Industrial Welding Safety

Welding, the most common form of joining metals together fuses the metals together and creates a bond stronger than the metals before they were joined. There are three basic types of welding;

Arc Welding-Extreme heat produced with an electrical ark permanently bonds the metals. The ark is provided by an energy power supply. The electrode carries the current to form the ark producing gasses that shield the arc from atmosphere and add metal to the weld.

Gas Welding -In this type of welding a gas flame fueled by a combustible gas and oxygen are focused on the surfaces of the metal to be joined until molten metal is formed. This is the most common type of welding since it is easier to control and slower.

Oxygen Arc Cutting-This is the process of removing metal by oxygen cutting (using a gas flame to heat and melt the metal) or arc cutting (using an ark with intense heat to separate the metals).

Eye and Face Personal Protection

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252 states that helmets and hand shields should protect the face, forehead, neck and ears from the arc direct radiant energy and weld splatter.

Intense ultraviolet and infrared radiation is produced when welding. This can be very harmful to the eyes if not properly protected. It is very important that the correct shade and type of welding goggles or filters are worn based on the type of welding being done.

Always use the OSHA suggested shade numbers for selecting the proper shade of welding protection.

For the Ark Welding process this varies depending upon the operating current, welding process and wire diameter.

Operation                          electrode                            Ark                       Suggested

                                             Size (mm)                           current                shade

Shielded metal             2.5 mm                        60 A                7

Ark Welding               2.5 to 4 mm                60-160 A         10

                                    4-6.4 mm                    160-250 A       12

                                    Over 6.4 mm               250-550 A       14

Gas/Flux core                                                 60 A                7

                                                                        60-160 A         11

                                                                        160-250 A       12

                                                                        250-500 A       14

Gas tungsten                                                   50 A                10

                                                                        50-150                     12

Air carbon ark cutting                                   150-500 A       14

                                                                        500-1000 A     14

Torch Brazing                                                                         4

Torch soldering                                                                      2

Carbon ark welding                                                                14

Gas welding under 1/8 “                                                         5

Gas welding 1/8 to 1/2 “                                                        6

Gas welding over ½”                                                              8

Oxygen cutting under 1” thick                                               4

Oxygen cutting 1 to 6” thick                                                  5

Oxygen cutting over 6” thick                                                 6

In addition to protecting the eyes from harmful radiation due to welding you should also consider the following personal protection;

Ventilation-Welding produces harmful fumes based on the different types of welding and metals being worked. These can be very difficult to classify so be sure to have a well ventilated work area at all times.

Protective apparel-Wear the appropriate clothing and protections as defined by the ANSI Z49.1.88-welding and cutting standards.

Protective flame resistant glove such as leather welders gloves with a gauntlet cuff.

Leather or flame resistant aprons to protect the front of the body as well as fire retardant clothing.

For more information please call 866-362-2691 or e-mail us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit our website at www.westernfirstaid.com