Welding Tips and Tricks

I have recommended and borrowed from Jody's website for many years now. I teach a lot of newbies and borrowed the Top 10 Ways for my class's safety lectures. As they needed more than just the Top Ones, I kept adding to the list. It is now up to 28 and still rising. I am no PHD either, nor a metallurgist, nor engineer. I have to make it simple for myself as well as my students. However, I also want to be as accurate as possible. Would someone please tell me if my logic or opinions are anywhere inaccurate or plain wrong?


Top 10 20 28 Ways to Kill Yourself Welding
By Phil Suderman
Adapted from Jody Collier’s Welding Tips and Tricks.Com



Ignoring welding safety is often like playing Russian roulette. The odds of hurting yourself may (or may not) be low but when it is your skin, your limbs or your life you are playing with, how high do the odds have to be? Accidents happen in a fraction of a second and don’t just affect ourselves but often hurt others around us.

Welders have gotten away with ignoring shop safety rules often enough that they tend to think they are immune or that because nothing bad has happened yet, it never will. OSHA files are filled with reports of welders who have hurt, maimed or killed themselves or others doing those very same things.

Be very wary of welders that tend to flaunt safety. Welding is not for dummies, neither is welding safety.




1. Hauling oxygen and acetylene cylinders in your trunk. A little leak here… a little leak there… a static spark…boom!! This goes for truck tool boxes also. Throwing a set of pony bottles in your truck tool box can turn into a bomb.

2. Moving high pressure cylinders with no protective cap. The cylinder falls…the valve gets knocked off…2500 psi escapes out of a hole the size of a nickel and you have a missile flying around with no guidance system.

Moving a cylinder with a crane hooked through the hole in the cap can lead to the same outcome. These bottles are quite heavy and the threads on the cap cannot be relied upon to support that kind of weight. Especially when you consider how long some of these bottles have been in service. One inspection found a bottle testing stamp dating back to the 1910’s.

3. Making oxygen and acetylene balloon bombs. A little fuel gas like acetylene…a little oxygen…mixed together in a balloon so that you can impress the neighbors on July 4th…a static spark between the 5 balloons you so hid so cleverly in a plastic garbage bag…boom!


4. Welding inside a tank or any enclosed area with MIG or TIG. Both use Argon. Argon is an inert, colorless, odorless gas that is about twice as heavy as air. It is almost like an invisible liquid the way it can fill up an unventilated room. No air, no life. Breathing Air with no oxygen in it will kill you. In fact it will often kill 2 people: you and your working partner who comes to try to rescue you.

5. Welding in Water Can Kill You. Don’t get a mental picture of standing in a bucket of water. I am more thinking of lying underneath a pipe making a weld with a puddle of water on the concrete that you didn’t quite get dried up. Granted welding current is low voltage and high amperage but it can still kill you.

6. Welding without a fire watch when there is stuff around you that can catch on fire. Welding requires skill. Skill requires focus and attention. Put that together with the fact that you’re wearing a welding helmet and can’t see what might be catching on fire and you have a situation that could definitely kill you. Remember, in the right situation, sparks and embers can live up to 4 hours after work has been completed.


7. Blowing off your clothes with pure oxygen from a cutting torch saturates your clothing with oxygen, making you very susceptible to a flash fire. It can turn you into a roman candle and kill you in style.

8. Blowing off yourself and your clothes with compressed air can also be dangerous for a different reason. Given the right circumstances, a human eye can be blown out with as little pressure as 10 psi; and high pressure can blow air, dirt and oil into open wounds or body orifices causing extreme pain and swelling, even embolisms and possibly death.

9. Welding a gas tank or any container that held something flammable. Metal may be a solid but it is somewhat porous. It absorbs some of the chemical it contains. An empty or partially empty tank is more dangerous than a full one because the fuel may be flammable but the vapors are explosive. Special precautions can be taken that can actually make it pretty safe (like washing the tank with soap and water and then purging with argon or water) but if you are not thorough enough or forget something or don’t purge well enough……You guessed it…It can totally kill you.

10. Inflating a tire with Oxygen is a really bad idea and can be a lot worse than having a under inflated or flat tire. Because it can explode and kill you!




Additional Safety Tips



11. Keeping a Bic Lighter in your shirt pocket while welding is like playing Russian roulette. One little spark and you get to experience what its like to have an eighth of a stick of dynamite explode a few inches from your heart. Uh, I’m no Doctor... but I am pretty sure this could kill you too!

