PSFC Welding Procedure

Plasma Science and Fusion Center

Office of Environment, Safety, and Health

190 Albany Street, NW21 2nd floor

617-253-8440 (Catherine Fiore)

617-253-8917 (Matt Fulton)

617-253-5982 (Bill Byford)

617-258-5473 (Nancy Masley)

Fax 617-252-1808

Be Safe or Die

Reviewed and Approved By:

 
David Arsenault

Andrew Kalil

Catherine L. Fiore,
PSFC, Safety Officer
 

Standard Operating Procedure for

Handling and Use of
Welding
Equipment

Author:                        
C. Greenspan (Originally,
May 7th, 1992)
 
Version:                                   
1.3
 
Date:                                       
June 8, 2007
(Original Date May 7, 1992)
 
Persons
Responsible:               
Dave Arsenault
               
              
               Bill
Byford

 Introduction:
 
This document outlines the hazards involved
in handling and
using
both electric and gas welding equipment at the PSFC.  It
details the
procedures and precautions that should be followed to minimize the
risk
of
personal injury as well as property damage.
 
Scope:
 
This document covers employee safety during
the handling and
use
of welding equipment at the PSFC.  It incorporates the safety
procedures
for welding as outlined by the MIT Environmental
Health and Safety
(EHS)
Office.  All welding and cutting operations at
MIT must be carried
out in
accordance with the American Welding
Society and the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI).  This
document covers both electric
arc welding as
well as gas welding
and cutting.  Any employees using compressed
gases for
welding
should also read and be thoroughly familiar with the Standard
Operating
Procedures for Handling and Use of Compressed Gases at
the PSFC.
 

Safety
Analysis:
 
Failure to follow the procedures outlined in
this document
could
result in physical and property damage.  Misuse of equipment
and
poor
work practices can result in fires, explosions as well as severe
skin
burns and
eye damage.
 
Many welding operations produce toxic fumes
and gases.  It
is
extremely important that the health hazards of the materials worked
on are
known and that the appropriate precautions are taken.  This
document covers
safety procedures specific to welding and cutting. 
IT MAY BE
NECESSARY TO
CONSULT OTHER SOURCES FOR THE
NECESSARY SAFETY PRACTICES TO BE FOLLOWED
WHEN
WORKING WITH POTENTIALLY TOXIC METALS AND METAL
ALLOYS.
 

Responsibilities:
 
The supervisor of the person doing the
welding or other
responsible
person shall have employees who handle and use welding
equipment
designated and trained.  The supervisor or responsible
person
shall ensure that
necessary supplies are available to prevent
accidents from
occurring.  The
following outlines both general
procedures to be followed during all
welding
and cutting operations
as well as specific precautions for electric arc
and gas
welding:
 

General
Procedures
 
Protective Equipment:
 
1.                 
When welding or using a torch, wear lenses for filtering
harmful
radiation.  Filter density requirements should be
observed and
correct safety
glasses obtained through the PSFC
Lab Supply or VWR.  If unsure
what type of
glasses or shade of
lenses are required, consult the chart in the
welding shop
near
the sink.
2.                 
When welding, a welding helmet should always be worn with
cover
plates
protecting the safety lenses.
3.                 
Head protection (leather hood) must be worn when
performing
overhead
welding or cutting.  A hat or other head
covering should be worn
to protect the
head from sparks.
4.                 
Do not wear nylon or other synthetic materials as they can
easily melt
when contacted by sparks.
5.                 
Wear high cut shoes so that sparks will not fall inside them.
6.                 
Gloves and aprons of leather or other insulating materials
should be
worn during welding and cutting operations.
7.                 
When welding stainless steel or any material, the vent system
should be
on and positioned as close to the arc as possible.  The
switch for
the vent is
located in front of the welding shop to the
left of the breaker panels.
 
Designated Areas:
 
Routine areas for welding must be approved by
the MIT EHS Office. 
Welding should only be performed in designated areas.  To perform
welding or
cutting operations outside of a designated area, a written
permit must
be
obtained from a designated welding supervisor in
accordance with MIT�s
Hot Work
Permit program.
 
Fire Precautions:
 
Welding that must be performed outside of a
designated area
requires an MIT Hot Work Permit, and in many cases, a fire watch
from
the
Cambridge Fire Department.  Contact an authorized hot
work
supervisor for
permits, fire watch details, and smoke detector
shutdown coordination.
Hot work should be done at least 50 feet away
from
combustible
materials in all directions.  If this is not feasible,
fire
resistant
materials must be used to cover the materials. 
 
 
Holes in the floors should be plugged to
prevent sparks from
falling
through.  A fire watch shall be maintained in the area to
watch for
unnoticed sparks.
 
 
When welding or cutting near a hole in a wall
or floor, a
fire watch is
required on both sides of the wall or floor.
 
A fire extinguisher shall be maintained in
the area and the
fire
watch shall understand how to use it.
 
The area should be checked for at least an
hour after the
welding
operation has ceased to verify that no smoldering fires
exist. 
WELDING
FIRES CAN OCCUR LONG AFTER WELDING HAS CEASED.
 
DO NOT WELD ANY CLOSED VESSEL THAT HAS
CONTAINED OR IS
SUSPECTED TO HAVE CONTAINED FLAMMABLE OR TOXIC
MATERIALS UNTIL IT HAS
BEEN
TESTED, THOROUGHLY CLEANED,
VENTED AND PURGED.
 
Electric Arc Welding:
 
1.                 
The secondary of the supply transformer and case of any
portable
welding
transformer as well as the frame must be
grounded.  DO NOT GROUND
TO PIPELINES
CARRYING
FLAMMABLE GASES OR LIQUIDS OR TO CONDUITS CARRYING
ELECTRICAL
CONDUCTORS.
 
