Welding and Cutting Safety

WELDING AND CUTTING
HAZARDS
BY: ENG. MUNTADHER HAITHAM SAEED
HSSE ENGINEER – RUMAILA PROJECT
INTRODUCTION
• MANY HAZARDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH WELDING AND CUTTING, BUT AS IN

OTHER HAZARDOUS OPERATIONS YOU CAN CONTROL THEM BY TAKING
APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS AND CONTROL MEASURES.
• SOME TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AND THE RESULTING
INJURIES ARE:-
 EXPOSURE TO THE BRILLIANT LIGHT OF A WELDING ARC RESULTING IN EYE
INJURIES
 THE HEAT OF A WELDING ARC, MOLTEN METAL, SPARKS, AND HOT OBJECTS
WHICH CAN RESULT IN BURNS, FIRES AND/OR EXPLOSIONS
 TOXIC FUMES RELEASED DURING THE WELDING AND CUTTING PROCESS CAN
RESULT IN BREATHING DIFFICULTIES
 ELECTRICAL HAZARDS CAN RESULT IN ELECTRICAL BURNS AND ELECTROCUTION
 MISHANDLING GAS CYLINDERS CAN RESULT IN MUSCLE OR JOINT INJURIES

PROCEDURE FOR WELDING AND CUTTING
• FIRE WATCH :-
THE FIRE WATCH IS A MEMBER OF THE WORK PARTY WHO HAS BEEN TRAINED IN
THE USE OF GAS MONITORS FOR DETECTION OF FLAMMABLE GASES, AND THE USE
OF PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. HE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING
A FIRE WATCH DURING THE HOT WORK IS IN ACTION. HE MUST KNOW HOW TO
RAISE AN ALARM, AND WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF AN ALARM SOUNDING. HE
IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR ALERTING THE PERSON CARRYING OUT THE WORK IF
THERE ARE ALARMS OR ANY OTHER HAZARDS WHICH MAY AFFECT HIS SAFETY.
THE FIRE WATCH SHOULD HAVE NO OTHER ASSIGNED DUTIES WHILE WELDING
AND CUTTING OPERATIONS ARE BEING CARRIED OUT.
FIRE AND EXPLOSION HAZARDS
•  IN ALL WELDING AND CUTTING OPERATIONS, A PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER OF THE CORRECT
CLASS MUST BE READILY ACCESSIBLE NEAR THE WORK
 THE WORK AREA MUST BE SUITABLY SCREENED TO PREVENT SPARKS AND HOT METAL FROM
FLYING OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE WORK AREA
 FIRE BLANKETS ARE TO BE USED TO SCREEN ANY NEARBY ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT OR PLANT
AREAS
 WELDING BOOTHS AND SCREENS MUST:-
O BE NON-COMBUSTIBLE
O HAVE INTERIOR SURFACES THAT MINIMIZE THE REFLECTION OF DANGEROUS RADIATION
O ALLOW THOROUGH VENTILATION
• WELDING EARTH CABLES SHOULD BE FIXED AT THE WORK SITE, OR IF THIS IS NOT PRACTICAL,
THEY SHOULD BE FIXED WITHIN 3 METERS OF THE WORK SITE. BOLTED STEEL STRUCTURES OR
FLANGED PIPELINES SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR CURRENT RETURN LEADS SINCE:-
•  THE PAINT BETWEEN BOLTED CONNECTIONS WILL GIVE HIGH RESISTANCE RESULTING IN A
POOR WELD
 SPARKS MAY BE PRODUCED IN AN AREA AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE WELD
WHICH MAY NOT BE COVERED BY THE WORK PERMIT AND MAY NOT BE GAS-FREE
• WELDERS MUST NEVER COIL HOSES OR CABLES AROUND THEIR BODY WHEN BURNING OR
WELDING.
WELDING AND CUTTING PRE-OPERATION
CHECKS
• PRIOR TO STARTING WELDING OR CUTTING WORK, THE FOLLOWING MUST BE

