Welcome to the Welding and Cutting Safety session. This training session covers the safety aspects of welding, cutting, and brazing. It includes important information about how to reduce the risk of serious injuries when performing these operations. Even if you are an experienced welder, this session includes useful reminders about how to do your job safely.

How Much Do You Already Know?

Before we continue, let’s take a few minutes to see how much you already know about welding, cutting, and brazing. Decide if each of the following sentences is True or False.

• True or False—Welding must not take place unless fire hazards are removed or guards are installed.

– This is True.

• True or False—As long as they are secure, fuel cylinders can be stored on their side.

– This is False.

• True or False—Gas metal arc welding is also known as MIG welding.

– This is True.

• True or False—A fire watch person should be on post within a halfhour after welding begins.

– This is False.

• True or False—Shielding protects the eyes from welding fumes.

– This is False.

How did you do? Did you get them all right? If not, don’t worry—we’ll go over this information plus a lot more during this session.

Types of Welding and Cutting

There are many types of welding operations.

• The term “welding” is a general name for a number of processes that use heat to fuse metals together.
• Electric arc welding and oxygen-fuel, or oxy-fuel, gas welding are the two main processes.
• Welding or cutting occurs at many workplaces at some point as part of construction, maintenance, or repairs. In some workplaces, such as metal shops, welding and cutting are part of the core business.

Welding and Cutting Hazards

Welding and cutting operations involve a wide range of possible safety hazards.

• Fires are a serious safety hazard of welding and cutting—in fact, about 6 percent of industrial fires that involve loss of life are caused by unsafe welding or cutting operations. Fires can start when sparks from small pieces of molten metal or larger pieces of molten metal, called slag, come into contact with flammable or combustible materials.
• Burns to the body are another hazard of welding and cutting.
• Electric shock and electrical burns can result from electric arc welding.
• Light radiation is yet another hazard. Ultraviolet radiation causes flash burns; infrared radiation causes heat burns; and intense visible light can cause headaches and eye strain.
• Finally, air contaminants such as harmful gases, fumes, and smoke, are serious health hazards of welding and cutting.

Basic Fire Prevention

Fire prevention is a key safety consideration of welding, cutting, and brazing. Here are some basic safety rules to follow:

• Inspect the welding or cutting area before starting to work to eliminate possible sources of fire hazard such as flammable or combustible materials.
• Welding and cutting must be performed in a designated area where fire hazards have already been removed. If fire hazards cannot be removed, guards must be installed to confine the heat, sparks, or slag and to protect the immovable fire hazards.
• Obtain a hot work permit before starting any welding or cutting operations to help ensure that all fire hazards are controlled.
• Keep a fire watch person on duty from the time that welding or cutting begins to at least half an hour after the job is finished.

Basic Fire Prevention (cont.)

Additional fire safety rules include:

• Never weld or cut in explosive atmospheres.
• Do not weld or cut on used containers such as barrels, tanks, or drums that may contain residues of flammable materials.
• Test potentially explosive containers for flammable atmospheres before you start to weld.
• Finally, shut off fuel cylinder valves when not in use. It may be necessary to use special techniques, such as inerting the space inside a container, to eliminate flammable or explosive vapors before welding or cutting.

Proper Ventilation

Ventilation is another key safety factor in welding, cutting, and brazing. Welders must have proper protection and ventilation when there may be exposure to hazardous air contaminants. Three factors govern the amount of air contamination to which welders may be exposed:

• The dimensions of the space;
• The number of welders in the space; and
• The possible evolution of hazardous fumes.

Oxygen-Fuel Gas Welding and Cutting

Oxygen-fuel gas welding and cutting means using two primary gases in welding and cutting operations.

• Acetylene is the first type of fuel gas. From a safety perspective, important characteristics of acetylene are that it is:

– Flammable,

– Unstable,

– And cannot be used above 15 pounds per square inch, or psi, on the regulator setting.

• Oxygen is the other type of gas. It is added to support the fuel gas flame and obtain high temperatures for melting steel.

Basic Rules for Oxyacetylene Welding and Cutting

Here are some basic safety rules for oxyacetylene welding.

