SAFETY FOR WELDING

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 Welding Safety Overview

Hazard Statistics
An estimated 562,000 employees are at risk for
exposure to chemical and physical hazards of
welding, cutting and brazing.
For the construction industry, welders flash (burn
to the eyes) accounts for 5.6% of all construction
eye injuries.

Welding Eye Burn

 Health Hazards

There are numerous health hazards associated

with exposure to fumes, gases and ionizing
radiation formed or released during welding,
cutting and brazing, including:

1. Heavy metal poisoning,

2. Lung cancer,
3. Metal fume fever,
4. Flash burns, and others
 Health Hazards

FUMES MAY PRODUCE

METAL FUME FEVER

SYMPTOMS:

▪ Respiratory disturbances
▪ Infection - Influenza
▪ Fever - Acute Bronchitis
▪ Pneumonia - Chills, Shivering,
Trembling, Nausea, Vomiting
 Use PPE

Welders should consider

using appropriate
protective clothing which
should include:

▪ Shield or helmet with a

filtered lens;
▪ Fire resistant gloves; a
leather apron;
▪ Boots;
▪ Leather spats;
▪ Felt skull-cap or beret
and preferably overalls
PPT-094-01
 Protective Ensemble

Eye Safety Flameproof

Shield Skullcap

No Pockets Helmet with Filter

Lens
Full Sleeves
Collar Buttoned
Leather Apron
or Shirt Outside Fire Protection
Trousers Gauntlet Gloves

No Cuffs
Clean Fire
Safety Shoes Resistant Clothing
 Dangers

▪ The arc itself - the temperature

can reach 6,000 degrees
Fahrenheit (6,000 °F)
▪ The intense ultraviolet and
infra-red rays can be harmful
to both the welder and anyone
else nearby.
▪ It is not unusual for welders
who are not wearing overalls
to suffer symptoms similar to
extreme sunburn.
Arc Eyes
PPT-094-01
 Volatile Combination
Of Heat and Gas:
▪ Fatalities have resulted
where drums and other
containers have exploded as
a result of some welding or
cutting work.
▪ Know the nature of the
previous contents to ensure
any heating does not liberate
toxic fumes or cause an
explosion.
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 Gas Cylinders

Transporting, moving and storing:

▪ Valve protection caps in place & secure
▪ Cylinders hoisted on cradle, slingboard, or
pallet only
▪ No magnets or choker slings!
▪ Move by tilting & rolling on edge
▪ Transport by powered vehicle:
secured upright only

PPT-094-01
Transporting, Moving, Storing

Unless a special welding

cart is provided
cylinders shall
have their regulators
removed & valve protection
caps in place before
cylinders are moved

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Valve Protective Caps

No hoisting of
cylinders via
Valve Protection
Caps!

No prying
of VALVE
CAPS with
bars

PPT-094-01
Welding Set-Up

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 Gas Cylinder Safety

▪ Transporting, moving and

storing gas cylinders

▪ When cylinders are in use,

they shall be secured by
chain, cart, or other
steadying device

PPT-094-01
Gas Cylinder Safety

When work is finished,

when cylinders are
empty, or when cylinders
are moved at any time,
the cylinder valve shall
be closed.

PPT-094-0
 Gas Cylinder Safety

Cylinders secured in
upright position at all
times
Except for hoisting or
carrying
 Storing

Separation of 20 feet for storage of oxygen/fuel

cylinders

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 Storing

Separation of 20 feet for storage of oxygen &

combustible materials (especially oils & grease)
or a 5 foot high non-combustible barrier w/ fire
rating of 1/2 hour.

PPT-094-01
 Safe Storage

Compressed Gas Association

Pamphlet P-1-1965 required for
all in-plant:
• Handling
• Storage
• Utilization of all
compressed gases
For all cylinders, portable tanks,
rail tankcars, or motor vehicle
cargo tanks

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 Use Safety

If sparks or hot slag can

reach the cylinders -
INSTALL
A
SHIELD!

No striking the electrode

to the cylinder
to strike an arc!
 Use Safety

Never take OXYGEN or ACETELYNE

cylinders into
confined spaces!
 Use Safety

Never crack the cylinder in the presence of open

flames, or where the gas could reach welding
work or sparks!

