Best option, IF you have to weld it, is to get a full 'sealed' face air-fed helmet kit.
There are a few options out there... ESAB & Optrel make the best ones IMHO, but go careful on the cheaper units. They may not 'seal' around the face as well.
yeah cheers. most of the welding is done in a room with a extractor fan above me. they dont mind me welding galv mostly to pull them out of the sh*t when jobs come back from the galvanisers and are the wrong spec but im not allowed to smoke in there!!!
I've certainly got one sheet which stated that there were no major safety issues with zinc fume unless the doses were horrendous. Issue seems to be more of operators feeling ill and this affecting productivity!
Short pdf which I can probably email if people want a copy: PM me.
Personally, it makes me feel so ill that I remove it in acid!
Us smokers (sorry, not given up yet) should be even more careful about breathing in fumes than other people. Smoking sensitises the lungs so other things can hit us harder. Google 2 pack paint, asthma, and smoking for basic info. Also we have less lung capacity than others so anything that does get in will do us more harm. We should be more worried about breathing in things not less. Masks when welding all the time, and when grinding, and don't ever try spraying 2 pack.
Not wishing for this to develop into a discussion about smoking and I would encourage those that want to respond on that matter to start a new thread. My intention is to debunk this comment.