COMIMSA Chapter 2

1. Introduction

Potential safety hazards as:

Electric shock.
Falling .
Radiation.
Eye hazards (UV Light).
Particulate matter in the air.
Smoke and Fumes.
Falling objects.

ANSI Z49.1, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes.

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2. Managements Responsibility
1) The most important components in an effective safety and health
program are management leadership, support, and direction.

2) Management must also be

certain that only approved

welding, cutting and allied

equipment are used.

3) Adequate training is mandated under provisions of the US

Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA)
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3. The Working Enviroment

1) Safety lines and harnesses when work is at aboveground level.

2) Clear area of potential Hazards.

3) All escape routes should be identified and kept clear. Training in

evacuation procedures.

4) Occasionally a Firewatch employee must be assigned to

maintain safety during cutting or welding.

5) Personnel in areas adjacent to welding and cutting operations

must be protected to from radiant energy and hot
spatter.Noncombustible screens or shields, eye and face
protection and wearing protecting clothes.
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3. The Working Enviroment

6) Most fires are started by sparks, which can travel up to 35 ft

(10.7 m) from their source.

7) Flammable gases, vapors and dust may also present explosion

and fire dangers.

8) Welding, brazing, soldering,cutting, or operation equipment

capable of produce heat or sparks, must not be performed in

atmospheres containing flammable gases, vapor or dusts.

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4. Eye and Face Protection

1) Welding helmets or
handshields containing
appropriate shielding must be
used by welders, welding
operators and nearby
personnel when viewing an
arc.

2) Safety spectacles, goggles

must be worn during other

types of welding and cutting

operation.
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4. Eye and Face Protection

3) Welding, brazing, soldering,cutting, or operation equipment capable

of produce heat or sparks, must not be performed in atmospheres
containing flammable gases, vapor or dusts.

4) Shading depends on the intensity of the radiation.

5) Filter plates Number 2 are recommended for general purpose

protection.

6) It is a good practice to wear safety glasses with side shields under

the welding shield.
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4. Eye and Face Protection

Oxyfuel Gas welding Safety goggles with filter

and cutting plates

SAW Tinted safety glasses

Torch brazing and Tinted safety glasses

soldering
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5. Protective Clothing

1) Sturdy shoes or boots and heavily clothing should be worn to protect

the whole body from flying sparks spatter and radiation burns.

Woolen clothing Preferable to cotton clothing

Cotton clothing Chemically treated

Polyester clothes
and Frayed denim. Sould not be used
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5. Protective Clothing

2) Cufflless pants and covered pockets should be worn to avoid spatter

or spark entrapment.

3) Pants should be worn on the outside of the shoes.

4) Protection of the head is also recommendable. Flammable hair

preparations should not be used.

5) Gloves of leather or other suitable material should be worn.

Burns Insulation from electrical shock

Abrasion
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6. Ear Protection

Properly fitted, flame resistant ear plugs or ear muffs should be

worn to avoid sparks or hot spatter.

Sparks

Hot spatter

Continuous high level noise

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7. Fumes and Gases

1) Fumes and gases are usually a greater concern in arc welding than
in oxyfuel gas welding, cutting or brazing.

2) A welding arc can generate larger volume of fume and gas, and a
greater variety of materials.
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7. Fumes and Gases

3) Protection from excess exposure is usually accomplished by

ventilation.

4) Most important factor influencing exposure to fume is the position of

the welder head with respect to the plume.

5) Fume exposure in a tank, pressure vessel or other confined space

will be higher than in a high-bay fabrication area.
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8. Confined Spaces

1) ANSI Z117.1 Safety Requirements for Working in Tanks and other

Confined Spaces.

2) Gas cylinders and power sources must be located outside of the

confined space.

3) Inside electric current of 110 V, the circuit must be protected by an

approved ground fault circuit interrupted.

4) In case of emergency, a means of removing workers quickly has to

be provided.
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8. Confined Spaces

5) A trained helper should be stationed outside the confined space with

a preplanned emergency rescue procedure.

6) Ventilation in confined spaces must:

a) Ensure adequate oxygen for life support.

b) Prevent accumulation of an oxygen-enriched atmosphere.

c) Prevent accumulation of flammable mixtures.

