Welding For Dummies

Four main types of fire extinguishers (shown in Figure 3-2) work on four different kinds of fires:

❯❯ Class A: Class A extinguishers take care of any fires that produce ash. These fires usually involve wood, cloth, or paper.

❯❯ Class B: Class B fire extinguishers are for fighting fires caused by flammable liquids, such as gasoline, oils, and paints.

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Class C: Electrical fires call for Class C fire extinguishers. Don’t use any water- or foam-based extinguishers on an electric fire, or you put yourself at risk of serious shock.

❯❯ Class D: Use Class D extinguishers on metal fires. Combustible metals like magnesium, potassium, and sodium are extremely flammable, and fires based on these materials are very dangerous. Class D extinguishers are best for these fires because the other classes often disperse a metal fire instead of putting it out, and that makes the situation worse.

You should keep a Class C extinguisher nearby when you’re welding, in case an electrical fire breaks out. I recommend also keeping a Class B on hand for oil fires.

In addition to fire extinguishers, keep a water source (a hose, for example) and a bucket of sand nearby when you’re welding. They can come in handy when you need to control ash and metal fires, respectively, without the need for special extinguishers.

The best way to avoid needing an extinguisher is to cut down on the flammability of your project in the first place. For example, you may find the need to weld a metal 55-gallon drum. (It’s a common welding task.) If so, take care to ensure that the drum doesn’t have residual flammable materials on the interior. Before welding, be sure to clean the interior with steam or a chemical cleaner.

FIGURE 3-2: Four classes of fire extinguishers.

Wearing protective clothing

If you’ve ever thought of yourself getting started on your first welding project wearing a pair of shorts, an old t-shirt, and a pair of flip-flops, think again. If you want to keep your body safe from the hazards of welding – especially burns – you have to always wear appropriate protective clothing.

Welding produces a huge amount of hot metal sparks and flying slag (molten metal). To keep your skin from being burned, choose clothing made from the right material. One of the best options is 100-percent wool, but it can be difficult to find and is extremely hot. (Some people are also allergic to wool.) I prefer 100-percent cotton, and it’s the most popular material used for welding clothing. The fabric should be thick (because welding rays can penetrate thin fabric and burn your skin like a sunburn) and dark-colored; black and dark blue are good options.

Sorry, but you can’t use that old polyester leisure suit from the ’70s when you’re welding. Synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, and rayon are unsafe for welding because they can melt and adhere to your skin when they get hot. And that definitely does not promote leisure.

Before welding, check to see that your clothes are free from oil and anything else flammable. They should also be tight fitting and free from holes and frayed or torn edges. Here are a few more clothing-related details to bear in mind.

❯❯ Shirts: Wear long-sleeved shirts only, and tuck your shirttail into your pants. If you wear a shirt with front pockets, make sure they have flaps covering them so that sparks can’t fall down inside. Keep your shirt sleeves rolled down at all times.

❯❯ Pants: Make sure your pants cover the tops of your shoes or boots so that sparks can’t get in.

❯❯ Gloves: Protect your hands with leather gauntlet gloves. Don’t wear cotton gloves at any time.

❯❯ Boots or shoes: Go with leather boots or shoes, and make sure they come up high on your ankle. Leather is the best option because it protects you from the hazards and heat created by the welding process. The tops of the shoes should be smooth so sparks don’t get trapped.

❯❯ Hats or beanies: You can buy a welder’s beanie to keep your hair from catching fire – not a bad idea.

❯❯ Leather jackets: A full leather jacket protects you from sparks and slag when you’re doing work in unusual positions, but many such jackets are very hot and heavy to wear. If a leather jacket is too hot and uncomfortable, you can buy leather sleeves and bibs only. These items are cooler and more comfortable, but they do leave your back unprotected.

❯❯ Leather aprons: These items protect your lap, and I highly recommend wearing one if you plan to sit down while welding.

❯❯ Spats: If you’re going to have a large amount of sparks and slag (the waste products that come from the flux) falling at your feet, you may consider getting some spats (shoe covers). Leather spats greatly reduce the risk of burns on your feet and damage to your shoes or boots.

Be careful what you have in your pockets when you weld. If you have a cigarette lighter or matches in your pocket during a welding project and a spark gets close enough, it can cause a fire in your pocket.

Watching health hazards: Using a respirator and Material Safety Data Sheets

Keep the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for every chemical and other potentially hazardous material in your welding shop on hand. These sheets describe all the properties of a given substance and include details on potential health hazards. Make certain that you and anyone who enters your welding area know the dangers of the materials on hand.

