How to Reduce Industrial Welding Hazards?

Welding exposes everyone to similar hazards, whether you're responsible for safety at a large, welding-intensive manufacturing company, a billion dollar engineering-construction firm or a small independent fabricator. Follow these simple guidelines; Wear the right gear - No exposed skin - e. G. Jeans not a skirt, trainers that cover your feet and ankles not fashionable shoes. No tight fitting clothes. If something hot lands on you, you want to keep a distance between it and you. Replacing burnt clothes is easy. Replacing burnt skin is not. If you have long hair, keep it under control and preferably cover it up. Wear only flame-resistant clothing. The excuse that welding jackets are too heavy, hot, restricting or cumbersome is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Wear a Proban Backed Leather Jacket, for better protection and increased ease of movement than ever before. Don't see the light - Many wholesalers and online distributors offer clear PVC flame retardant curtains and covers and claim that they are suitable for welding. This is potentially very dangerous, as the material used must block the blue UV light in order to protect passers-by and co-workers. Speak to your distributor or manufacturer and ensure that they are supplying curtains and shelters which conform to EN1598. It takes only a moment of exposure to a welding arc's rays for unprotected eyes to experience "arc flash, " a painful condition that may not appear until hours after the exposure. Cover it up Protect plant and equipment from the many hazards associated with welding and fabrication processes using high temperature fabrics commonly referred to as welding blankets. Speak to an expert about how effective the material is for your specific application. Many retailers and distributors sell a generic blanket for all welding applications, but this is a common mistake. Glare, spark, heat retention, cutting, grinding, heat reflection and abrasion resistance are all catered for within the Tusker range. Apart from the above here are some other tips which need to be implemented to ensure complete safety while welding: - 1. Welding should be done by experts only. Any inexperienced person could put his and others lives in danger. 2. The welding area should be an exclusive area. Welding sparks scatter all around and that is why it is important to remove all flammable material from the welding area. 3. As directed, be extra cautious about your clothing and safety gear while welding. 4. Keep all welding tools, any hot discarded electrode stubs or steel pieces safely in one place. Leaving them on the floor may invite a fatal accident or injury. Also take care about welding on a wooden floor. Unless the floor is not covered with fire retardant fabric or safe against heat and fire, it is not recommended to weld there. 5. Duly ensure that a fire extinguisher lies in the vicinity of the welding area. It should be in working condition and handy. Source: GOARTICLES