MODULE 2

Safe Practices for Welding Inspector

INTRODUCTION

 POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARDS FOR WELDING INSPECTORS

- Electric shock, falling, radiation, eye hazards, smoke &
fumes and falling objects.

 SAFETY PRECAUTION TO BE OBSERVED:

- Use of safety glasses, hard hats, protective clothing or any other
appropriate apparatus for a given situation

 MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY TO SAFETY:

- must clearly states the objectives and show commitment to
Safety and health by consistent support of safe practices.

- must designate approved safe areas for conducting welding and

cutting operations.

- must be certain that only approved welding, cutting, and allied

equipment

ANSI Z49.1
 A document covers safety in welding and cutting
and allied processes.

SAFETY TRAINING
 Thorough and effective training the key concept of safety program
include:
- Instruction in the safe use of equipment and processes
- Safety rules that must be followed
- Adequate training is mandated under provision of OSHA

Manufacturer’s instruction

MSDS – Material Safety Data Sheet

Provides OSHA permissible exposure limits known as the Threshold Limit
Value (TLV) for equipment & materials.
The employer should make this data available to employees.
SAFETY TRAINING

 Proper use of maintenance of the equipment

 Recognized Safety Hazards

 Good housekeeping

 Designated Welding Area

- warning signs should be posted to identify welding areas.
- employee must be trained in evacuation procedures.
- equipment m, machines, cables, hoses and other apparatus
should always be placed so that they do not present a hazard
to personnel in passageway, on ladders, or stairways.
- occasionally, fire watch person must be assigned to maintain
safety during welding and cutting.
- the best protection against fire is to do welding and cutting in
designated area and far from combustible materials. Fires are
started by sparks which can travel 35 ft from the source.

 Protective Screening Between Workstation

- booth and screen and screens should allow circulation of air at
floor level and above the screen.

 Combustibles
- welding/ cutting should not be done having combustible coating.
- When welding or cutting “hot work permit should be used to alert
area supervisor to an extraordinary danger of fire that will
exist.

EYE AND FACE PROTECTION

(Arc Welding & Cutting)

 Welding helmets, hand shields must be worn by welders,

operators, and nearby personnel when viewing an arc.

 Safety Goggles, spectacles, or other suitable protection

must be worn during other welding and cutting operations.
Shading depends on the intensity of radiation that comes from
adjacent welding or cutting operations. Refer to the Table.
 PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

 Sturdy shoes, booths or heavy clothing should be worn.

 Woolen clothing is preferable to cotton because it is not so readily

ignited.

 Clothing or shoes of synthetic or plastic materials should not be

worn.

 Outer clothing should be kept free of oil, and grease.

 Cotton clothing should be chemically treated to reduce

Combustibility.

 Cuff less pants and covered pockets are recommended

 Durable gloves of leather or other suitable materials should always

be worn.

 For welders: aprons, leggings, suits, capes, sleeves, and caps.

 Flame resistant ear plugs should be worn whenever operations pose

such tricks

NOISE

 Excessive Noise , can severely damage hearing that can cause

either temporary or permanent hearing loss.

 US Department of labor Occupational safety and Health Administration

regulations describes allowable noise exposure level : Requirements
may be found in General Industry Standards , 29 CFR 1910.95.

Permissible Noise Exposure

Duration Per Day , hours Sound level dBA slow Response

8 ……………………………………………….... .90
6…………………………………………………...92
4……………………………………………….…..95
3……………………………………………………97
2……………………………………………………100
1-1/2…………………………………………….. .102
1………………………………………………..….105
½ ………………………………………………….110
¼…………………………………………………. .115

MACHINERY GUARDS

 Moving components and drive belts must be covered by guards to

prevent physical contact.

 During repair, by welding and brazing, the power to the machinery

must
be disconnected and lockout to avoid injury .

 Rotating and automatic welding machines, fixtures and welding robots

must be equipped with appropriate machine guards as well.

 In very hazardous situations, observer should be stationed to prevent

someone from turning the power on until the repair is completed.

FUMES & GASES

 Welders , welding operators and other persons in the area must be

protected from over-exposure to fumes and gases produced during
welding, brazing and cutting.

 Permissible limits is specified in US Department of labor ,

Occupational safety and Health Administration , Regulations 29 CFR 1910.
1000.

 During welding, a welding arc may generate a larger volume of fume

and gas which are usually greater concern than oxyfuel welding,
cutting or brazing .
 Where exposure would exceed permissible limits with available
ventilation, suitable respiratory protection must be used.

Exposure Factors

 Position of the Head

 Types of Ventilation
 Work Area
 Background fume level depend on the numbers of type of welding
stations and duty cycle of each power source.
 Design of Welding Helmet
 Base Metal and Surface Condition
 VENTILATIONS

 Adequate ventilation is the key to control of fumes and gases in

the welding environment.

