Hazards in welding

1. Welding Safety
Cummins Southern Plains, Ltd.

2. Welding Safety
Health Hazards
Electrical Hazards
Fire & Explosion Hazards
Trips and Falls
Compressed Gas Hazards
Identifying Hazards
Reducing Hazards
Basic Safety Rules

3. Health Hazards
 Gases and Fumes…
 Welding “Smoke” is a mixture of very fine particles
called fumes and gases
 Welding “Smoke” contains fumes and gases including…
Chromium, nickel, arsenic, asbestos, manganese, silica,
beryllium, cadmium, nitrogen oxides, phosgene, acrolein,
flourine compounds, carbon monoxide, cobalt, copper, lead,
ozone, selenium, and zinc

4. Health Hazards…Gases & Fumes
 Generally, gases and fumes come from…
Base material & filler material
Coatings & paints
Shielding gases & chemical reactions
Process & consumables used
Contaminants in the air

5. Health Hazards
 It is difficult to list all the health effects of welding
exposures because the fumes may contain so
many different substances that are known to be
harmful
 The individual components of welding “smoke”
can affect just about any part of the body,
including the lungs, heart, kidneys, & central
nervous system

6. Health Hazards
 Exposure to welding “smoke” may have…
 Short-term effects…
Effects happen at or very soon after exposure
 Long-term effects
Effects may happen after repeated overexposures or
an extended time after the exposure

7. Short-term exposures
 Exposure to zinc, magnesium, copper and
copper oxide can cause metal fume fever
 Symptoms of metal fume fever may occur 4 to
12 hours after exposure
 Symptoms include…
Chills, thirst, fever, muscle ache, chest soreness,
coughing, wheezing, fatigue, nausea, and metallic
taste in mouth

8. Short-term exposures
 Welding “smoke” can irritate
the eyes, nose, chest and
respiratory tract
 Welding “smoke” can cause
coughing, wheezing,
shortness of breath,
bronchitis, pulmonary edema,
and pneumonitis
 Welding “smoke” can cause
nausea, loss of appetite,
vomiting, cramps, and slow
digestion

9. Long-term exposures
 Studies of welders, flame cutters, and burners
have shown that welders have an increased risk
of lung cancer…
 and…possibly cancer of the larnyx and urinary
tract
 Remember… welding “smoke” can include
cancer causing agents such as…cadmium,
nickel, beryllium, chromium, and arsenic

10. Other Health Risks…
 Heat exposure…
Heat stress, heat stroke
 Burns, eye injuries from hot slag, metal chips, sparks,
and hot electrodes
 Shirts
keep collar and sleeves buttoned to keep out sparks and
remove pockets or tape them shut
 Pants
no cuffs and come over shoe tops

11. Other Health Risks…
 Visible light, and ultraviolet and infrared radiation
 Intense light can cause damage to retina
 Infrared radiation may damage the cornea and
result in cataracts
 Invisible UV light can cause “arc eye” or
“welders’ flash”
May include sandy or gritty eye, blurred vision,
intense pain, tearing, burning and headache
DANGER
DO NOT
WATCH
ARC

12. Other Health Risks…
 Permanent eye damage
 Skin burns
 Skin cancer
 Noise
Can result in stress, increased blood pressure, may
contribute to heart disease, tiredness, nervousness,
and irratability

13. Electrical Hazards
 Even though welding generally uses low voltage,
there is still a danger of electric shock
 Wet work areas, Cramped work spaces
 Falls, fractures and other accidents can result
from electrical exposure
 Even small shock can cause brain damage
 Death can occur from large shocks

14. Electrical Hazards
 Always use dry gloves
 Always wear rubber soled shoes
 Always use insulating layers
 Protect yourself from surfaces that conduct electricity
 When working on electrically powered machinery, make
sure the frame is grounded
 Keep insulation on all welding equipment and
components dry and in good condition
 Don’t change electrodes with bare hands, wet gloves or
while standing on wet or ungrounded surfaces

15. Fire and Explosion Hazards
 Intense heat and sparks can cause fires or
explosions if in the vicinity of combustible or
flammable materials
 Welding and cutting should only be performed in
areas free of combustible materials such as
trash, wood, paper, textiles, plastics, chemicals,
and flammable dusts, liquids and gases

16.  Cutting torch temperatures can exceed
5000 degrees F
 Suitable fire extinguishers shall be
maintained in a state of readiness
 Fire Watchers are required whenever
welding and cutting is performed in
locations where other than a minor fire
might develop
Fire Prevention and Protection

