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INTRODUCTION
• Intense heat is generated during welding and cutting of metals
– Heat obtained from inflammable gases (C2H2 ) or electricity to
the objects being welded or cut
• Employees exposed to the hazards created by welding and
cutting operations shall be protected.
The main hazards are:
 Electric shock
 Arc radiation
 Fumes, Gases & dust
 Compressed gases
 Fire & explosion
 Noise
 ELECTRIC SHOCK
• Results due to:-
– Damaged insulation of cables
– Lack of adequate earthing
– current passing through welder’s body (The heart
may cease to function, if current level exceeds 25mA)
– High Ambient temp ›30°C & presence of chemically
active substances in atm damaging electric insulation
• Cause severe burns & loss of life
ARC RADIATION
• The welding arc emits UV & IR rays
• UV rays can damage both the eyes & the skin.
Even an accidental exposure to the UV light
from an arc can cause a condition known as “Arc
Eye” (watering of eyes & inability to tolerate
light)
• Exposure of skin to UV radiation is also
harmful. Prolonged exposure causes severe
burning & skin peels off.
• Exposure to IR rays may cause cataract of the
eyes. Proper glass filter to be used
GASES, FUMES & DUST
• Fumes & CO are produced during pre heating
of work using gas, charcoal, oil or coal fired
furnace
• Effects of fumes include irritation of the
respiratory resulting in dryness of throat,
coughing, chest tightness & breathing
difficulties.
• Weld fumes : – injurious to health if the
electrode coating contains fluorides – with high
Cr – galvanised or any coating – much more
dangerous when done in confined spaces
Gases:
– Results due to-
• decomposition of fluxes & by the effects of UV
& IR radiations on the atmospheric gases (3O2
2O3 ), which when inhaled regularly over long
periods may result in serious effects on the
welder’s health.
• Absorption of O2 during combustion (CO)
• Oxidation of N2 in the air (nitrous fumes)
• Escape of gases used for combustion in
welding / cutting
Dusts:
–Produces harmful fumes if the electrode
contains Lead.
COMPRESSED GASES
• Gases used in welding & cutting are the fuel
gases (acetylene, LPG), oxygen & shielding gases
(argon, helium, nitrogen & CO2 )
• Escaping fuel gases may cause fire or an
explosion
• Compressed gas cylinders should not be
exposed to sun light or heat as this may lead to
increase of pressure leading to explosion
• The temp of gas cylinders should not exceed
54°C
FIRE & EXPLOSION
• Results due to:
– Inadequate connections
– Damaged insulation cables
– ignition of combustible or inflammable material
lying in the vicinity of weld zone Burns from freshly
welded metal.
– Sparks, molten metal globules & hot slag – Hot
electrode stubs
– gas cylinder valves leaking
– misuse of oxygen
– rubber hoses leaking
Explosion can take place when:-
• Oil /grease comes in contact with any
pipe, valve, etc. carrying O2 .
• welding or cutting of a closed vessel
with inflammable liquids or gases •
Fuel gas cylinders exposed to high
temp.
NOISE
• Normal welding operations do not cause
much noise but gouging & plasma arc cutting
with high currents can create excessive noise
• Noise due to welding, cutting, grinding,
chipping & other machining operation might be
going on simultaneously in the welding shop
• Noise above 80 db is considered harmful &
above 120 outright dangerous
 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
• The risks associated with welding/cutting
can be reduced by proper use of Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE)
• A set of PPE have been published by ISI
and many other similar International
Organizations.
• Appropriate protective clothing required
for any welding operation will vary with the
size, nature & location of the work to be
performed
 WHAT IS SAFETY ?
Definition: “Safety is the measure of relative
freedom from risks or dangers in any
environment”.
Nothing is 100% safe in any condition
Safety means:
• Free from Hazards
• Free from Risk
• Free from accident
• Free from illness
• Free from harmful effects, etc
WHY WELDING SAFETY IS REQUIRED ?
• To avoid occupational diseases –Occupational
disease means:
• A disease which affects the human body due
to routine work.
• Substances such as silica, asbestos, Be, Cd,
