Protecting Students from Welding Threats

How Flexshield helped Monash University address welding threats

Metal fabrication workshops and Trade Training Centres are typically dusty, noisy, and potentially dangerous places – but they don’t have to be.

Flexshield has a long history of designing and manufacturing fit-outs for Trade Training Centres and Metal Fabrication facilities. Over the last fifteen years, we have designed, manufactured and installed fit-outs in over 100 Trade Training Centres to protect students from welding dangers.

Thanks to this experience, Flexshield is now the preferred supplier for the Victorian Government’s Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA). A division of the Department of Education and Training, the VSBA oversees the design and construction of new schools and early childhood centres, as well as the modernisation and upgrade of existing ones (VSBA – 2020).

Addressing welding hazards for Monash University

Flexshield was approached by Monash University’s Instrumentation and Communication Engineer from the Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering Department. Their WH&S officer was concerned about the increased risk of the practising engineers and students receiving a diagnosis of ultraviolet keratitis, otherwise known as welding flash.

Monash needed a welding strip curtain to control welding flash and excess noise experienced by their students. Flexshield’s solution was a U-shaped Weldflex^TM curtain to surround their robotic welder and protect students and engineers from welding safety hazards.

The deciding factor in Monash choosing to work with Flexshield was our National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) test results. Not only are our products high quality, but they come with a Kanga Certification which includes a 10-year warranty.

Common welding safety hazards that Flexshield can address include:

• Electric shock
• Fumes and gases
• Fire and explosions
• Injuries from insufficient PPE

When designing your trade training centre solution, Flexshield will recommend welding mats to help minimise electric shock, extraction systems to remove fumes and gases, and durable Acoustic Panels and indestructible Weldflex^TM welding screens to help contain fire and explosions.

While we can only encourage students and engineers to wear their PPE, our solutions can drastically reduce the need for certain types of PPE.

With an engineered solution by Flexshield – including SonicClear and Weldflex^TM strip curtains – your metal workshop can become quieter, cleaner, and dust-free.

For more information on protecting your students, download our complete Trade Training Centre product catalogue or contact our team.