Always stand to the side when cracking cylinders

 Training

The employer shall instruct employees in the safe

use of fuel gas as follows:

• Pressure must be reduced through the use of

regulators before fuel gas can be burned

• Before connecting a regulator the cylinder must

be opened slightly and closed (cracking the
cylinder) to clear the valve of dirt

• This prevents dirt from entering the regulator

 Training

• Always open the cylinder valve slowly to

prevent damage to the regulator

• Only open the cylinder 1 and 1/2 turns (so it

can be quickly closed!)

• Leave the valve wrench in place when the

cylinder is in use!

• Close cylinder valve, and bleed the regulator

before removing the regulator
Regulators

Use of regulators
required

Before removing
regulator, close
valve and release
gas from regulator
Fuel Gas/Oxygen Manifolds

Manifold Hose Connections

Green hose for oxygen and right hand

thread
Red for acetylene and left-hand thread

• Hose couplings must be the type that rotate to

disconnect
• Boxes used for hose storage must be ventilated
• Hose kept clear of passageways, stairs and
ladders!
Manifold

PPT-094-01
 Welding Hose

• Not more than four of twelve inches covered

with tape for fuel and oxygen hoses taped
together
• Fuel hose inspected prior to each shift
• Defective hose removed from service
Inspect Hoses

What’s wrong here?

Torches

▪ Clogged tips cleaned

with suitable devices
▪ Torches inspected
prior to each shift
▪ Torches lit by strikers
or other approved
methods
▪ No matches!
▪ Not off of hot work
 Oxygen

▪ Cylinder valves, caps, couplings, regulators,

hose and apparatus kept free from oil at ALL
TIMES!

▪ Never handle oxygen with oily clothes, hands,

or gloves

▪ Never direct oxygen at any oily surface

▪ Never use oxygen inside a fuel oil, or other

storage tank or vessel
 1926.351 Arc Welding

Personal Protection

• Manual electrode holders

must be designed for that
purpose and capable of
carrying the maximum
rated electrode current

• Only fully insulated holders

to contact hands

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 1926.351 Arc Welding

▪ Arc welding cables completely insulated and

flexible type.
▪ Free of splice minimum ten feet from electrode
cable end.
▪ Cables in need of repair not allowed.
 1926.351 Arc Welding

▪ Ground return cables must

have sufficient current
carrying capacity for
maximum voltage
▪ No grounding on pipelines
containing gasses or
flammable liquid
▪ When using pipelines for
ground return, continuity of
ground must be verified for
all joints
 1926.351 Arc Welding

Employers instruct employees:

▪ Electrodes removed from holders when

unattended

▪ No hot electrodes dipped in water

▪ Machine power opened when leaving

machine or stopping work

▪ Faulty equipment reported to supervisor

 1926.351 Arc Welding

Always shield operations

with flameproof screens
to protect employees
eyes

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 1926.352 Fire Prevention

1. Move objects to be
welded to safe
location, or
2. Remove fire hazards
from the area, or
3. Confine the heat,
sparks, and slag, and
to protect the
immovable fire
hazards from them.
 1926.352 Fire Prevention

• No welding where paint or dust hazards are

present

• Extinguishing equipment present and ready

 1926.352 Fire Prevention

• When necessary
additional personnel
assigned to guard
against fires

• Trained to recognize
welding fire hazards
 1926.352 Fire Prevention

When welding over walls,

floors, ceilings where
sparks may travel
precautions must be
taken in the adjacent
areas
 1926.352 Fire Prevention

When welding in
confined spaces has
ended, remove torch
and hose

This eliminates
possibility of
accumulation of
hazardous
atmospheres in
confined spaces
 Welding Containers

Before welding on drums or hollow structures which

have contained toxic or flammable materials either:
o Completely fill with water before proceeding, or
o Thoroughly clean, ventilate, and TEST

Before applying heat to any

container drum, or hollow
structure a vent or opening
must be provided

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 Ventilation & Protection

1926.353
• General ventilation to
maintain welding smoke and
fumes within safe limits
• When welding in confined
spaces mechanical ventilation
or local exhaust
• If ventilation blocks
access/egress to confined
space, air line and attendant
required

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 Eye Protection

1926.353
• Any employee performing welding cutting or
heating must have eye protection
• Refer to requirements in Subpart E
 Preservative Coatings

1926.354
Before welding or cutting on a coated surface
whose flammability is not known scrapings must
be taken and tested

If scrapings burn, coating(s) must be removed

before proceeding