metals, organic chemicals cause disease of the
respiratory system
• To protect property from fire/explosion
• To prevent human loss due to fire/explosion
SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS IN GAS WELDING
& CUTTING
Cylinders to be:
• kept upright in such a way so that they do not
fall.
• fitted with cap, when not in use.
• stored in a well protected place
• Stored cylinders of acetylene & oxygen
separately
• moved by tilting & rolling on their bottom
edge with valves close
Cylinders not to be:
– exposed to welding flame, direct sunlight, etc.
– used as rollers for moving materials.
• Welding not be done in confined areas.
• Fire extinguishers / sand to be available at hand.
• Cylinder valves to be closed when work is finished.
• The nos. & markings on the cylinder & its safety
devices not to be tampered
• Frozen valves or regulators to be thawed with hot
water, never by flame.
• Gas torches & tips to be stored in clean
boxes
• blow pipes & other apparatus to be cleaned
internally at a regular interval.
• The slag accumulated at the blow pipe tip to
be frequently removed
• Gas flame not to be played on the cylinder or
their attachments.
• Hot jobs not to be picked up.
• Painted or galvanized surfaces to be welded in
well ventilated space.
SAFETY RECOMMENDED IN ARC WELDING & CUTTING
• All equipment's to be inspected periodically & maintained
in safe working order at all times.
• A disconnecting switch to be provided at or near each
welding machine
• Working area & floor to be kept clean & clear of electrode
stubs & metal scrap.
• Be ensure that welding equipment is adequately earthed.
• not to look at electric arc with the naked eye
• Welding cables: – should have complete insulation – be
capable of handling the max current required for the work. –
should be free from repair – to be kept dry (free from grease
& oil).
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT (PPE)
PPE: FOR WELDING & CUTTING
Welders must wear suitable protective
equipments. They:
• protect against hazards (burns, sparks,
spatters,electric shock, radiation (UV, IR),
Slag, heat, hot metals, heat, fumes, gases,
etc).
• may be procured from regular agencies &
as per the specification
HAND PROTECTION (GLOVES)
• Protects the hand from:
–Electric shock
–Flame
– Hot parts
–Sharp or flying metals &
–Arc ray
HAND PROTECTION (GLOVES)
Gloves should be:-
• Dry and moisture resistant
• Free from holes
• Flame resistant
• Electrically and thermally insulated
• Flexible--allow easy movement & full range of
motion
• Comfortable--proper fit and size
• Durable, tough, and long lasting
• Cut, scrape, tear and puncture
EAR PROTECTION (EAR PLUG/MUFF)
• Protects from:
– Flying sparks
– Spatter
– Burns
– Hearing
– hearing loss
HEAD PROTECTION (HELMET)
Safety helmets Safety helmets should be:
• uv-resistant
• facilitated with International design for ventilation
of air to keep head cool
• made of high density poly ethylene (HDPE) should
have:
• adjustable head band
EYE PROTECTION(GOGGLES)
• Eye protective equipment's available in various
designs
• They protect eyes from:-
– getting damaged (retinal burns or permanent
blindness) due to:- » Infra red rays (can cause painful
injury to the eye) & ultra violet rays (can burn the
skin) » Filter lens removes approx 99.5% IR & 99.75 %
UV
– Flying sparks
FOOT PROTECTION (SAFETY SHOES & BOOTS)
They protect legs & feet from:
• Slag • Falling off cuts
• Spatters.
• Available in various sizes to suit different persons
made from different raw materials like:
– Asbestos
– Leather steel toed
– Rubber
– Vinyl (PVC)
– Canvas
BODY PROTECTION (APRON)
Protect complete body from:-
• Flying sparks
• Hot spatter particles
It should be:-
– In good condition (no holes & tears).
– Dry, clean (free of oil, grease, or solvents)
– Flexible--allow easy movement & full range of motion
– Comfortable--proper fit and size
– Durable
*Available in a wide range made from different quality raw
materials like:- – leather, rubber, vinyl (PVC)
.
WELDING RESPIRATOR
Welding Respirators:
• Welding produces fumes and gases hazardous to health
• Avoid breathing these fumes & gases
• Use adequate ventilation.
• Protect from:
– Welding fumes
Welding fumes can affect :
• Lungs
• heart
• kidneys
• nervous system, etc
.
 WELDING PROCESSES.

