SUMMARY

INFORMATION SOURCES

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Weldingand Cutting AWS disclaims liability for any injury to persons or to property, or other damages of any nature whatsoever, whether special, indirect,consequential or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from the publication, use of, or reliance on this Safety and Health Fact Sheet.AWS also makes no guaranty or warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein. Fact Sheet No. 33 5/08 Page 1 INTRODUCTION Like other jobs or careers, welders mustwear suitable protective equipment. Ingeneral, Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) must protect against hazards suchas burns, sparks, spatter, electric shock,and radiation. The use of PPE is a goodsafe practice and may be required byregulatory agencies. For example, OSHArequires the use of PPE when engineeringand administrative controls are not feasibleor effective. NATURE OF THE HAZARD Welding and cutting can produce hazardssuch as sparks, spatter, radiation (infrared,ultraviolet, and blue light), slag, heat, hotmetal, fumes and gases, and even electricshock. Since these hazards may causeburns, injury, or death, it is important towear proper PPE at all times. EYE AND FACE PROTECTION Wear a helmet with filter lens andcover plate that complies with ANSIZ87.1 for protection from radiantenergy, flying sparks, and spatter. According to ANSI Z49.1 and OSHA29 CFR 1910.252, "Helmets andhand shields shall protect the face,forehead, neck, and ears to avertical line in back of the ears, fromthe direct radiant energy from thearc and from direct weld Helmets shall be made of materialthat complies with ANSI Z49.1. Filter lenses and cover plates mustmeet the tests prescribed in ANSIZ87.1. Wear approved safety glasses withside shields (or goggles) under yourhelmet. The safety glasses with side shields(or goggles) are used to protectagainst flying metal, slag chips,grinding fragments, wire wheelbristles, and similar hazards, whichcan ricochet under the helmet. Choose a filter lens shade accordingto the Lens Shade Selector Chart inANSI Z49.1. Consult AWS Fact Sheet 31, Eye and Face Protection for Welding and Cutting Operations. HEAD AND EAR PROTECTION Wear a fire-resistant welders cap orother head covering under yourhelmet. It will protect your head andhair from flying sparks, spatter,burns, and radiation. When working out of position, suchas overhead, wear approved ear-plugs or muffs. They prevent sparks,spatter, and hot metal from enteringyour ears and causing burns. If loud noise is present, wearapproved earplugs or muffs toprotect your hearing and preventhearing loss. FOOT PROTECTION Select boots that meet therequirements of ASTM F2412 andASTM F2413 (or the older ANSI Z41which has been withdrawn). Look for acompliance mark inside your boot. Wear leather, steel-toed, high-toppedboots in good condition. They will helpprotect your feet and ankles from injury. In heavy spark or slag areas, use fire-resistant boot protectors or leatherspats strapped around your pant legsand boot tops to prevent injury andburns. Do not wear pants with cuffs. Wear thebottoms of your pants over the tops ofyour boots to keep out sparks and flyingmetal. Do not tuck pant legs into yourboots. HAND PROTECTION Always wear dry, hole-free, insulatedwelding gloves in good condition. Theywill help protect your hands from burns,sparks, heat, cuts, scratches, andelectric shock. ANSI Z49.1 requires all welders to wearprotective flame-resistant gloves, suchas leather welder's gloves. They shouldprovide the heat resistance and generalhand protection needed for welding. BODY PROTECTION Wear oil-free protective clothing madeof wool or heavy cotton. Heaviermaterials work best. They are harder toignite and resist wear and damage.

Choose clothing that allows freedom ofmovement and covers all areas ofexposed skin. Wear long sleeved shirts(no tshirts), and button the cuffs,pockets, and collar. They will protectyour arms and neck from radiationexposure and skin burns (caused byultraviolet radiation from the arc). Wear heavy, durable, long pants (noshorts) without cuffs that overlap thetops of your boots. Keep clothing dry. Change it whenneeded (this reduces the possibility ofelectric shock). Be aware that any cuffs or openpockets can catch flying sparks andstart on fire easily. Unroll cuffs andbutton pockets to prevent spark entry. Keep clothing clean (free of oil, grease,or solvents which may catch fire andburn easily). Keep it in good repair (noholes, tears, or frayed edges). Alwaysfollow the manufacturer's directions fortheir use, care, and maintenance. Remove all flammables and matchesand cigarette lighters from yourpockets. Do not wear synthetic (man-made)fabrics because they may burn easily,melt, stick to your skin, and causeserious Wear leather aprons, leggings, capesand sleeves as needed for theapplication. Leather protects better thanmost materials.Read ANSI Z49.1. It gives a fullexplanation of the protective clothingneeded when welding or cutting. In brief,Z49.1 states that Clothing shall providesufficient coverage, and be made ofsuitable materials, to minimize skin burnscaused by sparks, spatter, or radiation.Full details are in the document. RESPIRATORY PROTECTIVEEQUIPMENT For information on respirators, see ANSIZ49.1. Also see OSHA and NIOSHregulations. SUMMARY Protect all areas of your body from injuryduring welding or cutting by wearing theproper protective clothing and equipment.Do not weld or cut unless wearing thenecessary PPE as specified in this FactSheet and in ANSI Z49.1. INFORMATION SOURCES American National Standards Institute(ANSI).Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes, Z49.1, available fromAmerican Welding Society, 550 N.W.LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126 (phone:8004439353, American National Standards Institute(ANSI). Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection, Z87.1, available from ANSI, 11 West 42ndStreet, New York, NY 10036-8002. Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA). Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29 Labor, Parts 1910and 1915, available from U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office, Superintendent ofDocuments, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh,PA 152507954 (phone: 800321 6742,website: www.osha.gov). National Fire Protection Association(NFPA). Standard for Fire Prevention during Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work, 51B, available from National FireProtection Association, 1 BatterymarchPark, Quincy, MA 022699101 (phone:8003443555, website:www.nfpa.org). American Welding Society (AWS). Safetyand Health Fact Sheet No. 31, Eye and Face Protection for Welding and Cutting Operations, available from AmericanWelding Society, 550 N.W. LeJeune Road,Miami, FL 33126 (phone: 8004439353,website:www.aws.org). ASTM International Standards, F2412, Test Methods for Foot Protection, andF2413, Specification for Performance Requirements for Protective Footwear, available from ASTM International, 100 BarHarbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, WestConshohocken, PA 19428-2559 (telephone:610-832-9585; website:www.astm.org).(Note: F2412 and F2413 have replaced theformer ANSI Z41 standard, which has nowbeen withdrawn.)