most tools used on thermal cutting machines have specific design standards. ISO 17916:2016 does not cover handheld cutting equipment and cutting equipment which is combined with a constrained tracking system mounted on the work piece. Risks arising from thermal cutting tools may be covered by related standards. Risks arising from laser radiation, except those caused by position indicating lasers, are not covered by this International Standard. Those risks are covered by ISO 11553. Machines that combine thermal processes with other processes (e.g. grinding, drilling, milling, etc.) are only partly covered. Risks arising from these other processes may be covered by related standards.

ISO 25980:2014 specifies safety requirements for transparent welding curtains, strips, and screens to be used for shielding of work places from their surroundings where arc welding processes are used. They are designed to protect people who are not involved in the welding process from hazardous radiant emissions from welding arcs and spatter. Welding curtains, strips, and screens it specifies are not intended to replace welding filters. For intentional viewing of welding arcs other means of protection are used. It is not applicable for welding processes where laser radiation is used. NOTE Darker welding curtains or screens are advisable for mutual separation of adjacent work places for reasons of comfort.

ISO/TR 18786:2014 provides guidance for the assessment of the health and safety aspects of welding fabrication of metallic materials, including on-site and repair work. It applies to welding and allied processes which are covered by the following processes in accordance with ISO 4063: arc welding (process number 1); gas welding (process number 3); cutting and gouging [process number 8 (excluding 84 laser cutting)]. For its purposes, allied processes includes joint preparation and grinding. Other processes, such as the following, might have similar health and safety aspects but are not directly addressed: soldering and brazing; thermal spraying; pre-heating and post weld heat treatments; flame straightening and mechanical straightening. ISO/TR 18786:2014 includes a list of hazards, harms and damages with reference to assessment procedures and a guide for possible preventive actions.

ISO/TR 13392:2014 provides guidance, based on the experiences of experts, on the components of fume emitted from a range of arc welding processes and consumable types.

ISO/TS 15011-6:2012 provides guidance on determination of emission rates of fume and gases generated by spot welding of uncoated and coated steel sheets, expressed as the quantity of pollutants per spot weld. It describes the test principle and considers methods for sampling and analysis. ISO/TS 15011-6:2012 can be used for determining the influence of the type of material, the coating system, and the material thickness on the possible generation of fume and gases when using a fixed combination of electrodes, welding equipment, and testing conditions. The data generated can be used by product manufacturers to provide information for inclusion in safety data sheets and by occupational hygienists to evaluate the significant substances emitted by spot welding in the performance of risk assessments and/or workplace exposure measurements.

ISO 10882-1:2011 specifies a procedure for sampling airborne particles in the breathing zone of a person who performs welding and allied processes (the operator). It also provides details of relevant standards that specify required characteristics, performance requirements and test methods for workplace air measurement, and augments guidance provided in EN 689 on assessment strategy and measurement strategy. ISO 10882-1:2011 also specifies a procedure for making gravimetric measurements of personal exposure to airborne particles generated by welding and allied processes (welding fume) and other airborne particles generated by welding-related operations. Additionally, it provides references to suitable methods of chemical analysis, specified in other standards, to determine personal exposure to specific chemical agents present in welding fume and other airborne particles generated by welding-related operations. The general background level of airborne particles in the workplace atmosphere influences personal exposure and therefore the role of fixed-point sampling is also considered.

ISO 15011-5:2011 specifies procedures for obtaining information about thermal degradation products generated when welding, cutting through, preheating and straightening metal treated with coatings composed wholly or partly of organic substances, e.g. shop primers, paints, oils, waxes and inter‑weld materials such as adhesives and sealants. It is aimed primarily at test laboratories performing such procedures. The data generated can be used by coating manufacturers to provide information for inclusion in safety data sheets and by occupational hygienists to identify thermal degradation products of significance in the performance of risk assessments and/or workplace exposure measurements. The data cannot be used to estimate workplace exposure directly. ISO 15011-5:2011 is applicable to all coatings composed partly or wholly of organic materials that can be heated, during welding and cutting, preheating and straightening to temperatures at which thermal degradation products are generated and where it is not apparent what those degradation products are.

ISO 15011-1:2009 defines a laboratory method for measuring the emission rate of fume from arc welding. It also defines a method of collecting the fume for subsequent analysis and refers to suitable analytical techniques. The methods described are suitable for use with all open arc welding processes except tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, which produces little fume.

ISO 15011-2:2009 defines laboratory methods for measuring the emission rates of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen monoxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) generated during arc welding, cutting and gouging, using a hood technique. The methodology is suitable for use with all open arc welding processes, cutting and gouging, but different designs of hood are used depending on the process and whether or not it can be conducted automatically.

ISO 15011-3:2009 defines a laboratory method for measuring the emission rate of ozone during arc welding, using a hood technique. The method is directed primarily at measuring ozone emission rate when using gas-shielded arc welding processes, but it can also be employed with other processes, e.g. self-shielded flux-cored arc welding, provided that welding can be performed automatically under the hood.

ISO 17846:2004 specifies the format and symbols for wordless precautionary labels placed by manufacturers on their equipment and consumables used in arc welding, plasma arc cutting, and thermal/flame cutting processes. It addresses neither workplace safety signs (as might be specified by ISO 3864) nor operator training. In addition, the wordless precautionary labels specified in ISO 17846:2004 are not intended to replace other mandatory labels or signs (e.g. material safety data sheets) required by certain countries or regions.

