EXAIR pays very close attention to providing safe products for the operators of our products. We pay particular attention to a couple of OSHA’s standards; CFR 1910.242 (b) and 29 CFR 1910.95 (a).
OSHA Standard CFR 1910.242(b) deals with compressed air for cleaning and states the following; Compressed air shall not be used for cleaning purposes except where reduced to less than 30 p.s.i. and then only with effective chip guarding and personal protective equipment.
More specifically to the standard OSHA states ” The only restriction on air pressure is that, on dead-ending the exit orifice, the static pressure shall be less than 30 PSI.” That is where EXAIR comes in, we have engineered all of our blow off products so that there an alternate route for any air flow which may be blocked to go. There is an alternative pathway for the air to flow through if it is somehow blocked, thus no possibility for dead ending.
This design meets the OSHA standard and also allows operators to maintain full pressure through a manifold, air line or air gun which produces the highest velocity to do better work when compared to a regulated air gun or a lower pressure. Of course we always recommend proper eye protection and safety gear when there is potential for chips and debris to fly around an operator.
With the exception of our largest Super Air Nozzles – All of our products fall well below any decibel threshold which would require hearing protection. In fact we manufacture some of the quietest compressed air products in the world. The chart found at this link shows maximum allowable noise exposure according to OSHA 29 CFR- 1910.95 (a).
You will see EXAIR publishes noise levels for any product blowing directly into a work environment. These noise levels are all measured 3 feet away from the product orifice at a 90 degree angle to the orifice in our testing facility, ensuring true and accurate information. And we also note any product which exceeds this OSHA standard and state the exposure time allowed to their sound level. And again we recommend hearing protection when necessary.
EXAIR products can help you meet or exceed these OSHA requirements. Let us help you before OSHA gets to you.
Kirk Edwards
Application Engineer
kirkedwards@exair.com