7) Before a worker enters a confined space, the space should be tested

for toxic or flammable gases and vapors and adequate or excess
oxygen.
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8. Confined Spaces

Accumulate in pits, tank

Heavier-than-air gases bottoms, low areas, near
floors.
Ar, methyl-acetylene
propadiene, propane,
and CO2

Accumulate in tank tops,

Lighter-than-air gases high areas, and near
ceilings
He, H
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9. Handling of Compressed Gases

1) Precautions when handling cylinders:

a) Must not be welded.

b) Must not become part of an electric circuit.
c) Must not be used as work rests or rollers.
d) Should be protected from bumps, falling objects and weather.
e) Temperatures 0 F to 130 F ( -18 C to 54 C).
f) Proper cradles or cradle slings should be used to secure cylinders
from hoisting.
g) Electromagnets should not be used when handling cylinders.
h) Must always be secure from falling during either use or storage.
i) Acetylene and liquefied gas cylinders should be stored and used
in upright position
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9. Handling of Compressed Gases

2) Before using gas from a cylinder, the contents should be identified

only by the label on the cylinder. If a cylinder has no label , the
contents should not be used and the cylinder should be returned to
the supplier.

3) The cylinder should never be lifted manually or hoisted by the valve

protection cap.

4) Appropriate pressure-reducing regulators should be used to withdraw

gases from cylinder. Such regulations must be used only for the gas
and pressure given in the label.
Cylinders containing high pressure gases must be opened slowly to
prevent rapid pressurization of the regulator
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9. Handling of Compressed Gases

5) Once high pressure cylinders are opened the tank valve should be
opened all the way to back seat the valve.

6) Tank valves on cylinders containing fuel gases should not be opened

more than one turn.

7) When not in use, the tank valves should be closed, the lines purged,
and the pressure-regulating screw backed out.
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9. Handling of Compressed Gases

State and local regulations

Storage of Cylinders and the appropriate
standards of OSHA and
NFPA.

Handbook of Compressed
Safe handling and Gases from Compressed
storage procedures Gas Association (CGA)
COMIMSA Chapter 2
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10. Gases

Oxygen

1) Nonflammable but it supports the combustion of flammable materials.

2) Should not be stored near combustibles or fuel gas.

3) Should not be used as a substitute of compressed air.

4) Oil, grease and combustible dusts may spontaneously ignite on

contact with oxygen.

5) Oxygen valves, regulators and apparatus should be never lubricated

with oil.
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10. Gases

Fuel Gases

1) Acetylene, methilacetylene propadiene (MAPP), natural gas, propane

and propylene.

2) Acetylene in cylinders is dissolved in a solvent, so that can be safely

stored under pressure. In its free state, should never be used at
pressures over 15 psi, because it can dissociate with explosive
violence at higher pressures.

3) Acetylene and MAPP should never be used in contact with Ag, Hg, Or
alloys containing 70% or more copper, because the gases react to
form unstable compounds that may detonate under shock or heat.
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10. Gases

Fuel Gas Fires

1) Best procedure is to prevent leakage.

2) The gas cylinder should be examined for leaks, especially at fuse
plugs, safety devices and valve packing.

3) One common source of fire is the ignition of leaking fuel by flying

sparks or spatter.

4) In case of a fuel fire, to control it shut off the valve, if accessible. A

fuel gas valve should not be opened more than one turn, because in
this way it can be shut off quickly.

5) Most fuel gases in cylinders are liquid. The cylinder always should be
used in upright position to prevent liquid surges into the system.
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10. Gases

Shielding Gases

1) Ar, He, CO2, N.

2) Odorless and colorless and can displace air needed for breathing.

3) In confined spaces should be checked for adequate oxygen

concentration with an oxygen analyzer. If an analyzer is not available,
an air-supplied respirator should be worn by personnel entering the
space.
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11. Electric Shock

1) Electric shock occurs when an electric current of sufficient amount to

create an adverse effect passes through the body.

Currents greater than 6 mA direct physiological harm

primary shock currents

Currents 0.5 to 6 mA Involuntary muscular

reactions without causing
Secondary shock direct physiological harm
currents

0.5 mA Just begin to feel the

current
Perception threshold
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11. Electric Shock

2) Electric shock in welding industry usually occurs as a result of

accidental contact with bare or poorly isolated conductors.

3) Wearing dry gloves and clothing in good conditions, prevents from

electric shock under damped or wet conditions.

4) Using Rubbed-soled shoes and insulate layer as rubber mat or a dry

wooden board, protect the WI from electrical conductive surfaces.

5) Rings and jewelry should be removed before welding, to decrease the

possibility of electric shock.
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11. Electric Shock

6) Electric shock hazards are reduced by:

a) Proper equipment installation and maintenance.

b) Good operator practice.

c) Proper clothing and body protection.

d) Use the equipment designed for the job and situation.

7) Equipment should meet applicable NEMA or ANSI standards such as

ANSI/UL 551, Safety Standard for Transformer Type Arc Welding
Machine.

7) Equipment installation must be performed in accordance with the

requirements of ANSI/NFPA 70, National Electric Code , and local
codes.