Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
BS EN ISO 15011 — Health and Safety in Welding and Allied Processes: Laboratory Method for Sampling Fume and Gases
ISO 15011 series — laboratory determination of fume and gas emission rates in welding and allied processes
🛡️ BS EN ISO 15011 is an important standard series in welding occupational health and safety. It specifies laboratory methods for sampling and determining the emission rate of fume and gases in welding and allied processes (cutting, gouging, brazing, etc.). Welding fume and gases (such as ozone, CO, NO, NO₂) are the main occupational exposure hazards for welders; their emission-rate data underpin ventilation design, protective-measure selection and occupational exposure limit assessment. The series was adopted by BSI as the identical EN ISO 15011 text, with UK participation by Technical Committee WEE/40 (Health and safety in welding).
💡 The chemical composition and emission rate of welding fume depend on the filler wire, base material and process parameters. Standardised laboratory sampling and determination allow emission characteristics of different wires and processes to be compared, providing a quantitative basis for environmental-friendliness evaluation.
1. Series Overview and Scope 📌
This series applies to the determination of the emission rate of fume and gaseous pollutants in welding and allied processes under controlled laboratory conditions, and to collecting fume for further chemical analysis. Part 1 specifies fume emission rate determination and fume collection; Part 2 CO, CO₂, NO, NO₂ emission rates; Part 3 ozone emission rate; Part 4 fume data sheets; and Part 5 identification of thermal degradation products when welding or cutting through products composed wholly or partly of organic materials.
⚠️ Emission rates are closely related to welding parameters (current, voltage, travel speed, shielding gas). All process parameters must be specified and recorded per the standard, otherwise results are incomparable; field exposure assessment must also account for ventilation and work time.
2. Series Structure and Part List 📑
| Part | Year | Subject | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | 2009 | Determination of fume emission rate during arc welding and collection of fume for analysis | Readable text |
| Part 2 | 2009 | Determination of CO, CO₂, NO and NO₂ emission rates during arc welding, cutting and gouging | Readable text |
| Part 3 | 2009 | Determination of ozone emission rate during arc welding | Readable text |
| Part 4 | 2006 + A1:2008 | Fume data sheets | Scan — written from public domain knowledge |
| Part 5 | 2011 | Identification of thermal degradation products from organic materials | Scan — written from public domain knowledge |
3. Fume Emission Rate Determination 🔧
Part 1 specifies performing an arc weld in a standard fume chamber, drawing the welding fume at a defined flow rate onto a filter membrane, and computing the fume emission rate per unit time (mg/s or g/min) from the mass difference of the filter before and after collection and the welding time. The standard also details torch fixing, specimen layout, extraction flow rate and sampling position, and gives guidance on subsequent chemical analysis (e.g. metal elements) of the fume sample.
🚨 Fume collection must ensure all fume enters the sampling system without leakage or condensate loss. The filter must be pre-conditioned to constant mass and protected from moisture; weighing precision and balance calibration directly affect the reliability of the emission rate.
4. Gas and Ozone Emission Rate Determination 🛠️
- Part 2: determines the emission rates of CO, CO₂, NO and NO₂ during welding, cutting and gouging, using on-line gas analysers or sampling bags/absorption tubes combined with a known extraction flow rate and time.
- Part 3: determines the ozone (O₃) emission rate during arc welding. Ozone is generated when the arc’s UV radiation dissociates oxygen; determined by potassium iodide/spectrophotometric or chemiluminescent methods.
- Part 5: for products whose surface contains organic coatings/materials, collects and identifies thermal degradation products (e.g. aldehydes, benzenes, isocyanates) for health-risk assessment.
💡 Ozone is particularly prominent in MIG/MAG and TIG welding and varies significantly with current and shielding gas. Part 3 data can be used to assess whether local exhaust or respiratory protection is required.
5. Engineering Practice and Application Notes 📏
In workshop ventilation design and occupational health management, this series is used to: select and verify filler wires (comparing low-fume wires), calculate required exhaust air volume, assess individual welder exposure risk, and compile welding fume data sheets (Part 4). The recommended workflow: specify the wire and process → determine fume and gas emission rates per the standard → assess exposure combined with work frequency and ventilation → determine local exhaust, general ventilation or respiratory protection → re-measure periodically to verify effectiveness.
- Fume data sheets: Part 4 standardises the format in which manufacturers label fume and gas emission data on wires, for easy user comparison.
- Ventilation calculation: based on the emission rate, compute exhaust volume using capture efficiency and work intensity.
- Compliance assessment: compare against occupational exposure limits (e.g. UK WEL, EU limits) and apply engineering controls and personal protection where needed.
⚠️ Cite the part and year when referencing this series; emission rates are not directly equal to field exposure concentrations — conversion requires a ventilation model and work time.
6. Frequently Asked Questions ❓
❓ Q: Why laboratory determination instead of field measurement?
A: Field environments are complex and uncontrolled, making standardised comparison of wires or processes impossible. Laboratory determination under controlled conditions yields repeatable, comparable emission rates for ranking and selection.
A: Field environments are complex and uncontrolled, making standardised comparison of wires or processes impossible. Laboratory determination under controlled conditions yields repeatable, comparable emission rates for ranking and selection.
❓ Q: Are fume emission rate and field exposure concentration the same?
A: No. Emission rate is the amount of fume generated per unit time (mg/s); exposure concentration is the airborne mass concentration (mg/m³) in the work environment, which also depends on ventilation, space and work time.
A: No. Emission rate is the amount of fume generated per unit time (mg/s); exposure concentration is the airborne mass concentration (mg/m³) in the work environment, which also depends on ventilation, space and work time.
❓ Q: Why is ozone determined separately?
A: Ozone is a strong oxidising gas that irritates the respiratory tract after short exposure. Its generation varies greatly with process and parameters; separate determination accurately assesses the risk and guides protection.
A: Ozone is a strong oxidising gas that irritates the respiratory tract after short exposure. Its generation varies greatly with process and parameters; separate determination accurately assesses the risk and guides protection.
❓ Q: What is the risk of welding organically coated materials?
A: Surface coatings (paint films, plating, plastics) pyrolyse at high temperature producing toxic gases such as aldehydes, benzenes and isocyanates. The Part 5 method identifies these products to assess whether protection and ventilation are needed.
A: Surface coatings (paint films, plating, plastics) pyrolyse at high temperature producing toxic gases such as aldehydes, benzenes and isocyanates. The Part 5 method identifies these products to assess whether protection and ventilation are needed.