If you’re going to be working with metals or other materials that can produce toxic fumes – check your MSDS to be sure – you should wear a respirator. Simply welding or cutting certain materials can cause a welding plume, which is a mixture of dangerous gases, fumes, and smoke, and that’s definitely not the kind of thing you want to inhale if you’re interested in avoiding respiratory problems.

Figure 3-3 shows four types of respirators:

❯❯ On the top left, you can see a welder’s mask, which works to keep fumes out of your lungs.

❯❯ The mask on the top right has canisters that filter fumes and other hazardous materials while you’re welding. You can get different types of canisters to match the kinds of hazards specific to various welding projects.

❯❯ The basic dust mask on the bottom left offers the least amount of protection.

❯❯ The mask on the bottom right filters out particulate matter, so it’s a step up from the basic dust mask but doesn’t do much to protect you from harmful chemical fumes.

FIGURE 3-3: Four different respirator masks.

The metals you weld aren’t the only items that can cause harmful fumes – the substances that may coat those metals can also be hazardous. If you suspect that a piece of metal may be coated with paint or another kind of chemical that may generate dangerous fumes when heated up, be sure you remove that substance (with a chemical cleaner or grinder) before you weld.

In order for a respirator to be completely effective, you need to fit it with the right filter. Check your MSDS to find out which filter you need to protect your respiratory system from a given substance. You can also ask for help at your welding supply store.

Observing Basic Safety Rules

I’ve heard that some people are accident prone, but I just don’t believe that – especially when it comes to welding. Welding accidents occur when welders act carelessly, don’t read instructions, and don’t follow safety regulations. Every year, thousands of people are injured because they don’t take safety precautions while welding.

In many ways, welding safety is a habit. It’s the result of taking the appropriate precautions over and over, every time you weld. Following are a few safety tips that you should make a habit of in your welding shop:

❯❯ Don’t take chances while welding.

❯❯ Don’t use any welding equipment or supplies until you’ve thoroughly read the instructions and any additional safety information.

❯❯ Any time an accident occurs, be sure to fix the problem that caused it before doing any additional welding.

In addition to these very basic safety tips, you also need to be familiar with a few more-involved safety goals, and that’s what I cover throughout the rest of this section.

Keeping your work space clean

When it comes to your welding area, practice good housekeeping. Take the time before, during, and after a welding project to make sure the area is tidy and organized. Here are a few pointers to help you accomplish the goal of maintaining a shipshape welding shop:

❯❯ Designate a place for all tools, and when you’re done using a tool, be sure it goes back in the correct place. At the end of a welding project (or at the end of the day), clean all tools and inspect them for any damage that may have occurred while you were welding.

❯❯ Keep cables neat and free of knots. Nothing makes for a worse tripping hazard than messy tangles of cables.

❯❯ If you have any combustible items in your shop, be sure they’re stored away safely before you start to weld. (“Storing flammable liquids and gases” later in the chapter gives you the lowdown on proper safekeeping of such items.)

❯❯ Be sure your work area has adequate lighting. A well-lit workspace is less likely to become cluttered and disorganized.

❯❯ Keep all scrap metal out of your welding area.

❯❯ If a spill occurs, stop what you’re doing and clean it up immediately.

❯❯ When your waste or garbage container becomes full, take the time to go and dump it.

Checking for leaks

Your welding shop is bound to contain pressurized containers full of liquids or gases. Take special care to ensure that none of those containers (or the tools that you attach to them) has leaks. Checking for leaks is a simple process:

1. Mix one teaspoon of dish soap in a spray bottle full of water.

2. Spray the mixture onto any area of a pressurized container that is likely to have a leak.

Fittings and valves are usually the most likely sources of a leak.

3. Look and listen closely for bubbles.

If you see bubbles or hear a bubbling noise, that probably means you have a leak. If the bubbles are popping up near a fitting, use a wrench to tighten up the fitting. Then reapply the soapy water and check again for bubbles. If you see bubbles on or near a valve, it may be time to replace the valve.

If you’re using any oxyacetylene equipment (see Chapters 11, 12, and 13), you know when you have a leak if you smell garlic. Manufacturers now add a compound to the acetylene that makes it smell like garlic; if you get a waft of garlic smell and think you may have a leak, use the soapy water method I describe in this section to find out where the leak is coming from. (Of course, the garlic smell may also be the result of the pizza you had for lunch, in which case you may just want to grab a stick of gum.)

White thread seal tape can be useful for making sure that fittings and valves don’t leak, but be sure you never use the tape on brass fittings because brass fittings seal themselves.

