Grahame Collins
14th Jun 2006, 12:08 PM
For those new to welding or even those who have a bit of experience, I have cobbled together some safety recommendations as welding seems to be a common theme,but our welding safety is rarely been mentioned.
Compared to other DIY work, welding is fairly dangerous. Many of the Occ. health & Safety hazards of welding can be avoided with common sense and appropriate personal protective equipment.
Hazards arising from welding include asphyxiation due to dangerous inhalants, skin and eye damage due to ultraviolet light radiation , electrical or chemical fires, and long-term negative respiratory effects from fumes.
Most people think that sparks and arcs are the most hazardous feature of welding because they are the most obvious, but they are only one hazard. The intensity of the welding arc, with its strong UV radiation out put, short term may cause burns and pain but in the long term can cause damage to unprotected eyes and cancer to skin. There is a wide range of equipment available to protect the welder , such as auto-darkening helmets and thick gloves, to reduce your exposure. Also, sparks are not usually hot, yet general precautions should be taken to keep wood or other combustible material out of the range of the welder's arc. Setting heated metal on a flammable surface is more likely to start a fire.
Electrocution from faulty incorrectly grounded equipment is an ever present possibility. Many of us neglect the earth return connection ( it should ground to a shiny clean surface) and are sometimes rewarded with a boot.Normally that just serves to remind us how silly we can be. For anyone with illness or a weak heart ,the consequences can be far more serious. For this reason ,don’t weld alone. Someone at least should checkyou on a regular basis to ensure you are healthy and upright.
While considering electricity, please leave it to the electrician. If your welder is not operating don’t be tempted to open it up and fix it. The law says it is a sparky job only.
Knowledge of the metal make up you are welding on is helpful.
Certain elements might also be contained in the material itself, like lead, cadmium, manganese, chromium, or nickel in metals like stainless steel, copper, or zinc. These metals should only be welded with caution. Make sure you know exactly what they contain and weld in an area with a lot of air circulation. Symptoms from inhalation can range from a temporary flu-like sickness to major damage to lungs, liver, and other organs. The coatings on metal to be welded, if not cleaned off thoroughly can produce fumes harmful to your respiratory functions. Galvanised/zinc coatings produce fumes during welding which at some concentrations are capable of making you ill enough for hospital treatment.
The process of welding can sometimes produce dangerous gases. It is the DIY welders responsibility to ensure that the fumes are kept out of the breathing zone either by a respirator or by the adequate natural or fan forced ventilation.
Keep safe then
Grahame
Compared to other DIY work, welding is fairly dangerous. Many of the Occ. health & Safety hazards of welding can be avoided with common sense and appropriate personal protective equipment.
Hazards arising from welding include asphyxiation due to dangerous inhalants, skin and eye damage due to ultraviolet light radiation , electrical or chemical fires, and long-term negative respiratory effects from fumes.
Most people think that sparks and arcs are the most hazardous feature of welding because they are the most obvious, but they are only one hazard. The intensity of the welding arc, with its strong UV radiation out put, short term may cause burns and pain but in the long term can cause damage to unprotected eyes and cancer to skin. There is a wide range of equipment available to protect the welder , such as auto-darkening helmets and thick gloves, to reduce your exposure. Also, sparks are not usually hot, yet general precautions should be taken to keep wood or other combustible material out of the range of the welder's arc. Setting heated metal on a flammable surface is more likely to start a fire.
Electrocution from faulty incorrectly grounded equipment is an ever present possibility. Many of us neglect the earth return connection ( it should ground to a shiny clean surface) and are sometimes rewarded with a boot.Normally that just serves to remind us how silly we can be. For anyone with illness or a weak heart ,the consequences can be far more serious. For this reason ,don’t weld alone. Someone at least should checkyou on a regular basis to ensure you are healthy and upright.
While considering electricity, please leave it to the electrician. If your welder is not operating don’t be tempted to open it up and fix it. The law says it is a sparky job only.
Knowledge of the metal make up you are welding on is helpful.
Certain elements might also be contained in the material itself, like lead, cadmium, manganese, chromium, or nickel in metals like stainless steel, copper, or zinc. These metals should only be welded with caution. Make sure you know exactly what they contain and weld in an area with a lot of air circulation. Symptoms from inhalation can range from a temporary flu-like sickness to major damage to lungs, liver, and other organs. The coatings on metal to be welded, if not cleaned off thoroughly can produce fumes harmful to your respiratory functions. Galvanised/zinc coatings produce fumes during welding which at some concentrations are capable of making you ill enough for hospital treatment.
The process of welding can sometimes produce dangerous gases. It is the DIY welders responsibility to ensure that the fumes are kept out of the breathing zone either by a respirator or by the adequate natural or fan forced ventilation.
Keep safe then
Grahame