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ARC WELDING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
WARNING
PROTECT YOURSELF AND OTHERS FROM POSSIBLE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. KEEP CHILDREN AWAY. PACEMAKER
WEARERS KEEP AWAY UNTIL CONSULTING YOUR DOCTOR.
In welding, as in most jobs, exposure to certain hazards occurs. Welding is safe when precautions are taken. The safety information given
below is only a summary of the more complete safety information that will be found in the Safety Standards. Read and follow all Safety
Standards.
HAVE ALL INSTALLATION, OPERATION, MAINTENANCE, AND REPAIR WORK PERFORMED ONLY BY QUALIFIED PEOPLE.
ARC WELDING can be hazardous.
ELECTRIC SHOCK can kill.
Touching live electrical parts can cause fatal shocks
or severe burns. The electrode and work circuit is
electrically live whenever the output is on. The input
power circuit and machine internal circuits are also
live when power is on. In semiautomatic or automatic
wire welding, the wire, wire reel, drive roll housing,
and all metal parts touching the welding wire are electrically live.
Incorrectly installed or improperly grounded equiment is a hazard.
1.- Do not touch live electrical parts.
2.- W ear dry, hole-free insulating gloves and body protection.
3.- Insulate yourself from work and ground using dry insulating
mats or covers.
4.- Disconnect input power or stop engine before installing or
servicing this equipment.
5.- Properly install and ground this equipment according to this
Owner's Manual and national, state, and local codes.
6.- Turn off all equipment when not in use.
7.- Do not use worn, damaged, undersized, or poorly spliced cables.
8.- Do not wrap cables around your body.
9.- Ground the workpiece to a good electrical (earth) ground.
10.- Do not touch electrode while in contact with the work (ground)
circuit.
11.- Use only well-maintained equipment. Repair or replace damaged
parts at once.
12.- Wear a safety harness to prevent falling if working above floor
level.
13.- Keep all panels and cover securely in place.
ARC RAYS can burn eyes and skin;
NOISE can damage hearing.
Arc rays from the welding process produce intense
heat and strong ultraviolet rays that can burn eyes and
skin. Noise from some processes can damage hearing.
1.- Wear a welding helmet fitted with a proper shade
of filter (see ANSIZ49.1 listed in Safety Standards) to protect
your face and eyes when welding or watching.
2.- Wear approvedsafety glasses. Side shields recommended.
3.- Use protective screens or barriers to protect others from flash and
glade; warn others not to watch the arc.
4.- Wear protective clothing made from durable, flame- resistant mate
rial (wool and leather) and foot protection.
5.- Use approved ear plugs or ear muffs if noise level is high.
FUMES AND GASES can be hazardous
to your health.
Welding produces fumes and gases. Breathing these
fumes and gases can be hazardous to your health.
1.- Keep your head out of the fumes. Do not breath the
fumes.
2.- If inside, ventilate the area and / or use exhaust at the arc to remove
welding fumes and gases.
3.- If ventilation is poor, use an approved air-supplied respirator.
4.- Read the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and the
manufacturer´s instruction for metal, consumables, coatings, and
cleaners.
5.- Work in a confined space only if it is well ventilated, or while wearing
an air-supplied respirator. Shielding gases used for welding can
displace air causing injury or death. Be sure the breathing air is safe.
6.- Do not weld in locations near degreasing, cleaning, or spraying
operations. The heat and rays of the arc can react with vapors to
form
highly toxic and irritating gases.
7.- Do not weld on coated metals, such as galvanized, lead, or cadmium
plated steel, unless the coating is removed from the weld area, the
area is well ventilated, and if necessary, while wearing an air-
supplied respirator. The coatings and any metals containing these
elements can give off toxic fumes if welded.
WELDING can cause fire or explosion.
Sparks and spatter fly off from the welding arc. The
flying sparks and hot metal, weld spatter, hot workpiece,
and hot equipment can cause fires and burns. Acciden-
tal contact of electrode or welding wire to metal objects
can cause sparks, overheating, or fire.
1.- Protect yourself and others from flying sparks and
hot me-
tal.
2.- Do not weld where flying sparks can strike flammable material.
3.- Remove all flammables within 35ft (10.7 m) of the welding arc. If
this is not possible, tightly cover them with approved covers.
4.- Be alert that welding sparks and hot materials from welding can
easily go through small cracks and openings to adjacent areas.
5.- Watch for fire, and keep a fire extinguisher nearby.
6.- Be aware that welding on a ceiling, floor, bulkhead, or partition can
cause fire on the hidden side.
7.- Do not weld on closed containers surch as tanks or drums.
8.- Connect work cable to the work as close to the welding areas as
practical to prevent welding current from traveling long, possibly
unknown paths and causing electric shock and fire hazards.
9.- Do not use welder to thaw frozen pipes.
10.- Remove stick electrode from holder or cut off welding wire at
contact tip when not in use.
11.- Wear oil-free protective garments such as leather gloves, heavy
shirt, cuffless trousers, high shoes, and a cap.
