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Metalworking Health & Safety
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Safety Solutions for the Metal Industry
For over 100 years, 3M has designed solutions to aid the metalworking industry, from abrasive material to our recent innovations in welding safety, we are committed to working with you to drive your business forward.
From steel mills to aluminium smelters, from lead recycling to met-fab shops, 3M is here to support you in your efforts to build an effective culture of health and safety. Metal industries are faced with a wide range of hazards, and identifying those hazards and the right solutions to address these hazards is not always easy. 3M can help to support you through this process and help you make correct decisions based on your needs.
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We aim to increase awareness and bring forward educational elements surrounding safety and health concerns with exposures to hazards such as arc radiation, loud noises and common weld fumes like Manganese and Hexavalent Chromium. Our goal is to provide relevant technical information, industry best practices, and potential product safety solutions.
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3M designs and manufactures PPE that aims to help protect you in a changing world. From smelting to casting, coke ovens to blast furnaces our technology, experience and energy drive innovative solutions to help you manage your work environment so you can focus on the job at hand. We provide safety solutions that can help improve the comfort of personal protective equipment for everything from your eyes to ears and respiratory system.
Top Metal Fabrication & Production Applications
Metal fabrication is the building of metal structures by cutting, bending, and assembling processes, most commonly welding. It is a value-added process that 3M understands well. From abrasive discs and belts to industry leading welding PPE - we are here to help.
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WeldingOur innovative welding helmets enable welding performance and help make the welder's job safer and more comfortable. 3M is the manufacturer of Speedglas Welding Helmets, and integrated Systems for eye, face and respiratory protection. 3M's knowledge and experience of welders' working conditions sparks our innovative development.
Read our Case Study on the dangers of Welding Fumes
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Grinding, Cutting & FinishingYou sometimes only get one chance to grind down, and finish your metal parts the way you want them, getting it just right. It sets the bar for the rest of your work. 3M designs innovative safety products whether you're cutting, grinding, or finishing your work. Our aim is that 3M PPE products help ensure your project is a cut above the rest.
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FoundriesWorking with metals exposes your workers to hazards in many different forms like hot work and heat stress. Furnace work and foundries are particularly high risk. Melting and pouring processes have a high risk of molten metal splash injury. Metal splash can lead to severe contact burns, eye injuries or lead to ignition of inappropriate protective equipment. 3M Safety can help you understand the variations of Metalworking PPE available and what makes sense for the hazards you face.
Our Safety Specialists are Here to Help You
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When it comes to welder’s personal safety, we want to help. We’re proud that our Technical Service team has been helping customers get the right support for more than 35 years. Let a 3M specialist help you find the respiratory solutions that may be suited for your workplace.
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Welding Fumes
As a welder, you usually know what to do to keep yourself safe from heat and sparks. But what about the potential risks in inhaling welding fumes? Do you know all the weld fume hazards? We'll give you some insights into a few you're likely up against.
We are working to help keep you informed on potential risks, and by improving respiratory protection products that can help to keep you out of harm’s way. For welders, two examples that can pose a serious threat are Manganese and Hexavalent Chromium. Here’s an overview on how to help reduce risk, plus some sample products.
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Eye Injuries
Eye Injuries cost American companies around $300M* a year. Flying particles from processes such as cutting, grinding, or scarfing are potential causes of eye and face injury. Appropriate guarding or the use of eye and face protection are needed to help minimize exposure for your workers.
In addition, welding, cutting, melting and pouring operations may generate high levels of ultraviolet, infra-red and visible light requiring appropriate eye and face PPE to minimize exposure for the welders.
Learn more about the Patented 3M Eyewear Fit System (PDF, 1.76 MB)
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Exposure to NoiseCertain metal operations and machinery create high noise levels. But do they have to? Equipment and processes can be designed or altered to be quieter.
When that's not feasible, 3M provides best in class hearing protectors. Earplugs, muffs, and even protective communication systems can play an important role in conserving worker hearing. They must be comfortable, fit properly and provide adequate protection for the environment. Compatibility with other PPE and the workers’ ability to communicate must also be considered.
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Silica Exposure from Sand CastingOSHA has listed foundries as having a high number of workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica and elevated worker exposures to silica for certain types of workers in the iron and steel industry have been documented in industrial hygiene studies in the past. Being sure you're in compliance with the new silica regulation will likely be a significant part of the iron and steel safety conversation in the coming months.
Suggested MetFab Products
You're proud of your weld. We're proud you used our equipment to do it.
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Ask most experienced welders about the hazards of the job and eye protection usually comes at the top of their list. But at 3M, we take eye, face and respiratory protection extremely seriously. As one of the most popular PAPRs, the 3M™ Adflo™ Powered Air Respirator is designed to help provide welders a reliable, versatile and integrated protection.
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Our latest innovation in protective eyewear - SecureFit 600. Featuring 3M Pressure Diffusion Temple (PDT) Technology and 3M Scotchgard Anti-fog Coating. Providing a snug fit, and reduced fogging in hot environments.
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The 3M™ Rugged Comfort Quick Latch Half Facepiece Reusable Respirator 6500 Series helps provide respiratory protection in harsh, dirty environments against airborne contaminants when used with approved 3M cartridges and filters. This facepiece combines comfort, durability, and stability with a firm, lightly textured silicone faceseal and strong body construction.
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Prevent hand-to-ear contamination and encourage hearing protection with 3M™ Push-to-Fit Earplugs. The comfort of slow-recovery foam with the convenience of a push-in earplug.
Trending Metal Production Products
3M delivers consistent quality around the world helping you select the correct PPE for your steel workers, helping to ensure your metal operators are educated on the correct use of their safety equipment and raising awareness of how important fit and comfort are to the health and well being of your workforce.
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Engineered to withstand radiant heat loads up to 375°F, the NEW 3M™ Elevated Temperature Hard Hat H-700T is the foundation of an integrated system of advanced personal protection equipment. The H-700T is designed specifically for elevated temperature applications ranging from metalworking and smelting to glass manufacturing.
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Now you can increase the utility of your 3M™ Versaflo™ M-307 or M-407 Respiratory Helmet – by adding integrated protection for head, neck and shoulders against radiant heat, sparks and splashes.
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With their many furnaces, flames and processes that emit hazardous gases, steel mills have a significant need for gas detection. Each step in the steel making process—from coke production through ingot casting and rolling—has its specific hazards that can be addressed with a properly matched gas detection system. 3M Gas Detection offers a wide range of gas detection products for the steel industry to help keep employees safe and production running.