Definition: Welding is a process of joining similar or

dissimilar materials by the application of heat and/or
pressure.
In order to join two or more pieces of metal together by
welding process the most essential requirement is Heat.
Pressure may also be employed.
A weld is made when separate pieces of material to be
joined combine and form one piece when heated to a
temperature high enough to cause softening or melting.
Filler material is typically added to strengthen the joint.
 Methods of welding
There are two methods by which welding is performed
1. Fusion welding
2. Pressure welding.
Fusion welding - coalescence is accomplished by melting
the two parts to be joined, in some cases adding filler
metal to the joint
Examples: arc welding, resistance spot welding, oxyfuel
gas welding
Pressure welding ( Solid state welding)- heat and/or
pressure are used to achieve coalescence, but no melting
of base metals occurs and no filler metal is added
Examples: diffusion welding, friction welding.
 Diffusion welding (DFW). Two surfaces are held
together under pressure at an elevated temperature
and the parts coalesce by solid-state diffusion.
 Friction welding (FRW). Coalescence is achieved by the
heat of friction between two surfaces.
Welding process
 Arc Welding (AW)
A fusion welding process in which coalescence of the
metals is achieved by the heat from an electric arc
between an electrode and the work
 Electric energy from the arc produces temperatures ~
10,000 F (5500 C), hot enough to melt any metal
 Most AW processes add filler metal to increase
volume and strength of weld joint.
 The distance between the metal parts and the
electrode should be around 3mm.
 Electrodes are flux coated to prevent the molten
metal from reacting with the atmosphere.
What is an Electric Arc?
An electric arc is a discharge of electric current across
a gap in a circuit
 It is sustained by an ionized column of gas (plasma)
through which the current flows
 To initiate the arc in AW, electrode is brought into
contact with work and then quickly separated from
it by a short distance.
A pool of molten metal is formed near electrode tip,
and as electrode is moved along joint, molten weld
pool solidifies in its wake
Arc Welding operation
 Arc welding equipment's
The following equipment's are used for the process of arc welding
1) D.C welding generator (or) AC transformer
2) Cables
a) Electrode cable
b) Work cable
3) Electrode holder
4) Electrode
5) Gloves
6) Protective shield (or) Goggles
7) Apron for the operator
8) Wire brush
9) Chipping hammer
 THE WELD JOINT
Welding produces a solid connection between two
pieces, called a weld joint. A weld joint is the junction
of the edges or surfaces of parts that have been
joined by welding.
Here are two classifications related to weld joints:
 Types of joints.
 The types of welds used to join the pieces that
form the joints.
 WELD JOINT Cont.…
There are five basic types of joints for bringing two parts
together for joining. The five joint types are not limited to
welding; they apply to other joining and fastening
techniques as well.

