Ask Me About Safety
Contact Us
Call Us 844-703-7233(SAFE)

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WELDING & CUTTING

Always Follow:
CSA Standard W117.2-94, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes.
CSA Standard Z94.3.1-02 Protective Eye wear.
All equipment must be CSA Standards C22.2 No.60 or be acceptable to the regulatory
Authority.
All Respirators MUST be CSA Standard Z.94.4, Selection, Use and Care of Respirators.
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist (ACGIH)
Threshold Limit Values (TLVs®) for Chemical Substances and Physical
Agents & Biological Exposure Indices (BEIs®), and
The ACGIH Documentation of the TLVs and BEIs
CSA Standard W117.2-94, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 51B “Fire Prevention in
The Use of Cutting and Welding Processes” serves as the basis for the fire codes
And many fire prevention practices adopted by industry.
Protecting yourself when performing welding operations depends on your understanding of the hazards involved and the proper way to control them. Hazards associated with welding include burns, eye injury and respiratory hazards. Always work with adequate ventilation in the work area and personal protective equipment (PPE). Always use equipment that is properly maintained and safe to use.
Eye Hazards: Eye hazards include exposure to ultraviolet and infrared light. To protect the eyes, welders, and their helpers, should always wear filter glasses with shades ranging from 2 to 14, depending on the type of welding. All welding should be behind a screen. This protects not only the welder, but also other people nearby who may not be wearing eye protection. Other workers should be excluded within a 30-foot radius from gas or low powered arc welding. If this is not feasible, they should also be protected with appropriate filter lenses. Heavy welding requires a 100-foot radius. Inert gas welding produces 5 to 30 times as much ultraviolet light as arc welding and requires shielding for even greater distances. Keep in mind that ordinary untreated plastic lenses absorb ultraviolet light very poorly and should not be relied upon for protection.
Respiratory Hazards: Virtually all welding processes generate gases, fumes and dusts. Gases generated include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ozone, and nitrous gases. Other gases may also be formed in the presence of chemicals that may be on the material being welded. For example 1,1,1 Trichloroethane generates phosgene gas when exposed to the
heat of welding.
Welding and cutting can also generate fumes from cadmium, lead, cyanide, beryllium, arsenic, fluorides, nickel, cyanide, and other materials, which can be hazardous if inhaled. Proper respiratory protection should always be worn when cutting or welding. The best type of protection to use can be determined by reading the Material Safety Data
Sheet (MSDS) for either the material being welded, or the manufacturer of the rod or flux being used.
Mechanical ventilation, at the rate of 2,000 cubic feet per minute per welder is required if the area is more crowded than 10,000 cubic feet per welder; has a ceiling height of less than 16 feet; or in confined spaces where structural barriers significantly obstruct cross ventilation. Additional specific ventilation requirements are necessary for fluorine compounds, zinc, lead, beryllium, cadmium, mercury, and for stainless steel and galvanized that are oxygen cut using a chemical flux or iron powder or gas shielded arc cutting. Where it is not possible to provide this ventilation, airline respirators, half-mask respirators, or self-contained breathing apparatus must be used. Oxygen should never be used for ventilation.
Burns: All parts of the body should be protected from radiant energy, sparks, and molten metal (slag) splashes.
Clothing made from wool, or wool blends, is generally better than cotton. Some cutting operations such as inert-gas metal arc welding will cause exposed cotton clothing to rapidly deteriorate. Leather capes, jackets, leggings, and aprons provide additional protection especially in vertical, or overhead operations. Use of dark clothing will help reduce reflected light.
All welding equipment should be inspected each day prior to use. Report any defects found in regulators, torches or electrical components to a person that is qualified to make the necessary approval for repairs

Leave a Reply

Latest News

Address

Western Canada
PO Box3498,
Sherwood Park, Alberta
T8A6K2

Eastern Canada
14026 Currie Road
Dutton Ontario
N0l1J0

Toll Free: 1-844-703-7233 (SAFE)
Website: http://11peakssafety.com
Email: info@11peakssafety.com

Sign Up For Our Toolbox Topics

coming soon!