Welding safety regulations require proper storage of gas cylinders and protection from welding rays. Incident reports describe injuries from flash fires during gas line welding and argon asphyxiation in confined spaces. Guidelines state that oxygen and fuel gas cylinders should be separated by 20 feet or a fire-resistant barrier, and proper personal protective equipment is necessary for both welders and helpers. Hot work like welding can release toxic fumes and care must be taken in wet conditions or when welding coated metals.

1. Welding Safety
John Newquist
Draft 7 22 2018

2. 25
27
33
68
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253(b)(2)(iv)
253(b)(4)(i)
253(b)(2)(ii)
252(b)(2)(iii)
253(b)(4)(iii)
Welding, Cutting, & Brazing
[1910.251 – .255]
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GAS WELDING & CUTTING – STORED AWAY FROM FUEL-GAS CYLINDERS
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS – PROTECTION FROM ARC WELDING RAY
GAS WELDING & CUTTING – CYLINDER STORAGE INSIDE BUILDINGS
SUBPARTQ
GAS WELDING & CUTTING – STORAGE NEXT TO COMBUSTIBLES
GAS WELDING & CUTTING – CYLINDER VALVE CLOSURE

3. 1910.253(b)(4)(iii)
Oxygen cylinders in storage
shall be separated from fuel-
gas cylinders or combustible
materials (especially oil or
grease), a minimum distance of
20 feet (6.1 m) or by a
noncombustible barrier at
least 5 feet (1.5 m) high having
a fire-resistance rating of at
least one-half hour

4. Oxygen Acetylene 2013

5. 5
•Separated

6. Carts

7. Screens
• 1910.252(b)(2)(iii)
• Protection from arc welding rays. Where the work
permits, the welder should be enclosed in an
individual booth
• Booths and screens shall permit circulation of air
at floor level.
• Workers or other persons adjacent to the welding
areas shall be protected from the rays by
noncombustible or flameproof screens or shields
or shall be required to wear appropriate goggles.

8. December 2013

9. November 2015

10. Storage
• 1910.253(b)(2)(ii)
• Inside of buildings,
cylinders shall be
stored in a well-
protected, well-
ventilated, dry location,
at least 20 (6.1 m) feet
from highly combustible
materials such as oil or
excelsior.

11. Storage
• 1910.253(b)(4)(i)
• Oxygen cylinders shall not be
stored near highly combustible
material, especially oil and
grease; or near reserve stocks of
carbide and acetylene or other
fuel-gas cylinders, or near any
other substance likely to cause
or accelerate fire; or in an
acetylene generator
compartment.

12. Storage
• 1910.253(b)(2)(iv)
• Valve protection caps, where
cylinder is designed to accept
a cap, shall always be in
place, hand-tight, except
when cylinders are in use or
connected for use.

13. Sep 2017
•Electrician working
next to welder
•Intense eye pains
from welding flash at
night
•Morphine drops
•3 days lost

14. Dec 2016
• Welder awarded $6 million
• Signs, a former welder, was
injured on Aug. 31, 2006,
when he fell from scaffolding at
a job site on Lafayette Avenue
in Buffalo.
• Signs sustained serious
injuries to his neck and back in
the accident, and will never be
employable again.

15. Dec 2016
• STRATFORD, WI
• 26-year-old Nicholas Smith of
Marshfield died of
asphyxiation by argon gas, a
type of gas used in welding at
A&B Process Systems.
• Smith is a welder. He had
gone back in to an enclosed
area to clean up, but all of the
gas was not out of the area.

16. November 2014
• Newbury MA
• 2 workers welding old
gas line hurt by flash
fire.

17. October 2014
• West Virginia
• Welding Cylinder fell
and rolled off

18. July 2014
• AL man was welding on
top of a hopper – a
large storage container
- at the business.
• The hopper contained a
flammable powder,
which ignited.
• Thrown 20 feet,
suffered burns and
broken bones.

19. Oxygen Acetylene
• June 2011
• Cylinder was leaking in
back of van.

20. First Incident
• Byron Nuclear
• 1983
• Hundreds of construction
workers.
• Welding at several levels, so
fire tarps everywhere.
• Worker falls through floor
opening covered by welding
tarp.
• What danger is there with
tarps and floor openings?

21. MSHA Hazard Alert
• Some coal operations have
attached the return welding lead
to the grounded metal frame of
surface structures at the welder.
• During the welding process, the
grounded metal frame of the
structure is being used as a
current carrying conductor.
• This practice has led to several
accidents and fatalities.
• This safety alert is to inform the
coal mining community of the
hazard of not providing both
welding leads as close as
practical to the welding area.
• Lincoln Electric
• Work cables connected to the
building framework or other
locations away from the welding
area increase the possibility of
the welding current passing
through lifting chains, crane
cables or other alternate
circuits.
• This can create fire hazards or
overheat lifting chains or cables
until they fail.

22. Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety
Subject to damage
from other activities in
the vicinity
Cylinder lying
in a horizontal
position.
Electrical cord in
contact with the
cylinder.

23. Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety
Cylinders are not protected from falling. Note
that the chain is not secured across.
Is the carrier safe?
Chain

24. 1. Cylinder not secured
3. Subject to damage.
2. Cylinder should be stored
4. Electrical cord draped over.
Electrical
Cord
Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety

25. 1. Inadequate housekeeping.
2. Valve caps should be
Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety

26. Unsecured cylinders
Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety

27. Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety
Regulator left pressurized after use

28. Improper storage of cylinders
- acetylene and oxygen stored
next to each other.
Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety

29. No cap installed
Not in use.
Should be
stored.
Housekeeping
Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety

30. Gang Boxes
Picture Left is an Acetylene B tank stored in a gang boxes with regulator and
hose attached.
In picture Right, an acetylene B tank with a small leak exploded when sparks
from a cutting operation hit the closed box. A worker was seriously injured in
the explosion.
Propane and Acetylene B tanks are not to be stored in gang boxes.

31. Burn Incident
• On February 2, 2011, Employee
#1 was welding overhead.
• A piece of molten slag from the
weld arc went down in-
between the four layers of
clothing he was wearing and
ignited the inner clothing
layers.
• Employee #1 suffered burns
over approximately eighteen
percent of total body surface
area and was off work for at
least four months.

32. Fatalities
• January 2001
• Welder was Tungsten
Inert Gas Welding in a
confined space at a
refinery and suffered
Argon asphyxiation.
• There have been several
Argon deaths due to
heavy nature of gas.
Argon welding

33. Fatalities
• 1987
• Wheaton, IL
• Oxy-acetylene hose
caught on fire when cut
by welder. Tanks
exploded as welder
went to shut off flow.
• What would you do if
these hoses caught on
fire?

34. Wet Condition
• Avoid working in wet
conditions.
• Water conducts electricity.
• Insulate yourself from the
work and the ground by
standing on a dry rubber
mat or similar non-
flammable material.
• Ground Welder.
• Build shelter for welder.

35. Confusions

36. Personal Protective Equipment
• Most common
problem is the welder
has protection and the
helper does not.

37. Hex Chrome
• A major source of
worker exposure to
Cr(VI) occurs during
"hot work" such as
welding on stainless
steel and other alloy
steels containing
chromium metal. Cancers target the respiratory system,
kidneys, liver, skin and eyes.

38. What is in welding fumes?
Metals such as...
• Aluminum, Antimony,
Arsenic, Beryllium,
Cadmium, Chromium,
Cobalt, Copper, Iron,
Lead, Manganese,
Molybdenum, Nickel,
Silver, Tin, Titanium,
Vanadium, Zinc.
Position fume hoods so as not to
pass through your breathing zone.

39. Only one time, boss.

40. CSB
• The CSB has identified over 60 fatalities since 1990
due to explosions and fires from hot work activities
on tanks.

41. "Hot work" means work involving electric or gas
welding, cutting, brazing, or similar flame or spark-
producing operations.
What is Hot Works?

42. Hot Works at a VPP Plant
• Hot Work Program
• The company’s hot work program consists of an
evaluation of whether the work will be open or
non-open flame.
• “Hot Work Permits Requirements Matrix.”
• Most stringent permit requirements apply in the
case of open flame work being performed in a
hazardous area.
• Written Risk Assessment Pre-Plan,
• Two management levels of approval,
• A standby fire watch with fire extinguisher,
• Constant monitoring of the Lower Explosive Limit
and/or Oxygen levels, and other appropriate safety
measures.

43. 2010 Fire Fatality
• 05/11/2010
• Employee was using a gas
powered abrasive cutoff
saw to cut open a 2000
gallon fuel tank which was
above ground.
• As he started to cut there
was an ignition of vapors in
the tank causing the end to
be blown off killing him and
igniting his truck which
burned completely.

44. Questions?