Five basic types of joints: (a) butt joint, (b) corner joint, (c)
lap joint , (d) tee joint, (e) edge joint
 WELD JOINT. Cont.….
 Butt joint. In this joint type, the parts lie in the same
plane and are joined at their edges.
 Corner joint. The parts in a corner joint form a right
angle and are joined at the corner of the angle.
 Lap joint. This joint consists of two overlapping parts.
 Tee joint. In a tee joint, one part is perpendicular to
the other in the approximate shape of the letter ‘‘T.’’
 Edge joint. The parts in an edge joint are parallel with
at least one of their edges in common, and the joint is
made at the common edge(s).
Types of welds.
A fillet weld is used to fill in the edges of plates created by
corner, lap, and tee joints, Filler metal is used to provide a cross
section approximately the shape of a right triangle. It is the most
common weld type in arc and oxyfuel welding because it
requires minimum edge preparation—the basic square edges of
the parts are used. Fillet welds can be single or double (i.e.,
welded on one side or both) and can be continuous or
intermittent (i.e., welded along the entire length of the joint or
with unwelded spaces along the length).
Groove welds usually require that the edges of the parts be
shaped into a groove to facilitate weld penetration. The grooved
shapes include square, bevel, V, U, and J, in
Various forms of fillet welds: (a) inside single fillet
corner joint; (b) outside single fillet corner joint; (c)
double fillet lap joint; and (d) double fillet tee joint.
Dashed lines show the original part edges.
Some typical groove welds: (a) square groove weld,
one side; (b) single bevel groove weld; (c) single V-
groove weld; (d) single U-groove weld; (e) single J-
groove weld; (f) double V-groove weld for thicker
sections. Dashed lines show the original part edges
 Arc Welding Positions
Welding positions defined here for groove welds: (a)
flat, (b) horizontal, (c) vertical, and (d) overhead.
 Specification of electrodes
Generally, the size of the electrodes is specified by the
length and its diameter. They are available to a
maximum of 12 mm diameter and 450 mm length. The
size of the electrode increases with the current used. In
manual welding, the size of the electrode changes
according to the thickness of the metal parts. Springs
like electrodes are used in automatic welding.
Types of electrodes
The electrodes used in arc welding are of two types;
 Consumable electrode
 Non-consumable electrode
 Specification of electrodes Cont.…
Consumable electrode – consumed during welding process.
They provide a Source of filler metal in arc welding.
They are categorized into: -
 Bare electrodes
 Lightly coated electrodes
 Heavily coated electrodes
Non consumable electrodes are made of tungsten (or
carbon, rarely), which resists melting by the arc.
For Arc Welding processes that utilize non consumable
electrodes, any filler metal used in the operation must be
supplied by means of a separate wire that is fed into the
weld pool
 Arc Shielding.
At the high temperatures in arc welding, the metals being
joined are chemically reactive to oxygen, nitrogen, and
hydrogen in the air. The mechanical properties of the weld joint
can be seriously degraded by these reactions. Thus, some
means to shield the arc from the surrounding air is provided in
nearly all AW processes. Arc shielding is accomplished by
covering the electrode tip, arc, and molten weld pool with a
blanket of gas or flux, or both, which inhibit exposure of the
weld metal to air.
A flux is a substance used to prevent the formation of oxides
and other unwanted contaminants, or to dissolve them and
facilitate removal.
During welding, the flux melts and becomes a liquid slag,
covering the operation and protecting the molten weld metal.
Flux is usually formulated to serve several additional
functions:
 Provide a protective atmosphere for welding,
 Stabilize the arc, and
 Reduce spattering.
 Gas welding
Gas welding is the process of melting and joining metal parts
by means of a gas flame.
Generally pressure is not applied during the process of gas
welding. Oxygen and acetylene gases are made to pass
through the welding torch. These gases are mixed at the
required ratio at the torch and the tip of the welding torch is
ignited to produce the flame. Because of the heat generated
by the flame, the edges of the metal parts are melted. Filler
rod provides the additional metal required for making the
joint. The flux coated on the electrodes prevents oxidation
and removes impurities. This method is suitable in welding
metal parts of thickness varying from 2mm to 50 mm. The
temperature of the flame is around 3200°C.
 Gas welding equipment's
Gas cylinders
Oxygen and acetylene gases are stored in separate cylinders and
used for gas welding. The color of oxygen cylinder is black and
the acetylene gas is stored in maroon cylinders. Oxygen is stored
at a pressure of 125Kg/cm2. Acetylene gas is stored at a
pressure of 16 Kg/cm2 in the cylinder.
Regulators
Separate regulators are fitted on both the cylinders. A regulator
is used to control the working pressure of the gases. The
working pressure of oxygen is 1Kg/cm2 and acetylene is
0.15Kg/cm2. Working pressure of these gases is altered
according to the thickness of the metal parts of the joint.
 Gas welding equipment's Cont..
Hoses
Separate hoses are used to connect the two cylinders with the welding
torch through regulators. The color of the hose from the oxygen cylinder is
black and the one from the acetylene cylinder is red. These hoses carry the
gases to the welding torch.
Welding torch
Oxygen and acetylene reach the welding torch through the passages of
hoses from the respective cylinders. These gases are mixed in the mixing
chamber of the welding torch.
Flame is produced at the tip of the torch when the gases are ignited. There
are two control valves present in the torch to control the quantity of
oxygen and acetylene. By this control, the grade of the flame can be
altered. The size of the flame is altered to suit the thickness of the metal
parts.
 Gas welding equipment's Cont..
Goggles
Oxy acetylene flame emits ultraviolet and infrared rays. These
rays are highly harmful to bare eyes. In order to protect the
eyes of the welder, goggles should be used by him.
Welding gloves
Protective hand gloves are used by the operator to prevent
possible damages that may be caused by high temperatures
and metal splashes during welding.
Spark lighter
Spark lighter is used to ignite the oxy-acetylene gas at the tip of
the welding torch.
Wire brush
Wire brushes are useful in cleaning the weld before and after
the welding process.
Gas welding equipment's cont.
 Principle of Oxy-acetylene Welding.