• Ensure that the safety fuse plug or disk on the compressed gas cylinder is present and is functioning properly;
• Always attach a regulator to the cylinder valve. Oxygen or fuel gas must never be used directly from the cylinder;
• Stand to one side of the regulator in case it malfunctions;
• Open the cylinder valve slowly; and
• Never allow the regulator setting for acetylene to exceed 15 pounds per square inch. And consult the torch kit owner’s manual for the correct combination of oxygen and acetylene settings for regulators and torch tip sizes.

Basic Rules for Oxyacetylene (cont.)

Here are some more basic safety rules for oxyacetylene welding.

• Purge the oxygen and acetylene lines individually before lighting the torch;
• Never use oil or grease on oxygen and acetylene fittings. This mixture can cause spontaneous combustion and fire. Remember that oxygen and most other gases are stored at very high pressures;
• Do not use oxygen to clean the work area or blow dirt off clothing because this greatly increases the combustibility of the material; and
• Finally, keep your work area clean and free from materials that might catch fire or explode.

Store Gas Cylinders Safely

Store gas cylinders safely to reduce the risk of fire or explosion.

• The storage area must be well-ventilated.
• Oxygen-fuel cylinders must be stored at least 20 feet or more from fuel gases and combustibles, or they can be separated by a protective barrier at least 5 feet high with a fire rating of at least half an hour.
• Close valves, and make sure they are protected. Regulators should not be kept on cylinders that are stored but only on cylinders being used. Valve protection caps should be used to prevent an explosion if the cylinder should fall.
• Limit the inside storage capacity for fuel gas cylinders to 2,000 cubic feet.
• Store cylinders in the upright position and secured from falling. Never lay a cylinder down on its side.
• And finally, valves of empty cylinders must be closed.

Safe Handling: Gas Cylinders

Follow these important precautions for safely handling gas cylinders. Remember that these cylinders are under very high pressure and are an explosion risk.

• Never lift cylinders by the service valve or valve protection device. Use a sling, net, or other approved means of lifting them.
• Keys, handles, and handwheels must be present on cylinders.
• Use the proper regulator for the cylinder.
• Finally, if you are in doubt about a cylinder and how safe it is, don’t use it.

Use Protective Devices

Use protective devices to protect against fires or explosions. Make sure that any protective system that has been approved for use remains intact and that approved regulators have not been substituted for other regulators, such as high-pressure regulators.

Here are some important types of safety devices:

• Pressure relief valves, backflow preventers, or check valves;
• Flashback arrestors;
• Fuel gas hoses that are red—or sometimes black—help identify them easily;
• Oxygen hoses that are green;
• Hose protection as required; and
• Pressure-reducing regulators.

Protect Yourself: Oxy-Fuel Gas

Protect yourself when welding, cutting, or brazing. Keep these safety guidelines in mind:

• Keep working surfaces clean and clear of obstructions.
• Light torches with a striker, not with a cigarette lighter.
• Wear proper required personal protective equipment, or PPE, such as face and eye gear to protect against welder’s flash, which can permanently damage your eyesight.

– Safety glasses under a welding hood and burning goggles with proper shading will protect against ultraviolet and infrared radiation.

• Wear proper protective clothing during welding, cutting, and brazing operations.

– Don’t use synthetic material, which can melt. Instead, wear cotton or wool.

– Use leather gloves with gauntlets.

Lens Shades: Oxy-Fuel Gas

Lens shades are a vital piece of safety equipment. Because the type of shade depends on the type of welding being performed, make sure that the proper shade is being used for the specific operation. Check the manufacturer’s information or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, charts for specific applications.

• As a rule of thumb, start with a shade that is too dark to see the weld/cut zone. Then go to a lighter shade that gives sufficient view without going below the minimum shade for safe viewing.
• Generally, a 4–5 shade is used for:

– Torch brazing, and

– Oxy-fuel gas cutting and welding.

How Much Are You Learning?

Now we are going to review what we have learned so far. See if you can fill in the blanks.

• Welding must not take place unless fire hazards are removed or _______ are installed.
• Welding must not take place unless fire hazards are removed or GUARDS are installed.
• Before welding begins, test surfaces that have a preservative coating to determine ____________.
• Before welding begins, test surfaces that have a preservative coating to determine FLAMMABILITY.
• Flash goggles protect the eyes from __________.
• Flash goggles protect the eyes from FLASHES.
• For proper protection during welding, it is considered best practice to avoid wearing synthetic clothing, which can ____________.
• For proper protection during welding, it is considered best practice to avoid wearing synthetic clothing, which can MELT.

