Ventilation

The environment in which you work is very important. The air around you may be filled with smoke from soldering or welding, fumes from chemicals used for cleaning, or mist from cleaners or paint. The pollutants can be harmful to your health.

Adequate ventilation is defined as the use of air movement to:

• reduce concentrations of airborne contaminants to below the acceptable limits in the worker’s breathing zone and work area
• prevent the buildup of combustible gases and vapours
• prevent oxygen-deficient or oxygen-enriched atmospheres from forming

Many types of ventilation equipment may be found in workplaces. Regardless of where you are working, it is important to become familiar with and to use the ventilation equipment or systems.

If you are going to be working in a small, enclosed area or in a shop where fumes or exhaust are a hazard, make sure that there is an extraction system and that it functions properly.