2.                 
Dry all wet machines.  Do not stand in water or on wet
ground
while
welding.  Moisture connects your body to the ground and
may form
the path of
least resistance causing a severe shock.
 
3.                 
Check the whole length of the welding cables for exposed
conductors,
damaged insulation and slices within 10 feet of
 holder.  Have
damaged equipment
repaired or replaced.  Do
not repair with tape.
 
4.                 
Check electrode holder for loose or exposed connections to
reduce shock
hazard.
 
5.                 
Do not loop welding cables around your body.
 
6.                 
Do not change the polarity switch with the machine is under
load.  The
arching due to the high current can burn the switch
contact surfaces or
cause
serious burns to the welder.
7.                 
 
8.                 
Welding machines should be equipped with power disconnect
witch
in case
of emergency.
 
9.                 
electrode holders should be kept away from electrical power
sources and
compressed gas cylinders.
 
10.             
NEVER strike an arc on a compressed gas cylinder.
 
11.             
When no welding is to be performed, all electrodes must be
removed from
the holders and the machine disconnected from
the power source.
 
Gas Welding and Cutting:
 
ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE HANDLING AND USE OF
GAS WELDING
EQUIPMENT SHOULD ALSO READ THE STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURE FOR THE
HANDLING
AND USE OF COMPRESSED GASES
AT THE PSFC.
 
1.                 
All cylinders must be stored in a well-ventilated, dry location;
at
least 20 feet away form combustible materials.
 
2.                 
Valve protection caps must be in place when the cylinder is
not
in use.
 
3.                 
OXYGEN CYLINDERS MUST BE STORED AWAY FROM
FLAMMABLE GASES, by at
least
20 feet or separated by a non-
combustible, 5-foot wall with a
fire-resistance
rating of at least
1/2 hour.
 
4.                 
All cylinders must be marked identifying their contents.
 
5.                 
Cylinders in use must be chained or otherwise secured to
prevent
falling.  Keep cylinders away form any sources of heat
or
ignition.  It this is
not possible, heat and fire-resistant shields
or covers must be
provided.
 
6.                 
Hoses showing burns or leaks must be immediately replaced.
 
7.                 
Hoses should be color coded to avoid accidental mixing.
 
8.                 
Check hose connections for correct threading.  Standard
hose
connections
are threaded right hand for oxygen and left hand
for acetylene or other
fuel
gases.  THIS HELPS TO PREVENT AN
ACCIDENTAL SWITCH OF OXYGEN AND
FLAMMABLE FUEL
GASES.
 
9.                 
Do not repair hoses with tape.  Test for leaks using soapy
solution.  If
leaks exist, have them replaced or repaired.
 
10.             
Use only approved bronze brass fittings.  DO NOT use grease
or any other
readily oxidizable substance on any regulator or
torch.  Do not
handle this
equipment with oily rags or gloves.
 
11.             
Never face a gage while opening a cylinder.  Stand to the
side
in case
of a malfunctioning valve.
 
12.             
Do not use oxygen to blow out pipelines or to dust off work or
clothing.
 
 
13.             
Acetylene cylinders must be kept and used in an upright
position
and
must never be used at a pressure exceeding 15
psi.  Never use
acetylene from
cylinders without reducing the
pressure through a suitable regulation
attached
to the cylinder
valve.  Always keep the wrench or key for the
acetylene
cylinder on the cylinder while in use.  Never open the cylinder
more than one
full turn so that it may be quickly shut off in
case of
emergency.  Make sure
that valves are closed when
returning empty acetylene cylinders, so as
to
prevent the
evaporation of the acetone solvent.
 
14.             
The following describes the proper procedure for lighting and
shutting
off a gas welding torch.  This procedure reduces the
possibility
of regulator
fires when the oxygen cylinder valve is
opened again.
 
 Lighting;
 
a.      
open
acetylene cylinder 3/4/ turn
b.     
open
torch valve 1/4 turn
c.      
adjust
acetylene working pressure with gas regulator screw
d.     
slowly
open oxygen cylinder all the way
e.      
open
oxygen torch valve 1/2 turn
f.       
adjust oxygen to working pressure with the gas regulator
screw
g.      
close
valves on acetylene and oxygen cylinders
h.      
reopen
the acetylene torch valve 1/4/ turn and light gas with
friction
lighter.  NEVER
USE MATCHES.
i.        
open the oxygen valve 1/4/turn. adjust flame.
 
Shutting off;
 
a.      
ALWAYS
close the acetylene torch valve first, then the
oxygen.
b.     
close
the cylinder valves, acetylene first
c.      
open
both torch valves to release the pressure
d.     
shut
off the regulator adjusting handle until you no longer
feel any spring
tension.
e.      
close
the torch valves.
 

Training:
 
The supervisor shall supply this procedure
and the SOP for
Compressed Gases to all affected employees and verify that they
understand them. 
In addition, the necessity for knowing the
potential health hazards and
precautions for the metals and alloys
being welded should be
emphasized.  Welders must also complete
General Chemical Hygiene
training, Hazardous Waste Management
training, Lab Specific Chemical
Hygiene training, and must be
familiar with the PSFC chemical hygiene
plan.
 

First Aid
Procedure:
 
Eye and skin
injuries should be
referred to the MIT Medical
Department.  If the Medical Department
is not open,
then dial 100
for prompt medical aid.

This page maintained by Catherine L. Fiore FIORE@PSFC.MIT.EDU