12. Don’t use any old cleaner (like Brake Cleaner) to clean your metal before Welding!
Extreme heat or UV rays, as in welding, can change a useful chemical into a very dangerous or even lethal one! Many produce phosgene, a gas (mustard gas) which is actually used in chemical warfare. Research your cleaners before using them. Acetone, a very flammable solvent, is used by many welders because it evaporates almost as quickly as you can apply it.

13. When welding galvanized metal, do not grind the zinc coating off. This just puts it into a fine particulate form which you are now breathing. Rather, let it burn off while welding and take note of what direction the smoke is going. Wear a mask, if possible, stay upwind and make sure there is adequate ventilation to get rid of the poisonous fumes. Drink lots of milk! Milk supposedly is the antidote for metal fume fever. There may not be any medical evidence for it but it sure can’t hurt (as long as you are not allergic).

14. Place electrode and work (ground) cables on the same side of your body. Place work cable as close to the work area or work piece as possible. In the remote chance that the current chooses to go through you rather than your work, it at least does not go across your heart.

15. Do not coil the electrode cable around any part of your body if you work in an industrial setting. Someone walking by, or worse, a forklift, could yank you out of your weld puddle reverie and into a hospital bed.

16. Do not repair welding cables within 10 feet of the lead ends. Remove the damaged end or replace them. For damaged areas elsewhere, do not rely on electrical tape, use shrink tubing instead.

17. Be cautious when welding or cutting in dusty locations. Fine dust particles can burn easily or even explode depending on the density.



18. Beware using the same equipment in grinding or storing ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals. The finely ground particles of aluminum and iron can easily blend to produce a thermite reaction; something which many fire departments find it easier to break out the hotdogs and let burn rather than run greater risks battling it.

19. Blow out debris from a cylinder’s valve before attaching the regulator by slightly and slowly cracking the valve open, then closing it immediately. Debris blown into a regulator can contribute to fire and explosion risk.

20. Crack the Oxygen, or any high pressure, cylinder valve open slowly. Do not permit a regulator to take a hard hit from the cylinder’s high pressure. That hit can actually be hard enough to increase the regulator’s internal temperature, causing it to melt certain parts, which then can catch fire and even explode.

21. Do not adjust the torch’s acetylene once the oxygen is set. This can contribute to a flashback. With the oxygen on you can’t see what effect this is having on the acetylene stream; and it takes only a second or two longer to turn off the oxygen first, readjust the acetylene then add oxygen again.

22. Do not permit anyone with an implanted medical device around the welding areas. The electric and magnetic fields produced in welding, gouging and cutting can negatively affect the operation of implanted medical devices, such as pacemakers.

23. Grind only ferrous metals on bench and pedestal grinders. People have been badly hurt and or killed by grinders coming apart or exploding merely because they were grinding non-ferrous metal (aluminum, copper, magnesium, etc.) on a grinder meant for ferrous metal. There are other forms of shaping non-ferrous metal that work well. When in doubt, remember…
If it doesn’t spark, don’t grind it!


24. OSHA files are filled with the agony of hand-held angle grinder accidents. They can kick back, rebounding into a face or body; or catch on something, racing out of control across a body part. Always use both hands on a grinder, don’t remove the side handle or guard. Don’t try holding a part in one hand and grinder with the other. The torque is stronger than you think and generally in a direction that you have the least muscular control over.

25. Do not take off the grinder guard to accommodate a larger grinding wheel or place a large grinding wheel, which has been worn down, on a smaller grinder. The RPM differences can cause your new ‘souper’ grinder to come apart on you, inflicting you with a very bad day.
26. Do not weld on any wheel with a filled tire. The heat produces expansion of the air in an already pressurized tire, making an explosion very probable. Many people have been killed by tires exploding. People have also been killed by welding on a wheel with the tire pressure released but then refilling the tire before the weld has had time to cool.

27. If working any reasonable distance above the ground, wear fall protection and tie off. Check all safety equipment and connections for wear. People have died from falling from a height as little as six feet. Most fatal welding related falls are due to not wearing fall protection or having the protection on but not tying off correctly or at all.