1. Welding in Confined Spaces

- ANSI Z117.1 : Safety Requirements for Working in Tanks and
Other Confined Spaces

- Gas cylinders must be located outside to avoid possible

contamination of the space with leaking gases, welding power
sources should also be located outside to reduce engine exhaustion
and electric shock.

- a trained “standby” should be stationed outside the confined

spaces with a preplanned rescue procedure in case of emergency.

- Control of Airborne Contaminants:

1. assure adequate oxygen for life support (at least 19.5%)
2. prevent accumulation of oxygen enriched atmosphere
not over 23.5% by volume
3. prevent accumulations of flammable mixtures

- Air contains approximately 21% of oxygen by volume. Oxygen

enriched atmosphere pose great danger to occupants of
confined areas, especially hazardous at oxygen concentration
above 25%.
- Positive self-contained breathing apparatus must be used
when welding or cutting are to be done in confined spaces
whenever proper ventilation cannot be provided.

Welding of Containers

 Welding or cutting outside or inside containers and vessels that have

held dangerous substances presents special hazards.

 The immediate area outside and inside the container should be cleared
of all obstacles and hazardous materials.

 The immediate area outside and inside the container should be cleared
of all obstacles and hazardous materials.

 The precaution for confined spaces must also be observed.

 Testing for gases, fumes, and vapors should be conducted to ensure that
recommended limits are maintained. Alternative Method of Safe Handling of
Containers.Fill the containers with inert medium with an inert medium
such as water, inert gas, or sand.

Highly Toxic Materials

Toxic Metals
1. Antimony 6. Chromium 11. Mercury
2. Arsenic 7. Cobalt 12.Nickel
3. Barium 8 Copper 13. Selenium
4. Beryllium 9. Lead 14. Silver
5. Cadium 10. Manganese 15. Vanadium
Above materials which are sometimes present in consumables , base
materials , coatings or atmosphere of welding or cutting operations ,
have permissible exposure limits of 1.0 mg/m3 or less.

HANDLING OF COMPRESSED GASES

 Cylinders may be filled only with permission of the owner, or by

recognized gas suppliers.
 Combustible or incompatible combinations of gases must never be mixed
in cylinders.
 Welding must not be perform on gas cylinders & must not be allowed to
become part of a electrical circuit because arcing may result.
 Cylinders containing shielding gases used in conjunction with arc
welding must not be grounded.
 Cylinders must not be used as work rest or rollers, protected from
bumps, weather, falling objects or dropped during either used or
storage and to be stored within -20ºF to 130ºF temperature.
 A proper cradle should be used to securely retains the cylinders.
 Electromagnets should not be used to handle cylinders.
 Acetylene and liquefied gas should always be stored in the upright
positions.
 Contents should be identified by means of label, color or shape.
 The cylinders should never be lifted manually by the valve protection.
 Before connecting a gas cylinder to a pressure regulator or a
manifold,valve outlet should be cleaned. Then, the valve should be opened
momentarily and closed immediately this is known as “ cracking the
cylinder valve” .
 It is preferable not to open the valves on low pressure , fuel gas
cylinders more than one turn. High pressure cylinder valves on the other
hand ,usually must be opened fully to backseat.
 The cylinder valve should be closed after each use of a cylinder.

Pressure Relief Devices

 These devices are intended to provide protection in the event the

cylinder is subjected to a hostile environment usually fire or other
 source of heat.

MANIFOLDS

 A manifold is used when gas is needed without interruption or at a

higher delivery rate that can be supplied from a single cylinder.
- it should be designed for the specific gas and operating pressure.
- components should be approved for such purpose and should be
used only for the gas and pressure for which they are approved.
- piping and fitting for acetylene and MPS must not be unalloyed
copper or alloys containing 70% copper.
- manifold piping system must contain an appropriate overpressure
relief valve and each gas cylinder branch line should incorporate a
backflow check valve and flash arrester.

GASES

Oxygen

- Is nonflammable but it supports the combustion of flammable

materials.

- Oxygen should never be used as a substitute as a substitute

for compressed air.

- Pure oxygen supports combustion vigorously than air which

contains only 21% oxygen.

- Oil, grease, and combustible dust may spontaneously ignite

when in contact with oxygen.

- Oxygen valves , regulators, and apparatus should never be

lubricated with oil.

- Oxygen must never be used to power compressed air tools,

similarly oxygen must not be used to blow dirt from work and
clothing because they are often contaminated with oil , grease
and combustible dust.

- Oxygen must not be used to ventilate confined spaces.