Hoses are also common sources of leaks, so make sure to inspect your hoses frequently for nicks and burned sections. And please don’t try to fix your hoses with tape! Tape fixes aren’t reliable, and they don’t last very long. Figure 3-4 shows you what a leaking oxygen hose looks like.

Getting the ventilation right

Welding produces byproducts, and while you’re welding you can be exposed to a number of dangerous gases. These gases are created when metals are heated above their melting points, when certain electrodes (with special coatings) are in use, and when you don’t scrape or clean certain materials (paint, for example) off a section of metal before you weld it.

FIGURE 3-4: An example of a leaking oxygen hose.

If you want to stay healthy, you certainly don’t want to inhale those gases, so make sure your welding area is properly ventilated before you begin any welding operation. You can use natural ventilation if you have windows, doors, or garage doors in your welding shop that you can open safely to allow a breeze in. You can also utilize forced air movement with fans and blowers. For detailed information on how to ensure a suitable level of ventilation in your welding workspace, check out the welding-specific information provided on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website at www.osha.gov/SLTC/weldingcuttingbrazing.

Proper ventilation is always important, but it’s completely critical when you’re welding metals that create particularly noxious, dangerous fumes. These metals include (but aren’t limited to) lead, zinc, and cadmium. Be sure to read your MSDS before using any new material.

Storing flammable liquids and gases

You may need to keep several flammable liquids and gases on hand in your welding shop, including acetylene, propane, and natural gas. You need to treat these materials with a great deal of care and respect because they can cause a huge amount of injury and damage in no time at all.

Store all flammable liquids in sealed containers and keep the containers in a flammable liquids locker like the one depicted in Figure 3-5. These lockers are made of metal and have a door that closes securely. You can buy a flammable liquids locker at your welding supply store or even a home improvement warehouse. As you can imagine, you don’t want to put the locker anywhere in your shop or welding area with a source of heat nearby.

FIGURE 3-5: A common flammable liquids storage locker, appropriately labeled.

A few common flammable welding gases (such as the acetylene, propane, and natural gas I mention earlier in the section) are compressed so that a large amount of gas can be put into a cylinder for controlled use. If you have these cylinders in your welding shop, be sure to store them far away from any heat source. Oxygen gas is also very dangerous when pressurized, so treat it with the same respect you would any other potentially hazardous gas.

Knowing your surroundings

You can prevent many different types of safety hazards in your welding shop simply by being aware of your surroundings and reacting quickly when something goes awry. When you’re working on a weld, you can easily get really focused and lose track of what’s going on around you, so you have to make a real effort to stay aware of your environment.

Pay close attention to any unusual smells or sounds. If you hear or smell something strange, check it out immediately – it may very well be a fire or something starting to catch fire. When you take a break from welding, either for a few minutes or for the night, take some time to look around the area to make sure nothing is burning or smoldering.

When you finish welding, double-check to make sure your welding equipment is turned off so that it doesn’t start a fire after you leave it unattended.

You should also take care to understand the materials you work with and give them the respect they deserve. Welding requires a number of harmful materials, and the short- and long-term effects of those items on your health can be severe. As I note throughout the chapter, always look at the MSDS for your materials so that you’re well informed of potential risks.

Don’t weld or cut anywhere near an area that may contain explosive or flammable vapors.

Welding also creates quite a bit of waste material that can harm your health. Electrode stubs (the 2- to 3-inch pieces of stick welding electrode that you can’t use) and scrap metal are two of the top offenders. Keep those things in safe containers until you can take them to your local metal recycling center. Some of the flux and dust that you generate when welding can be considered hazardous waste; read the literature that comes with your electrodes to understand what you’re up against. If you’re dealing with hazardous waste, don’t just throw it in the trash, on the ground, or in the toilet. Instead, dispose of it by taking it to your area’s hazardous waste disposal facility.

Protecting yourself from electric shock

Most welding equipment uses some sort of electrical power, so electric shock is a very real risk in the welding trade. Electric shocks can cause injury, death, fires, and explosions; here are a few tips to keep in mind in an effort to keep your risk for electric shock at an absolute minimum.

❯❯ Don’t allow electrode holders to touch wet gloves or wet skin.

❯❯ When using extension cords, be sure to plug the power tool you’re using into the extension cord before plugging the extension cord into the wall outlet. Then be sure you unplug the extension cord before you unplug the power tool.

❯❯ Be sure your extension cords don’t have kinks, knots, or nicks. Inspect your cords before you use them (every time), and get rid of the cord immediately if you notice damage.