 A very hot flame is produced by burning of the gases coming

through the torch tip.
 The edges to be welded are heated up to melting.
 A filler metal is also added to complete the welding. This
molten metal mixture when solidifies on cooling forms a
welded joint.
 Oxygen cylinder and acetylene cylinder are filled with gases.
 Both the cylinders are attached with pressure gauges,
regulators and cylinder valves.
 The cylinder containing oxygen is painted black whereas the
acetylene cylinder is painted maroon.
 Hose pipes, are provided with each cylinder.
 These pipes are connected to welding torch
 Welding Process
 To start welding, the acetylene control valve is turned first.
When acetylene comes out of the nozzle, it should be
ignited with spark lighter.
 It will give a yellow-colored smoke flame. After it, oxygen
cylinder valve is opened and supply is increased until a
most suitable flame is obtained.
 Then the flame is focused on the edges to be welded.
 Flux and filler metal are also added with the heat of flame.
 The edges and filler metal melt and a joint are formed after
cooling of the molten metal. The joint may be formed with
or without using filler metal.
 Types of gas flames
The size of the flame can be altered by varying the ratio of oxygen
and acetylene. By doing so, the following three types of flames are
obtained.
 Neutral flame
 Carburizing flame
 Oxidizing flame
Neutral flame
The supply of equal quantities of oxygen and acetylene
produces neutral flame.
There are two zones in this flame-
1) Sharp and bright inner cone and
2)Bluish outer cone.

The temperature of the inner cone will be around 3200°C.

This neutral flame is generally used as it will not cause any
chemical reaction upon the heated metal.
Carburizing flame
This flame is also known as reducing flame. The supply of
acetylene will be more than oxygen to produce this flame.
Carburizing flame consists of three zones namely,
 Sharp inner cone
 White intermediate cone
 Bluish outer cone
Carburizing flame is useful in welding low carbon steel and
alloy steels. It is also used to harden the outer surface of
metal parts.
Oxidizing flame
Oxidizing flame is obtained by supplying more oxygen
than acetylene. It consists of two zones namely bright
inner cone and outer cone.
This flame is useful in welding brass and bronze.

Oxidizing welding flames are commonly used to weld

zinc, copper, manganese steel and cast iron
 Gas Welding Techniques.
Left Ward Welding: In this welding the tip of the torch is held
at 60 to 70°C to the plates. And the filler rod is inclined at 30
to 40°C in opposite direction. In this method, the plate edges
are heated immediately after the molten metal. The torch tip
and filler rod are moved slowly in the direction towards left.
The technique is illustrated below.
Gas Welding Techniques Cont..
Right ward welding: Right Ward Welding: In right ward
welding the torch is kept at 40 to 50°C to the job to be
welded. Torch is moved towards right as shown in the Fig.
below Right ward welding is done for heavy sections only.
 Flux
The chemicals which deoxidize the metal surface and
provide inert atmosphere around the molten metal are
known as fluxes.
The main function of flux is given below:
 To prevent oxides on the hot surfaces.
 To reduce the viscosity of molten metal.
 It maintains a steady arc in case of arc welding. Fluxes
are available as liquid, powder, paste and gas.
 around the joint to be welded
 Filler rod
The rod which provides additional metal in
completing the welding is known as filler. The
composition of filler metal should be the same as that
of the metals to be welded.
The diameter of the filler rod depends upon the
thickness of the parts to be welded.
The strength of the welding joint is increased by
adding Nickel or Chromium in filler rods. A thin coat of
copper is provided on the filler rods to prevent the
molten metal from reacting with atmospheric oxygen.
Flux may be applied either in powdered form or liquid
form.
 Advantages of gas welding
 Applied for different classes of work
 Welding temperature is controlled easily
 The quantity of filler metal added in the joint can
easily be controlled
 The cost of the welding unit is less
 The cost of maintenance is less
 Both welding and cutting can be done
Disadvantages:
 It provides low surface finish. This process needs a finishing
operation after welding.

 Gas welding have large heat affected zone which can cause
change in mechanical properties of parent material.

 Higher safety issue due to naked flame of high temperature.

 It is Suitable only for soft and thin sheets.

 Slow metal joining rate.

 No shielding area which causes more welding defects

 Limitations of gas welding
 Intended for welding thin workpieces only
 The process of welding is slow
 The time taken by the gas flame to heat the metal
is more when compared with electric arc
 The strength of the joint is less
 Great care should be taken in handling and storing
gas cylinders
 Application of Gas welding.
 It is used to join thin metal plates.
 It can used to join both ferrous and non-ferrous
metals.
 Gas welding mostly used in fabrication of sheet
metal.
 It is widely used in automobile and aircraft
industries.