Welding fume extraction

International consensus defined in standard methods exist regarding the order of preference in which welding fumes must be captured. As shown below, the subsequent solution method(s) is/are chosen only when the previous one(s) cannot be applied or is/are only a partial solution. In practice the total solution for a workshop is often a mixture of below methods.

1. Can the production of welding fumes be avoided or reduced by process substitution?
2. Can the fumes be captured using at source extraction?
3. Can weld fume source and human be separated or isolated from each other by automation e.g. an enclosed area with extraction hood?
4. If above solution methods are not feasible, general ventilation and personal protection may be a final solution.