Welding & Cutting Safety
Welding and cutting combine fire, electricity, toxic fumes, intense light and heavy materials. Welders and the people working around them all need protection.
- Construction
- General Industry
Photo: welder with helmet, FR jacket, gloves, and a fume extractor near the arc
Main hazards and controls
| Hazard | Controls |
|---|---|
| Fumes and gases (manganese, hexavalent chromium, zinc, lead, ozone) | Local exhaust or fume extractors, ventilation, position your head out of the plume, respirators when needed |
| UV and infrared radiation (arc eye, skin burns) | Helmet with correct shade lens, safety glasses underneath, welding screens to protect others |
| Burns and fire | FR or wool clothing, leather gloves and jacket, no frayed cuffs or open pockets, hot work permit |
| Electric shock (arc welding) | Dry gloves, insulated holders, inspected cables, proper ground clamp near the work, don’t stand in water |
| Compressed gases (oxy-fuel) | Secured cylinders, flashback arrestors, leak checks. See Cylinders. |
| Noise (air carbon arc gouging, grinding) | Hearing protection |
Oxy-fuel basics
- Use flashback arrestors and check valves.
- Open cylinder valves slowly; stand to the side of the regulator.
- Leak-test with approved solution, never a flame.
- Light with a striker, never a lighter.
- Close cylinder valves and bleed lines when done.
- Never use oxygen to blow off clothing or ventilate a space; it makes things burn violently.
Special situations
- Galvanized metal: zinc fumes cause metal fume fever.
- Stainless steel: hexavalent chromium. See Hexavalent Chromium.
- Painted or coated metal: may contain lead.
- Confined spaces: require testing, ventilation and a permit.
Standards & references
- 29 CFR 1926.350–.354: Welding and cutting (construction)
- 29 CFR 1910.251–.255: Welding, cutting and brazing
- ANSI Z49.1: Safety in welding, cutting and allied processes
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