How dangerous are these plasma cutters to your health?

[earthman]

I'm thinking of the fume aspect mainly, the chemical that's produced (hexavalent chromium) has links to cancer, for those that use them, what mask/other precautions do you take?

Compared to say using a Mig welder, do you feel that the fume risk is any greater?

I'm only a hobbyist, infrequent welder, still cautious when it comes to fumes etc,......one day I'd like to get a plasma cutter but not sure about the potential health risks. Did you all feel the same way before you took the plunge and bought one?

 

[Hood]

If manual cutting in a well ventilated area or outside then probably the risk is small but if CNC and doing Alu or especially stainless then you really want to get good fume extraction set up or use a water table, which is best is open to debate.

 

[earthman]

How do you get Cr6+ from plasma cutting aluminium or mild steel then?

I'm not sure about which materials create which chemicals exactly, I've just read that's one of them. So do you feel totally safe when cutting aluminium & mild steel then??

 

[Hood]

Stainless is the dangerous one but as said if working outside or in a well ventilated area then risks will be small when hand cutting small quantities that a hobby user is likely to encounter.

Alu fumes, at least in welding, are more an irritant rather than a serious health hazard, or at least that is what I have found from doing a bit of research as I weld a lot of Alu. Not too sure about plasma but it is likely the same. Again however hand cutting small volumes in a well ventilated area is unlikely to even irritate.

As with everything though it is best to try and avoid breathing any fumes whether that is welding fumes, plasma fumes, rotting fish fumes so if inside in an enclosed space then get some ventilation.

 

[gaz1]

ive got asthma and i can tell you it affects my lungs, i can actually taste the metal that im cutting and takes a few days to clear it from lungs

its also the same when i use the grinder but im also affected with mig welding and also arc welding

 

[Tom Orrow L]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe hexavalent chromium comes from stainless steel when brought to high temperatures / welded.
If cutting stainless I'd take the right precautions I.e mask / fume extraction.. otherwise I wouldn't be OVERLY worries about fumes unless in an environment where fume extraction is legislation.

 

[earthman]

I'm guessing that most of us hobbyists would be working in a typical one or two car garage space, whether it be brick built or a shed type. Point is, what if you only have one door/opening, no other door or a window opposite to aid with air flow, is that good enough? I try to take things outside otherwise I kinda of weld a bit then walk out and let the fumes clear before going back in.

 

[gaz1]

your better off fitting a fan in and extract the fumes or just to clear the air is much better

 

[AdrianH]

I cut in a garage and I know I do not have the best ventilation system going, if I could fit a water tray for my cnc i would, I do have a simple B&Q bathroom extractor going when it is cutting just to move some of the local stuff, the fan specs say 85m3 an hour may or may not help with the fumes, the biggest mess is the oxides that get blown all over the place with the air blast, but that generally is swept up.

When I use the hand cutter this is generally with the garage door open and small door open creating a through draft, and the times I use it by hand is generally a few minutes an hour not major. CNC I do not tend to be close mainly due to the noise.

Adrian

By the way I had more issues with fumes and black snot from stick welding as in that you are close to the work, I also have asthma but my hobby stuff has not played a great part to it, more like lack of exercise.

 

[earthman]

Fitting some sort of extractor fan is a good idea, I'll look into that.

 

[Richard.]

I don't think the content of the fume given off is really relevant here because all fume given off from a welding or cutting process is likely to do you harm and the procedures of getting rid of it and protecting your self from it should always be adopted. Basing your extraction levels on how dangerous it might be is just playing a dangerous game.

 

[Wendelspanswick]

I don't think the content of the fume given off is really relevant here because all fume given off from a welding or cutting process is likely to do you harm and the procedures of getting rid of it and protecting your self from it should always be adopted. Basing your extraction levels on how dangerous it might be is just playing a dangerous game.

I agree, your more likely to damage your lungs by cycling or walking during rush hour than doing an occasional bit of Plasma cutting.

 

[earthman]

I agree, your more likely to damage your lungs by cycling or walking during rush hour than doing an occasional bit of Plasma cutting.

I have no doubt that there's danger in the general air around us, I hear that the government are talking about banning diesel vehicles from cities for example.

When you have total control over what happens in a small garage space, it makes you think a bit more, is it worth bringing in more risk especially when I have hacksaws etc.

Maybe I've just heard the odd comment from over cautious people because none of you seem to be overly concerned by the use of these machines, that's reassuring.

 

[Rig Pig]

I use a decent quality mask for welding and grinding, the amount of muck it catches is amazing, and a bit worrying when I think of the years when I didn't use a mask.
If you choose a decent mask it should offer some protection from fumes without the cost of air fed.

 

[8ob]

I think we should all take breathing in anything other than fresh air seriously, we should all be wearing a decent mask ( in some cases air fed)while cutting or grinding. There have been enough articles written like this one to stop and make one think http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/03/22/aluminum-toxicity-alzheimers.aspx

Bob

 

[Gareth J]

I notice that the plasma machine puts a lot of irritating "stuff" in the air. Much more than I notice with welding. For one thing, masses more gas is used and the jet fires out at much higher velocity, quickly mixing "stuff" with all the air around. It's much easier to extract welding fume at source as it's more of a gentle wisp. A mask is supposed to be sufficient for mild steel but I intend to make a bodged down draught table from an old 45gallon steel drum

 

[pedrobedro]

For one thing, masses more gas is used and the jet fires out at much higher velocity,

The gas is air isn't it ?

 

[ajlelectronics]

For one thing, masses more gas is used

You are supposed to connect it to a clean and dry air source, not a gas bottle. I know that Hydrogen, Nitrogen and Oxygen are gases, but we are meant to breathe those!

 

[Richard.]

You don't have to use compressed air.
We do because it's cheap and available but depending on the material your cutting the very very best cleanest cuts are performed with gas mixtures.
Oxygen, nitrogen, to name a couple.
Most automated cnc tables in big production levels run gas over air.
Gases can used by hand too but it's expensive and impractical really

 

[Gareth J]

I mean masses more gas (air) passes through the end of the nozzle so contaminants are spread in a larger volume of air. I thought it kind of made sense within the whole post I wrote. Much easier to keep weld fume under control.

I wasn't trying to imply bought gas was used.