THE NSW Maintrain rail maintenance facility in Sydney – designed to handle up to 1500 locomotives and carriages a year – was recently bedeviled with the problem of the air being choked with potentially harmful welding fumes in its work space.
Designed to make mechanical repairs on NSW State rail trains, the issue of welding fumes floating in the work areas was an important one that needed addressing.
Terry Burton, the Line Manager at the private rolling stock maintenance company admitted the company had not been using any form of fume extraction.
Looking around for suitable extraction equipment, Burton chose the FF 120 Mobile Fume Extractor from Acitve Air Rentals, a self-contained unit with a complex filter assembly that is able filter the harmful metals and chemicals out of the air.
“We run two shifts a day and if it’s a still day and if there is no breeze coming through the shop, the air would get pretty choked up with the welding fumes-not the best thing to be breathing in,” he said.
“Now that we are using the fume extractors, the air is definitely a lot cleaner. the workers are very happy with the new extractors and we are looking to get some more in the future,” Burton said.