If you’re in the market for advanced personal protective equipment for your welding job or hobby, consider getting an air-fed helmet, as well as a PAPR ventilation system to accompany it.
Welding may be your passion (or just something you do to put food on the table), but no one can deny that it’s rough work. With fumes and dust spewing everywhere, it’d be folly not to go into any welding job without the right protective equipment. And why not invest in the best for yourself? Sure, you can save costs by using disposable masks and respirators that fit under a basic welding helmet, but there’s no way that’s going to be the most comfortable solution in the long run.
If you think you deserve better than that (because you do!), then experts say that air-fed helmets and PAPR respirators are the best possible choice you can make.
Proper protection is crucial in the welding industry, where airborne contaminants pose significant health concerns to employees. Studies have shown that welding fumes are carcinogenic, warranting the use of advanced PPE that can effectively filter particulate matter and provide welders with clean air - something that air-fed helmets are capable of.
Many professionals choose this type of PPE for the added comfort, too. Most air-fed helmets are designed to keep wearers cool and comfortable during work, making them suitable for repeated and prolonged use. Newer models of PAPR ventilation systems are also made with ergonomics in mind, saving you the strain of a long job.
A complete air-fed system has two parts: the helmet itself and the filtration unit, which is worn on the back. These components work to capture atmospheric air and pass it through advanced filters, feeding the cleaned air to the top of the helmet through a flexible tube.
It may sound simple enough, but it’s a pretty popular setup in the industry. Air-fed helmets provide you with top-tier protection and purified air without any of those suffocating or claustrophobic feelings that other types of PPE might give you. It just goes to show you that comfort and functionality don’t have to be mutually exclusive!
If you’ve decided to invest in an air-fed helmet, you have plenty of options. On the higher end, many professional welders in the UK like the ESAB Savage A41 Air Helmet.
Developed as an upgrade to the Savage A40, the ESAB Savage A41 Air Helmet provides higher visual clarity with True Colour vision technology designed to give welders a brighter view of their workspaces. The helmet also sports a more ergonomic design than its predecessor, rebalancing weight evenly to reduce strain during longer welding jobs.
Of course, every air-fed helmet needs a ventilation system to accompany it. If you want a matching set, the ESAB EPR-X1.1 PAPR is compatible. With TH3-level particulate protection, the system can block up to 99.8% of particles; it also supports A1B1E1 gas filtration that can be toggled on or off for any applications involving vapours.
These aren’t the only choices out there, but they’re a great place to start, especially if you’re doing MIG/MAG and TIG welding, MMA welding, plasma cutting, gouging, and any grinding work. Honestly, anything that’s suitable for environments with heavy fume exposure, such as shipyards and construction sites, and other applications that require vision and respiratory protection will do the job - it’s just a matter of finding something that fits your needs the best.
Want more options? Experts like Weldtech UK are happy to walk you through the choices available.