This part of EN ISO 10882 provides guidance for the determination of personal exposure to gases and vapours in welding and allied processes. It applies to the following thermal processes used to join, cut, surface or remove metals: (111) Manual metal arc welding (metal arc welding with covered electrode); shielded metal arc welding /USA/ (114) Self-shielded tubular-cored arc welding (131) Metal inert gas welding; MIG welding; gas metal arc welding /USA/ (135) Metal active gas welding; MAG welding; gas metal arc welding /USA/ (136) Tubular-cored metal arc welding with active gas shield; flux cored arc welding /USA/ (137) Tubular-cored metal arc welding with inert gas shield; flux cored arc welding /USA/ (141) Tungsten inert gas arc welding; TIG welding; gas tungsten arc welding /USA/ (15) Plasma arc welding; (31) Oxy-fuel gas welding; oxy-fuel gas welding /USA/ (52) Laser beam welding; (912) Flame brazing; torch brazing /USA/ (97) Braze welding; _ arc and flame gouging; _ arc and laser cutting processes; _ flame, plasma and laser and plasma cutting processes; _ metal-spraying (see EN ISO 4063). The following gases and vapours which can be produced or be present during welding and allied processes are covered: _ ozone (O3); _ carbon monoxide (CO); _ carbon dioxide (CO2); _ nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2); _ vapours produced in the welding or cutting of metals having paint or other surface coatings. Fuel, oxidant and shielding gases used in welding and allied processes are not covered. The general background level of gases and vapours in the workplace atmosphere influences personal exposure, and therefore the role of fixed point measurements is also considered.

ISO 15012-4:2016 defines the general requirements for ventilation equipment used to control exposure to fumes generated by welding and allied processes. It applies to the design and manufacture of all parts of the equipment including hoods, ducting, filter units, air movers, systems that inform of unsafe operation and workplace practices to ensure safe working with regard to exposure. Significant hazards are listed in Clause 4. It does not cover electrical, mechanical and pneumatic hazards. ISO 15012-4:2016 is applicable to the following: - local exhaust ventilation systems (LEV); - mobile and stationary equipment. It is not applicable to the following: - general ventilation, air make up or air movement systems; - air conditioning systems; - separation of gases generated by or used by welding and allied processes; - LEV used for welding and allied processes that generate reactive potentially explosive particles and atmospheres; - grinding dust. ISO 15012-4:2016 applies to systems designed and manufactured after its publication.

ISO 15012-1:2013 specifies a method for testing equipment for the separation of welding fume in order to determine whether its separation efficiency meets specified requirements. The method specified does not apply to testing of filter cartridges independent of the equipment in which they are intended to be used. ISO 15012-1:2013 applies to equipment that is manufactured after its publication.

ISO 15012-2:2008 specifies a method for establishing the minimum air volume flow rate required for captor hoods and nozzles to effectively capture fume and gases from welding and allied processes. The method can be used with capture devices of any aspect ratio and cross-sectional area, but it is not applicable to on-gun extraction systems and down draught tables. ISO 15012-2:2008 also specifies the test data to be marked on the capture devices.

ISO 15011-4:2006 covers health and safety in welding and allied processes. ISO 15011-4:2006 specifies requirements for determination of the emission rate and chemical composition of welding fume in order to prepare fume data sheets.. It applies to all filler materials used for joining or surfacing by arc welding using a manual, partly mechanised or fully automatic process, depositing unalloyed steel, alloyed steel and non-ferrous alloys. Manual metal arc welding, gas-shielded metal arc welding with solid wires, metal-cored and flux-cored wires and arc welding with self-shielded flux-cored wires are included within the scope of ISO 15011-4:2006.

ISO/TS 15011-5:2006 specifies procedures for obtaining information about thermal degradation products generated when welding, cutting through, preheating and straightening products composed wholly or partly of organic substances, e.g. shop primers, paints, adhesives, waxes, sealants, pressing lubricant, oils, etc. It is aimed primarily at test laboratories performing such procedures. The data generated may be used by product manufacturers to provide information for inclusion in safety data sheets and by occupational hygienists to identify thermal degradation products of significance in the performance of risk assessments and/or workplace exposure measurements. The data cannot be used to estimate workplace exposure directly. ISO/TS 15011-5:2006 is applicable to all products composed partly or wholly of organic materials that could be heated, during welding and cutting, to temperatures at which thermal degradation products are generated and where it is not apparent what those degradation products will be.

ISO 15012-1:2004 deals with the significant hazards caused by the emission of welding fume particles from welding fume separation equipment operated according to its intended use and under the conditions foreseen by the manufacturer. ISO 15012-1:2004 specifies safety requirements concerning the separation of welding fumes and describes a method for determining the particle separation efficiency of welding fume separation equipment. ISO 15012-1:2004 does not deal with: hazards caused by gases emitted by welding, cutting and allied processes or by the welding fume separation equipment itself; hazards caused by the noise and vibrations of the welding fume separation equipment; other fundamental aspects of safety technology, such as electrical, mechanical and pneumatical safety, maintenance, etc.

ISO 15011-2:2003 provides guidance on the determination of emission rates of gases generated by arc welding using a fume box technique. It describes the test principle, gives a possible fume box arrangement and considers methods for sampling and analysis. The following gases that can be produced during arc welding are covered: - carbon monoxide (CO); - carbon dioxide (CO2); - nitrogen oxide (NO); - nitrogen dioxide (NO2). The fume box described in this International Standard may also be used for the determination of organic gases produced in the arc welding of coated metals, e.g. primed, painted or plastic coated material.

ISO 15011-3 defines a laboratory method for evaluating ozone emissions generated during arc welding by measuring ozone concentrations at fixed points around a stationary welding arc. The results may be used to compare the effect of welding parameters, processes, etc. on ozone generation and hence to predict changes in workplace exposure under similar working conditions.

This European standard describes a method for the determination of the particulate fume emission rate from arc welding processes using a fume box technique. It defines a method of sampling particulate fume for chemical analysis and suggests possible analytical techniques in order to characterize fumes emitted by consumable during welding.