Severe burns may result from ignition of clothing or hair in an
oxygen enrich atmosphere.

Fuel Gases

- fuel gases commonly used in OFW and OFC are acetylene,

methyl acetylene propadiene (MPS), natural gas, and propane.

- In a free state , acetylene should never be used under pressure

 over 15 psi because it can dissociate with explosive violence
at higher pressure.

- Pure oxygen supports combustion vigorously than air which

contains only 21% oxygen.

- Acetylene and MPS should never be use in contact with silver, mercury,
or alloys containing 70% copper.

- Valves on fuel gas cylinders should never be opened to clean

the valve outlet near possible sources of flame ignition.

-Flames of hydrogen may be difficult to see and parts of the body

clothes or combustibles may therefore , unknowingly come in
contact with hydrogen flames.

Fuel Gas Fires

- Fuel Gas cylinders should be examined for leaks esp. at fuse
plugs, safety devices and valve packing.-
- common source of fire in welding and cutting is ignition of
leaking fuel by flying sparks or spatter. -
- effective means of controlling fire is to shut off the fuel valve
if accessible. -
- most fuel gases in cylinder are in liquid form or dissolve in
liquids. Therefore, the cylinders should always be used in to
prevent liquid surge into the system-

Shielding Gases

- Argon, helium, carbon dioxide (CO2), and nitrogen are used for
Shielding with some welding processes.
- These gases are odorless an colorless and can displaced air
needed for breathing.-

- Confined spaces containing these gases must be well ventilated

before personnel can enter them .

ELECTRIC SHOCK

- Electric shock occurs when an electric current of sufficient

amount to create an adverse effect passes through the body .

Shock currents: -

Primary - 6 mA and up; can cause direct physiological harm.

Secondary - 0.5 - 6 mA; can cause direct involuntary muscular

reactions without causing direct physiological harm.

Perception Threshold - 0.5 mA; it is the point at which most people

just begin to feel the tingle from the current .
Causes of Electrical Shock-
- can occur from lightning-induced voltage surges in power distribution
system .

- in welding and cutting, shock result of accidental contact with

bare or poorly insulated conductors operating at higher voltage

The Welding inspector should be protected from electrically

conductive surfaces, including the earth by wearing appropriate
rubber-soled shoes, use of dry gloves and clothing in good condition.

Rings and jewelry should be removed before welding to decrease

the possibility of electrical shock electrical shock .

Electrical Safety

 Employees must be fully instructed in electrical safety by a

competent person, as a minimum should include the points
in Z49.1 “ Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes”
 Equipment should installed in a dry clan area.
 Terminals for welding leads and power cable must be shielded from
accidental contact by personnel or metal objects.
 The work piece being welded and the frame or chassis of all
electrically powered machines must be connected to a good
electrical ground.
 Electrical connections must be tight and be checked periodically for
tightness.
 Coiled welding leads should be spread out before use to avoid
overheating and damage to the insulations.
 Equipment, cables, fuses, plugs and receptacles must be used within
their current-carrying and duty cycle capacities.
 Welding leads should be flexible type of cable designed esp. for the
rigors of welding service.
 Welders should not allow the metal parts of electrodes, electrodes
holders, or torches, to touch their bare skin or any wet covering of
the
body.
 Welders should not drape or coil the welding leads around their
bodies.
 The welding circuit must be de-energized to avoid electric shock
while the electrode, torch, or gun is being changed or adjusted.
 The machine should be turned off whenever not in use.
 Most precautions of electrical shock are also applicable to the
prevention of fires caused by overheating of equipment.

Key Terms and Definitions

 ANSI – American National Standards Institute

 ANSI Z49.1 – Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes.
 ANSI Z87.1 – Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and
Face protection
 Asphyxiation – loss of consciousness as a result of too little oxygen
 or too much carbon dioxide in the blood.
 Combustibles – any materials that can easily catch fire
 Cryogenic – very cold service, usually below zero degree.
 Filter lens –a shaded lens, usually in glass that protects the eyes
from radiation from welding arc.
 Fire watch – a person whose primary responsibility is to observe the
work operation for the possibility of fires, and to alert the workers
if a fire occurs.
 Flammable – anything that will burn easily or quickly.
 Fume Plume – a smoke-like cloud containing minute solid particles
arising directly from molten metal
 Galvanized Material – any materials having a zinc coating on its
surface .
 Hot Work Permit – a from designed to insure that all safety
precautions have been considered prior to any operation having
open flames.
 Lock, Tag, Try – locking-out of equipment, tagging for identification
and trying to make sure it is not operable.
 MSDS – Materials Safety Data Sheet.
 OHSA – Occupational Safety & Health Act
 TLV – Threshold Limit Value. The permissible level of exposure for
hazardous materials.