❯❯ If a cable or cord feels hot to the touch when you’re using it, discontinue use right away. The heat means that the cord isn’t big or heavy duty enough for the amount of electricity you’re using, and that can be very dangerous.

❯❯ If any of the power tools or extension cords you’re using has a three-pronged plug and is missing one of the prongs, don’t use the tool or cord under any circumstances.

❯❯ Keep all power tools and cords dry at all times.

❯❯ If your power tools have worn or broken parts, repair or replace the broken parts immediately.

❯❯ If your power tools have keys, chucks, or wrenches attached to them, be sure to remove those items before plugging in or using those tools. They can create a hazard if they’re still inserted when the power tool starts moving or spinning.

❯❯ If a power tool’s housing is cracked, don’t use it.

❯❯ Make sure you provide a ground for any electric tool or device that requires grounding. (Read tool and equipment instructions thoroughly to determine whether you need to provide a ground.)

Shielding yourself from burns

You can suffer burns from two different sources while welding: hot metal and ultraviolet light. Burns caused by hot metal are self-explanatory, but you may not realize at first that you can also receive a burn from the ultraviolet light that’s a part of arc welding rays.

These rays are the same as what’s generated by the sun, except welding rays are much more concentrated. I’m sure as a child you heard to never look directly at the sun, right? Well, you certainly don’t want to look directly at a welding arc either. If you do, you can easily suffer burns on your retina, and you may lose part of your eyesight. These types of burns are called flash burns or arc eye, and as you can imagine, they’re extremely painful. You feel like you have something in your eye, and usually that’s caused by a blister on your eyeball (fun!). And just because you don’t feel the effects immediately doesn’t mean you haven’t been affected – they start about 8 to 24 hours after you look at a welding arc. Damage can occur even when the light is reflected off of a shiny surface.

To reduce the risk of burns while welding, minimize the amount of ultraviolet light reflected from the welding arc by painting the surfaces of your welding workspace (even the walls) with a flat, dark-colored paint (black and dark blue are good choices). You should also always wear a welding helmet and protective clothing, as I describe in “Gearing Up to Protect Yourself” earlier in the chapter.

Metal you’ve just welded will be hot, of course, so you need to make sure no one burns themselves on it. If you have to walk away from the weld, even for a minute, write “Hot” on the piece with a soapstone so passersby know not to touch.

Handle all hot metal with pliers to prevent burning your hands, even when wearing gloves. Another habit to develop is using the back of your hand (cautiously) to check to see whether something is hot. Put the back of your hand about a foot away from the potentially hot piece and move it slowly toward the piece. If it’s too hot, you’ll be able to tell when the back of your hand gets within two or three inches.

Maintaining your equipment

If you want to create the safest possible working environment for your welding jobs, you have to maintain your equipment extremely well. If your welding equipment and tools are falling apart, they’re just waiting to cause an accident, and almost all those types of accidents are preventable if you take care of your gear. Here’s how you can do just that:

❯❯ Perform a regular check of all equipment. Keep a list of all your equipment on a notebook or clipboard and do a monthly check through all of it to make sure everything is in good working order. Pay special attention to your electric equipment, hoses, cords, and regulators to make sure you don’t get shocked because of faulty equipment, and also to see that you don’t have a potentially harmful gas leak.

❯❯ Don’t hesitate to get professional repair help. If you notice something odd or potentially dangerous with some of your equipment and you don’t feel confident in your ability to remedy the problem on your own, take the equipment to a qualified service professional. Your local welding supply store should have someone on staff who can make those kinds of repairs, or be able to point you toward someone who can.

❯❯ If a tool or piece of equipment isn’t working the way it should, stop using it! Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can “work out a bug” by just using a tool a little more.

Make sure the heads of your chisels and punches are ground round to keep the chips around the head from flying off when you’re using them. That’s a common but easily fixable problem.

Being Prepared for Injuries and Accidents

If you follow the safety guidelines I describe throughout this chapter, you greatly reduce the chances of an accident occurring in your welding shop. However, if an accident does happen, you need to know exactly what to do and how to handle it. That’s what I tackle in this section.

You should always have a telephone handy in case of an emergency, so you can quickly dial 911. It’s also a good idea to let friends and family know when you’re working in the shop so that they’ll notice if you don’t come back within a reasonable amount of time.

Equipping your first-aid kit

Keeping a first-aid kit in your welding shop is always a good idea so that you have the items you need if an accident occurs. Here’s what I recommend you include in that kit: