Welding Safety STANLEY HIGH SCHOOL SHOP

Safety Hazards in the Welding Shop include: - Flames, sparks, slag, harmful rays, fumes, and fire hazards - Always wear proper PPE in order to minimize risk of being affected by these hazards.

Proper PPE for Welding  Safety Glasses – while doing any work at all  Leather steel toe boots (non-conductive soles)  Non frayed clothing, and no holes  Full coverage of body (long sleeves a must)  Leather sleeves are preferred  Cotton coveralls work well (not oil saturated)

PPE Continued..  Welding helmet with darkening filter plate (1-14)  #’s 10 – 14 acceptable for SMAW  Welding goggles for Oxy-fuel cutting/welding  Full face visor for grinding  Welding, gauntlet type gloves  Hearing protection  Disposable foam or earmuffs

Radiant Energy Hazards  Visible Light  Can cause eye strain, temporary or permanent blindness  Ultraviolet Light  Cause burns and blistering of the eyeballs  (commonly called arc flash)  An electric arc used in welding is 10 times stronger than the sun, because of proximity

Radiant Hazards cont..  Infrared Rays  Invisible. Burn the skin or interior of the eye. Can cause retina damage, and over a long term- cataracts.

Burns  First, Second, or third degree burns are possible  Be careful while transporting hot metals  working with hot metals/repositioning your work piece  Slag/sparks (cover up)

Fire Prevention  Beware of the 3 necessities for a fire to occur  Fuel, Heat, and Oxygen  Check your surroundings for possible fuel for a fire (flammable gases, wood/paper etc)  Do not perform operations you question the safety of  Make sure to direct oxy-fuel flame in a safe direction

Welding Fumes and Gases  Metal Fume fever- flu like symptoms  Occurs after inhaling fumes of certain metal oxides, such as from galvanized steel  Metals to be aware of, as they can cause symptoms after inhalation:  Aluminum, Beryllium, Cadmium, Chromium, Cobalt, Iron, Lead, Manganese, Nickel, Zinc

Fumes and Gases..  Beware of welding on metal that has paint, rust inhibitor, degreasers etc. on it. To be safe, clean it off first.  Welding gases are not healthy to breath in any large quantity…  The act of welding also creates fumes and gases..  What should we do about this??

Option A orOption B?

Welding Ventilation  Keep your head out of the plume  Use natural ventilation: Open doors  Mechanical ventilation: Fans  Local Ventilation: Place above the fumes the best you can

Avoiding Electric Shock  Clothing: avoid damp clothing  Electrode holders: do not touch the metal parts to your skin or damp clothing  Make sure to switch machine off if you are not going to use it, and take the electrode out of the electrode holder

Goal: Zero injuries  Always ask if you are unsure  Work at a pace that is safe- don’t hurry  Use tools and equipment you are trained on  Value your safety and the safety of others.. It’s a long life.