28. Wear only acceptable welding attire. All textiles and fabrics will burn but not necessarily flame up.
Wool and leather are great material choices; they don’t flame up but they tend to be hot unless you live in the colder climes. Cotton is very flammable but weight and weave can make a great difference. The heavy cottons and denims tend to resist most sparks. However, flannel, brushed cotton and even T-shirts are very different, offering a surface of very fine fibers with a great exposure to oxygen. These fabrics don’t merely burn; they may flash flame so quickly that there is hardly time to protect yourself. Denim with frays or frayed holes should also be looked out for. Frays can act as kindling to a very slow denim burn. Cut off frays and patch holes to make them safer. A choice of cotton or denim might be good for welding school, home or some workplaces but a very dangerous choice for others, like the oil patch.

Man-made synthetics, like rayon and polyester, or synthetic blends are easily worse than most natural fabrics. Look out for coats and jackets that look good with a denim or cotton duck shell but have a man-made synthetic filler or lining. They may flame up in the usual sense but polyesters and synthetics easily melt and become part of the skin. They can also melt through other layers of fabric so be careful what rubber and plastic items you carry in your pockets. These types of burns can require reconstructive or cosmetic surgery. They will also often change one’s mind about the choice of a career or hobby.








Phil Suderman
Eastfield College
Mesquite, Texas

Phil,
Very well thought out.

Only thing right now that I would add is this. While wearing a safety harness, you need to remember that it's components are made mostly of nylon which can melt. Be very careful of where you tie off and where your harness is touching. A melted harness is not what you want to rely on when you fall.

Len


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That is quite a list you have there. Very good points. One i would add is always assume anything and everything is hot in either a shop or any welding environment. This is one of our safety rules. I had a engineer walk out literally right after I got done welding on a small piece and he picked it up and immediately dropped it. I think this is something we are all guilty of, I have done it more than I can count. I wil try to think I more as time goes on.

Mods, maybe we should move this topic to where more will get to view it?
-Jonathan

Superiorwelding wrote:...
Mods, maybe we should move this topic to where more will get to view it?
-Jonathan

Good idea, and done.

Otto Nobedder wrote:

Superiorwelding wrote:...
Mods, maybe we should move this topic to where more will get to view it?
-Jonathan

Good idea, and done.

Thanks Steve!

SlagMan,

Thanks for that. At Jonathan's suggestion, I've moved the topic to "General Shop Talk", which almost everyone reads.

I'd like to make a few comments. (In installments...)

First, on Jody's original list, #5. When I built and repaired boat docks, I often welded while in water. Supported by a life-jacket worn upside down like a diaper to keep myself more out of the water (a real workout to maintain balance... I miss those abs and leg muscles). I recieved the worst shock of my life (and I've been hit with 240v, and 208 three-phase) one afternoon. I was sweating in my gloves, of course, but the rods where on the deck above me, oven-dry and in bright sun. Then, while my hood was down, the boss had climbed out of the water and walked down the deck, dripping water on my rod pile. Put the next one in the stinger (120A DCEP), and couldn't let go until I had a convulsion. In other words, despite the precaution of the dry rods, one moment of someone not focusing could have killed me.

#11, Butane lighters.
These should not be kept in pockets while welding, but for a rather different reason. There is no included oxidizer, so the 1/4 stick doesn't happen in practice. Only in a test chamber where the whole lighter is heated to catastrophic failure, where the liquid turns almost instantly to vapor. In practice, flying spatter will melt a hole through the lighter. If the hole faces your skin, you'll know by the rapid pinpoint frostbite, and have a chance to stop and avoid serious injury. If the hole faces away, you can get a highly flammable cloud of gas surrounding you and saturating your clothing before you're aware of it, and become a human torch.

#13, I disagree with outright for the following reasons. The smoke from welding galvanized is molecule-sized particles that require a well-fitted and properly rated respirator to filter out. The fine but much larger particles produced by grinding CAN be shielded by a simpler, cheaper particle mask, and settle out of the air relatively quickly. Additionally, the presence of the zinc layer (especcially hot-dip) interferes with the weld quality in any process, and can lead to sub-standard welds. Additionally, zinc "poisoning" is more likely from the molecules you can absorb than the coarser particles your mucus can trap to be spit/coughed out later.

#16, repairing cables, is sound. I would add, I've been on sites where repairing cables, or cords of any kind, was not permitted at all. It was their money, so no harm to me, but there's certainly a reason for this replace-only policy that backs up your advice.

#27, fall protection. Any job that is subject to OSHA regulations define the height were fall protection is required. In general, for manufacturing and repair, if your feet are 48" or more above the deck, fall protection is required. In construction, the height is 72". There are mitigating factors, as well, such as proximity to an edge or handrail or open hole. In short, when in doubt... Tie off. Braehill made an excellent point about taking care where you tie off, to protect you harness and lanyard from damage while your hood is down.