17.  Fire Watchers are also required when:
Appreciable combustible materials, in
building construction or contents, are
closer than 35 feet to the point of
operation
Appreciable combustible materials more
than 35 feet away but are easily ignited by
sparks
A fire watch shall be maintained for at
least one half hour after the completion of
welding or cutting operations
Fire Prevention and Protection

18. Fire and Explosion Hazards
 Never weld or cut on containers that
have held a flammable or
combustible material unless the
container is thoroughly cleaned or
filled with an inert gas
 A fire inspection should be performed
prior to leaving a work area and for at
least 30 minutes after the operation is
completed
 Fire extinguishers should be nearby,
of proper size, type and number for
the hazards involved

19. Case Study
Arc welder dies in explosion while using an old barrel
as a worktable
 A 38-year-old male arc welder died as a result of an
explosion at a construction company.
The victim was arc welding some brackets on the back of the
truck.
He was apparently welding with a wire welder and used a
metal 55-gal barrel as a worktable while welding.
Apparently the heat or sparks from the welding ignited
residual vapors and/or material in the barrel, causing it to
explode.
The explosion knocked the victim down, and started a fire in
the immediate area.

20. Case Study
Recommendations
 Ensure welders are suitably
trained in safe operation of
equipment and process.
 Ensure that welding should not
be performed on or near used
drums, until they have been
thoroughly cleaned.
 Develop, implement, and enforce
a written safety program,
including HOT WORK.
 Designate a competent person to
conduct frequent and regular
site safety inspections.

21. Trips and Falls
 To prevent trips and falls…
Keep work areas clear of equipment, machines,
cables, and hoses
Always properly maintain and use handrails
Always use and maintain safety lines, harnesses
and lanyards
Always make sure that scaffolds are properly
assembled and used

22. Compressed Gas Hazards
 Gas welding and cutting use a
fuel gas and oxygen which are
stored in high pressure cylinders
 Most fuel gases are explosive
 Pure oxygen will increase the
flammability of any
combustible/flammable material

23. Identifying Hazards
 Identify hazards and potential hazards prior to
beginning hot work
 Read the MSDS sheet to identify the hazardous
material used in welding and cutting products,
and the fumes that may be generated
 Make sure that you know what you are welding
before beginning

24. Reducing Hazards
 After a specific hazard(s) has been identified…
You can implement appropriate control method(s)
You can use appropriate PPE
PPE
CONTROL

25. Engineering Controls and Work
Practices
 UV shields between the
worker and other
operations can protect
against exposures
 Use work area barriers
to protect others working
in the same general
area
 Barriers can also reduce
noise

26. Filter Lens Shade Numbers
 Soldering = #2
 Torch Brazing = #3 or #4
 Light cutting up to 1 inch = #3 or #4
 Medium cutting 1 inch to 6 inches = #4 or #5
 Heavy cutting over 6 inches = #4 or #6
 Light gas welding up to 1/8” = #4 or #5
 Medium gas welding 1/8” to ½ “ = #5 or #6
 Heavy Gas Welding over ½ “ = #6 or #8

27. Protective Clothing
 Fire resistant gauntlet gloves
 Headcap
 High top hard toed shoes
 Leather apron
 Faceshield
 Flame retardant clothing
 Safety Glasses
 Safety helmet

28. Hearing Protectors
 Ear plugs and/or muffs should be worn during
noisy operations such as air arcing or grinding
 Most welding operations are noisy

29. Respirators
 Must be specific to the hazard
 Must be fitted, cleaned, stored and maintained in
accordance to regulation and manufacturers
specs
 NIOSH recommends respirators whenever a
carcinogen is present

30. Basic Safety Rules
 1. Before you start make sure personal safety is followed.
 2. Make sure you have had instruction
 3. Release adjusting screw on regulators before opening
valves
 4. Stand on the opposite side of the regulator when
opening a valve
 5. Open cylinder valve slowly, oxygen first all the way open
acetylene just a quarter of a turn
 6. Do not use or compress acetylene at pressure higher
than 15 psi.

31. Basic Safety Rules
 7. Set working pressures as desired.
 8. Light acetylene first, shut it off first
 9. Never use oil on regulators or any equipment
 10. Do not use oxygen as a substitute for compressed air
 11. Keep heat, flames and sparks away from
combustibles.
 12. Keep hoses out of sparks or spatter to prevent leaks