Welding is very useful fabrication process, but if done without the right preparation, a variety of issues can occur. Luckily, there are ways to prevent fires, toxic fume accumulation, and other dangers in the workplace. This list will take you through the basics of how to avoid common welding hazards, whether you weld at home or in a professional facility.
Get the Right PPE for Your Welding Method
Some of the most common forms of welding PPE (personal protective equipment) include helmets, gloves, respirators, and fire-resistant pants/shirt/jackets. This equipment will help protect you from common welding hazards like burns, electric shocks, and toxic fumes.
However, you must use the right types of each PPE for your specific welding method. For instance, when choosing a leather welding jacket, you have to know ahead of time how you will be welding. If you’re going to go with stick welding, you’ll want a heavy-duty material like cowhide. On the other hand, if you’re TIG welding, you can go with something a bit more lightweight, such as goatskin or deerskin.
Inspect the Workplace for Fire Hazards
Before you begin your weld, inspect the surrounding area for any fire hazards. This includes flammable materials such as wood, paper, gasoline, and even gases like propane. Remove any object/material considered a fire hazard or place a fire-resistant covering over it and put it under the guard of a designated fire watcher. Inspect the area for any cracks or holes that can house sparks and other flammable material as well. Just like with flammable objects, you should patch up these vulnerable openings in floors, pipes, and other areas in the environment prior to your weld.
Provide Sufficient Ventilation
Welding can create toxic fumes in the area that, if inhaled, can lead to serious health issues. This is why a respirator is necessary during welding, but it’s also why good ventilation is a key component of any safe welding facility. Although a respirator will keep you safe while you work, insufficient ventilation can pose a threat because it causes those toxic fumes to build-up in the environment around you.
If you see any overaccumulation of dangerous fumes in the work area, either safely exit the area and improve ventilation or contact a supervisor and inform him or her of the situation, whichever method makes sense for your specific situation. Suffice it to say, if you weld at home, you don’t have a supervisor who can help you out, so you’ll have to improve ventilation yourself.
It’s important for any welder to understand and refresh their memory on how to avoid common welding hazards. Even veterans in the industry can make mistakes, but with the right preparation, you can maintain safe welding practices at all times.
