Lab Manual

Lab 3.1: Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

(ANSI Z49.1 and AWS F2.2)
(AWS Fact Sheets for Welding Safety)

Performance Objective
Upon the completion of this workshop practice, the student will be able to
 Identify the potential hazards in a welding workshop
 Select and use personal protective equipment for welding and cutting operations.

Introduction
Welding and allied operations presents various hazards that can lead to injuries or health issues.
Health hazards from welding, cutting, and brazing operations include exposures to metal fumes
and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Other safety hazards from these operations include burns, eye
injuries, electrical shock, cuts, and crushed toes and fingers. These can be controlled by following
proper work practices and using personal protective equipment (PPE).
Welding and cutting should only be performed in designated areas free of trash, wood, paper,
textiles, plastics, oils, chemicals, flammable dusts, liquids and gases. Never weld or cut on
containers that have held a flammable or combustible material unless the container is thoroughly
cleaned. A fire inspection should be performed prior to leaving a work area and for at least 30
minutes after the operation is completed. Fire extinguishers should be nearby, of proper size, type
and number for the hazards involved.
Personal protection for the welder is most important, apart from the most obvious dangers of
burns, stray sparks and falling objects, when oxy-acetylene work is carried out, steel is heated until
it reaches its melting point. In order to melt steel, temperatures of more than 1000 Celsius are
required. The risk of getting burned is very high when working with such extreme temperatures.
To avoid getting burned, it is required to take particular care when carrying out oxyacetylene
welding and cutting work. Always wear proper personal protective equipment

Potential Hazards in Welding Workshop

1. Fumes and Gases Hazards
2. Fire and Explosion Hazards
3. Electrical Hazards
4. Heat, Radiation and Burn Hazards
5. Noise Hazards
6. Slip, Trip and Fall Hazards
7. Falling/Flying Objects and Bump Hazards
8. Compressed Air Hazards
9. Gas Cylinder Hazards

Applicable Standards and Documents

The documents below provide clear help in addressing common safety and health
concerns

1. AWS - Safety & Health Fact Sheets

Download Safety and Health Fact Sheets from
(https://www.aws.org/standards/page/safety-health-fact-sheets)

2. ANSI Z49.1
For more detailed information, refer to the ANSI Z49.1 Standard - A Free Standard

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Lab 3.1: Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

Eye and Face Protection

Eye protection must be worn in the shop at all times. Eye protection can be safety glasses,
with side shields, goggles, or a full face shield. To give better protection when working in
brightly lit areas or outdoors, some welders wear flash glasses, which are special, lightly
tinted, safety glasses. These safety glasses provide protection from both flying debris and
reflected light. Suitable eye protection is important because eye damage caused by
excessive exposure to arc light is not noticed. Welding light damage occurs often without
warning, just as sunburn’s effect is felt the following day. Therefore, welders must take
appropriate precautions in selecting filters or goggles that are suitable for the process being
used. Selecting the correct shade of lens is also important, because both extremes of too
light or too dark can cause eye strain.
Filter glasses on welding helmets are usually protected on the outside by a separate, clear
plastic cover lens. This will give protection from spatter particles and prolong the life of
the filter lens.

Full Face Shield Arc Welding Helmet

A very bright light is produced during oxy-acetylene welding. This light is dangerous for
your eyes. The tinted glass of welding goggles protects your eyes from this dangerous light.
The welding goggles also protect your eyes from sparks and spattering of molten metal.
For this purpose, the welding goggles also have a side protection. Welding goggles are
available in various sizes and designs. The illustration shows standard welding goggles.

Combination Welding and Safety Goggles

They have a set of tinted and non-tinted glasses. The tinted glasses can be folded over the
non-tinted glasses. In this way the goggles are used for welding work. When the tinted
glasses are folded back the goggles are just used as safety goggles. The welding goggles are
of such a size that they fit over a normal pair of glasses.

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Lab Manual
Lab 3.1: Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

Safety Goggles
One must wear safety goggles when carry out the following operations
1. Working with a chisel
2. Working with a double wheel grinder
3. Working with angle grinders
4. Carrying out bending tests

Welding Clothing
Clothing shall be selected to minimize the potential for ignition, burning, trapping hot
sparks, or electric shock. The best clothing choice is 100% wool, but it is difficult to find.
Another good choice is 100% cotton. Avoid wearing synthetic materials, including nylon,
rayon, and polyester.
Heavier materials such as leather or Flame - Resistant Clothing (FRC) which has been
chemically treated to reduce its combustibility or is inherently flame-resistant are preferable
to lighter materials because they are more difficult to ignite. Clothing treated with flame
resistant materials may lose some of its protective characteristics after repeated washing or
cleaning.
Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for care of FRC. Materials which can melt and
can cause severe burns should not be used as clothing when welding or cutting. Sparks
may lodge in rolled-up sleeves, pockets of clothing, or cuffs of overalls or pants. It is
therefore recommended that sleeves and collars be kept buttoned and pockets be
eliminated from the front of clothing. When pockets are present, they should be emptied
of flammable or readily combustible materials. Pants or overalls should not have cuffs and
should not be turned up on the outside. Pants should overlap shoe tops to prevent spatter
from getting into shoes. Frayed clothing is particularly susceptible to
ignition and burning and should not be worn when welding or cutting

