BA_LMD-508_150602_GB.doc
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02.06.2015
2 Preface
One sector of extraction equipment has become very significant in recent years. The filtering of
extracted pollutants and the recycling of filtered air to the working area.
This is a surely a sign that the environmental consciousness of each one of us has altered very
strongly in favour of our environment. For a long time now, no-one has denied that pollution occurs
during production. However, the pollutants depend on the process that is used. One can basically
distinguish between gases and smoke. Smoke could also really be described as dust. If you
examine this dust under a microscope, you will find that it consists of very fine particles, often with
a size of 0.001 mm or smaller, that can enter the lungs.
The classical method of trying to improve the working conditions of polluted workplaces is general
ventilation. In this case, the general rule is a multiple change of air in the workshop, i.e. the
complete volume of air in the workshop is replaced. However, this method only achieves a small
reduction in the level of pollution within the breathing space of the user.
The same applies to the so-called “overhead extraction”, i.e. the installation of large extractor
hoods above the workplaces. With this, the worst air flow imaginable, the pollutants first pass
through the breathing space of the user, and only afterwards are they contained and extracted.
This is surely not the point of the exercise. A much more effective method than overhead/wide-area
extraction is the removal of pollutants directly at their source, with localised extraction. Both the
investment and the operating costs are very much lower if localised extraction is used.
The environmental and workplace-safety measures are especially important requirements for
successful application of a technology, in addition to the technological optimisation of the
processing method. In a time of increasing sensitivity and tougher legislation, the task therefore lies
in making an early assessment of the potential hazards for the workplace and the environment, and
reducing them as appropriate.