Electric Arc Welding- Common Processes

Now we will discuss safety considerations associated with electric arc welding. Common arc welding processes include:

• Shielded metal arc welding, or SMAW, also known as stick welding;
• Gas metal arc welding, or GMAW, or metal inert gas, or MIG, welding;
• Gas tungsten arc welding, or GTAW, or tungsten inert gas, or TIG, welding;
• Flux core arc welding;
• Submerged arc welding;
• Arc cutting; and
• Plasma arc cutting.

Arc Welding Hazards And Safety Measures

It’s important to understand arc welding hazards and safety measures needed to protect against these hazards. As we know, arc welding is a very common process using electric current to fuse metal with a welding rod.

• Safety hazards of arc welding include:

– The arc gives off ultraviolet and infrared rays, similar to the rays that cause sunburn.

– Exposure within several inches to a few feet can cause flash burn to your eyes and skin.

• Safety measures for avoiding arc welding hazards include:

– Always wear PPE.

– Avoid wet or damp areas, which promote electric shock hazards.

– Avoid oil, grease, and flammables, as these pose a fire hazard.

Protect Yourself: Electric Arc Welding

Protect yourself by using the right PPE when arc welding.

• Wear welding helmets with the proper shading, depending on the type of arc;
• Do NOT use brazing goggles;
• Wear safety glasses under the helmet;
• Wear leather gloves with gauntlets;
• Use ventilation or respirators to reduce exposure to hazardous fumes; and
• Wear leather bibs, sleeves, or jackets to prevent burns from slag, sparks, and ultraviolet radiation.

Lens Shades: Electric Arc Welding

Lens shades are an important piece of safety equipment for arc welding, as they are for oxy-fuel welding. Again, the type of shade varies according to the type of welding, so it’s important to make sure that the proper shade is being used. The manufacturer or OSHA charts will tell you the kind of shade to use. Generally, a 10–14 shade is used for:

• Shielded metal arc welding,
• Gas metal arc welding, and
• Gas tungsten arc welding.

Flash Screens

Flash screens are important aspects of arc welding. Welders should erect flash screens around them to protect others in the area from the flash associated with welding.

Maintain Equipment Properly

Maintain equipment properly in order to reduce arc welding hazards.

• Welding machines must be grounded to reduce the risk of electric shock.
• The work area should be kept dry and free of hazards.
• Connections must be tightly made.
• Cable splices within 10 feet of the holder are prohibited.
• Finally, cables must be maintained, and conductors must be well-insulated.

How Much Have You Learned?

Now it’s time to see how much you have learned. Try to figure out if the following statements are True or False.

• True or False-“Welding” is a general term for a number of processes that use heat to fuse or join metals together.
• This is True. “Welding” is a general term for a number of processes that use heat to fuse or join metals together.
• True or False-Unsafe welding or cutting operations cause about 6 percent of industrial fires that involve loss of life.
• This is also True. Unsafe welding or cutting operations cause about 6 percent of industrial fires that involve loss of life. Fires are a serious safety hazard of welding and cutting.
• True or False-Lens shades are required only for electric arc welding safety.
• This is False. Lens shades are required for all welding safety. The protection of the lens varies with the type of welding you are doing.
• True or False-Oxygen-fuel cylinders must be moved 35 feet away from combustibles or properly protected or shielded.
• This is False. Combustibles must be 20 feet away from oxygenfuel cylinders, or cylinders must be properly protected or shielded.
• True or False-Acetylene is highly unstable and must not be used above 25 pounds per square inch.
• This is False. Acetylene is highly unstable and must not be used 23 above 15 pounds per square inch.

Key Points to Remember

The key points to remember about this training session apply both to oxy-fuel welding and arc welding, and include the following:

• Learn the major hazards of welding, cutting, and brazing. The hazards include fire, burns, electric shock, and exposure to toxic fumes, gases, and vapors.
• Follow proper procedures to prevent fires and explosions.
• Use appropriate engineering controls, such as ventilation, shields, and screens, to protect yourself and others in the area.
• Finally, wear appropriate PPE, such as gloves, safety glasses, helmets, and aprons.

This concludes the training session on Welding and Cutting Safety.