CONFIRMED:-  THAT A HITRA AND HOT WORK NAKED FLAME PERMIT HAS BEEN
RAISED
 THAT ALL TANKS, VESSELS AND EQUIPMENT, ON WHICH WELDING, CUTTING,
BURNING, BRAZING OR SOLDERING WORK IS TO BE CARRIED OUT, ARE FREE
FROM FLAMMABLE GASES AND VAPORS, OIL AND SLUDGE AND THE POSSIBLE
INGRESS OF SUCH GAS AND VAPORS DURING THE WORK. USE OF POSITIVE
ISOLATIONS IS REQUIRED.
WORK SITE CHECKS
• AT THE WORK SITE, THE FOLLOWING CHECKS MUST BE MADE:-
•  THAT WELDING AND BURNING EQUIPMENT IS PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND
WELL LOCATED WITH PROPER LIGHTING
 VENTILATION IS ADEQUATE
 THE WORK AREA IS TIDY AND REMAINS SO THROUGHOUT THE WELDING
OPERATION
 OLD BARRELS OR DRUMS ARE NOT BEING USED TO SUPPORT WORK MATERIAL
AS THEY MAY CONTAIN EXPLOSIVE GASES AND CAN BE UNSTABLE
 ONLY APPROVED FLINT GUNS ARE SUPPLIED FOR THE PURPOSE TO IGNITE
OXY-PROPANE OR OXY-ACETYLENE FLAMES
WELDING PROTECTION
• THE FOLLOWING PPE MUST BE CONSIDERED AND IF INDICATED ON THE PERMIT IT
MUST BE WORN:-
•  WELDER’S GOGGLES/VISORS WITH THE CORRECT FILTRATION, THE LEVEL OF
FILTRATION DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF WELDING ACTIVITY PERFORMED
 GOGGLES, HAND SCREENS AND WELDING HELMETS, ALL FITTED WITH THE
CORRECT GRADE OF ARC FILTER MUST BE USED FOR ALL CUTTING, CHIPPING AND
GRINDING OPERATIONS
 LEATHER, OR SOME OTHER NON-IGNITABLE MATERIAL, GLOVES OR GAUNTLETS TO
SHIELD THE HANDS AND ARMS FROM ARC RADIATION AND SPARKS MUST BE WORN
 WELDERS TO WEAR THEIR COVERALL LEGS OUTSIDE THEIR SAFETY BOOTS
RATHER THAN BE TUCKED INTO THEIR BOOTS IN ORDER TO PREVENT HOT METAL OR
SLAG FROM ENTERING THE BOOTS
 FOR CHIPPING AWAY SLAG COVERING THE WELD WHEN COATED ELECTRODES ARE
USED, A HELMET WITH A DOUBLE SCREEN SHALL BE USED
VENTILATION AND BREATHING APPARATUS
DURING GAS WELDING
• IN LOCATIONS WHERE ADEQUATE LOCAL OR GENERAL EXHAUST VENTILATION IS NOT POSSIBLE
WELDING CAN BE CARRIED OUT SAFELY BY PERSONNEL WEARING SUITABLE RESPIRATORY
PROTECTION. ON DEMAND AIR SUPPLY OR POSITIVE AIR SUPPLY TYPES OF EQUIPMENT ARE TO BE
WORN.
• THE APPLICATION OF AN OXY-ACETYLENE FLAME TO SHEET METAL COATED WITH METALLIC
LEAD, ZINC, LEAD PAINTS OR OTHER INJURIOUS SUBSTANCES MAY GIVE RISE TO HIGHLY TOXIC
VAPOURS PARTICULARLY IN CUTTING WORK WHERE AN EXCESS OF OXYGEN IS REQUIRED. FOR
SUCH WORK, SUITABLE BREATHING APPARATUS, NOT CANISTER RESPIRATION, MUST BE WORN.
• DUST OR FUME MASKS DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE PROTECTION.
• UNLESS THERE IS GOOD VENTILATION, AN AIR-LINE BREATHING APPARATUS MASK MUST BE
WORN WHEN CARRYING OUT OXYPROPANE OR OXY-ACETYLENE CUTTING OR WELDING IN A
CONFINED SPACE. AIR SUPPLY MUST BE CHECKED FOR ANY CONTAMINATION THAT MAY AFFECT
THE QUALITY OF THE AIR BEING SUPPLIED.

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WELDING AND CUTTING

• MANY HAZARDS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH WELDING AND CUTTING, BUT AS IN

 MISHANDLING GAS CYLINDERS CAN RESULT IN MUSCLE OR JOINT INJURIES

• PRIOR TO STARTING WELDING OR CUTTING WORK, THE FOLLOWING MUST BE

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