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Lab 3.1: Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

Coverall
It must be free from oil or grease stains. Oil and grease increase the flammability of
clothing
Safety Helmet
The safety helmet protects your head from hot metal particles, sparks, and prevents head
injuries

Coverall Safety Helmet

Welding Apron Jacket, Cap and Sleeves

The welding apron must be made up of leather. The welding apron protects the front of
your body when welding or cutting, and from hot metal particles and sparks. Leather
jackets, sleeves, and capes are also used for protection as needed.
Cape sleeves or shoulder covers with bibs made of leather or other flame-resistant material
shall be worn during overhead welding, cutting, or other operations,

Welding Gloves/ Gauntlets

Welding gloves must be made up of leather. Welding gloves protect your hands and
forearms from hot metal particles and sparks.

5 Fingers Gloves 3 Fingers Gloves

Welding Leggings, Spats and Foot Protection

For heavy work, flame-resistant leggings or other equivalent means shall be used to give
added protection to the legs, when necessary. Safety shoes protect your feet from falling
objects, sharp edges, hot metal particles, sparks and spatter

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Lab Manual
Lab 3.1: Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

Ear Protection

Noise shall be controlled at the source when feasible. When control methods fail to bring
noise exposure within allowable limits, personal protective devices such as ear muffs or ear
plugs shall be used.
Ear protection is available in several forms. One form of protection is earmuffs that cover
the outer ear completely. Another form of protection is earplugs that fit into the ear canal

Ear Plugs Ear Muff

Respiratory Protection
All welding and cutting processes produce undesirable by-products, such as harmful dusts,
fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, or vapors. These fumes are generally not harmful
to health, when the work is undertaken out of doors. Arc welding carried out in closed
rooms without a fume extractor can cause nausea and headaches.
The welding area should be well ventilated. Excessive fumes, ozone, or smoke may collect
in the welding area; ventilation should be provided for their removal. Natural ventilation is
best, but forced ventilation may be required. Areas that have 10,000 cu ft (283 m3) or more
per welder or that have ceilings 16 ft (4.9 m) high or higher, may not require forced
ventilation unless fumes or smoke begin to collect.

Local Fume Extraction System

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Lab 3.1: Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

Gas Cylinders Storage and Handling

1. Store cylinders in dry, cool, well ventilated and protected area free from combustible
materials
2. Secure cylinder upright by chains, caped and valves closed
3. Never allow the storage temperature to exceed 52 °C
4. Mark and segregate empty cylinders as per contents, do not trust the cylinder color,
only labels can identify the cylinder contents
5. Place oxygen cylinders at least 20 feet away from any flammable gas cylinders or
combustible materials or segregate by a noncombustible barrier at least 05 feet high
and with a fire-resistant rating of at least 30 minutes
6. Keep cylinder storage away from fire and potential electrical hazards

7. Handle all cylinders as potential explosives and transport them on a cart

8. Do not heat, drop, strike, arc or roll horizontally
9. Do not be in front of cylinder when opening the valve
10. Use the proper regulator for the cylinder
11. Open all valves slowly and keep oil and grease away
12. Inspect cylinders and valves prior to use
13. Rolling cylinders on their bottom edge is acceptable for very short distances only

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Lab 3.1: Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

General Instructions
1. Wear safety shoes, coverall, spats, safety helmet, welding apron, welding gloves, and arm
and wrist protections.
2. Do not touch work pieces that have not been cooled down when wearing gloves
3. Always use tongs to handle work piece
4. Do not work on machines such as lathes and grinders when you are wearing gloves. These
could be caught in the machine and could cause you serious injury.
5. Use a portable fume exhaust when you work in a room that is not equipped with a fume
exhaust
Cautions
 It is not permitted to wear normal sun glasses instead of the welding goggles.
 Do not work on machines such as lathes and grinders when you are wearing gloves. These
may be caught in the machine and may cause serious injury
 Read and understand manufacturer instructions for equipment
 Carefully review material safety data sheets MSDS
 Follow the company’s internal safety practices
Rules to Remember
 Pay attention to what you see, hear, feel and smell in the welding workshop
 Welding workshop is no place for carelessness
 Practice all the safety regulations and instructions
 Report all accidents
 Safety is everyone’s responsibility
 Recognize safety signs and signals
 Wear correct PPE for the process and job
 Safety is everyone's responsibility. Every one of us is responsible for safety of all of us

Safety is a concept that includes all measures and practices taken to preserve the life and
health of individuals. It is the condition of being protected from or unlikely to cause
danger, risk, or injury. Safety means keeping yourself and others free from harm or danger

ME 304 – Manufacturing Processes Lab 87

Lab Manual
Lab 3.1: Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

Guide for Shade Numbers (AWS F2.2 - Lens Shade Selector)

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Lab 3.1: Welding Workshop Hazards and PPE for Welding Workshop

Final Checklist

1. Return all tools and equipment to the proper location

Student’s Notes and Comments

ME 304 – Manufacturing Processes Lab 89