All in all, an excellent addition to Jody's original 10.

You should consider searching for an industry group that would be willing to bring your students an OSHA 10 class. Failing that, many of the industrial equpment companies offer free and very inexpensive safety videos for their products, including Victor (oxy-fuel safe practices), Sala (fall protection), Miller and Lincoln (welding safety), to name a few. Often, you can stream or download these at no charge.

Keyword searches on Google, et.al., for "Confined space training), etc. may yield a gold mine.

Steve S

Otto Nobedder wrote:All in all, an excellent addition to Jody's original 10.

You should consider searching for an industry group that would be willing to bring your students an OSHA 10 class. Failing that, many of the industrial equpment companies offer free and very inexpensive safety videos for their products, including Victor (oxy-fuel safe practices), Sala (fall protection), Miller and Lincoln (welding safety), to name a few. Often, you can stream or download these at no charge.

Keyword searches on Google, et.al., for "Confined space training), etc. may yield a gold mine.

Steve S

Thank you Gentlemen for all your help. Please feel free to continue to add to the list.

This article backs up No. 1 on the list. This tragic accident happened less than a year ago about a 45 minute drive east of where I live. Look at the pictures of the vehicle in the Photo Galleries. This was a ticking time-bomb that did not have to happen. I don't remember if it was a RBO that caused it or a gas buildup. Residents 2-miles away said to have felt the explosion.

http://www.thedestinlog.com/news/a-frea ... n-1.203096

Thank you for the list gentlemen!

48D

We might add:

Purging a flammable container or tank with vehicle exhaust (gasoline or diesel) can be dangerous because you are assuming that all the fuel in the exhaust is already burnt. Some vehicles may run a rich fuel/air mixture which may mean you are putting more fuel into an already volatile situation.

I saw an article in a recent issue of either Hot Rod or Car Craft where it was recommended to use brake cleaner for prep of tig welds. Unreal.

No matter how much all of this info gets put out there, there's always someone who still isn't up to date. Hats off for keeping up the fight.

Actually, brake cleaner isn't really an issue anymore. It was the propellent (before the CFC ban) that made phosgene gas.

Propellent would be dissolved and/or homogenized into the solution, and the addition of heat would make "Mustard Gas", a deadly chemiocal weapon.

Now that CFCs are banned as propellents, some slight risk exists from cleaners containing methylene chloride. Doesnt' make mustard gas, but some other aggrevating though less lethal compounds. Most brake cleaners now state clearly, "Non-Chlorinated", and are just fine for degreasing metal for welding.

If you're not comfortable or sure, don't take the chance, but I use brake cleaner often for a quick clean. If I have actual "dirty" metal, I get out the laquer thinner or the grinder.

Steve S

Well, there you have it. The guy talking about people not being up to date is not up to date.

Good info Steve, I'll put my dunce cap back on.

(I've saved money over the years by buying one with an elastic strap. It should last me a while.)

The MultiPlaz has to be one of the safest welders that I use. No flammable gases, no compressed gases and yet it still manages to produce a hotter flame than acetylene. It also produces less noticeable fumes or odors.

newschoppafowah wrote:Well, there you have it. The guy talking about people not being up to date is not up to date.

Good info Steve, I'll put my dunce cap back on.

(I've saved money over the years by buying one with an elastic strap. It should last me a while.)

No was EVER harmed by taking the advice to not use brake cleaner. Even if the information is outdated, lives were saved when it was current, and there are enough other options that anyone uncomfortable with brake cleaner need not use it and do fine.

Steve S

Please do not weld with wet or sweaty gloves. I work on ships that are supposed to be totally grounded but that current will find the easiest path. Think about that when holding work for the fitter as well. Even if the ship is grounded and the pipe passes through a welded sleeve I have been 'tickled' by high frequency before the arc fired and dropped the work for fear of being shocked. A ground strap on the work close by can make all the difference. We all work in uncomfortable places, hot, stagnant, and with wet sweaty clothes by the end of the day...... take the time to get some extra ground. Steel doesnt feel the current..... but you will.

FitNPipe wrote:Please do not weld with wet or sweaty gloves. I work on ships that are supposed to be totally grounded but that current will find the easiest path. Think about that when holding work for the fitter as well. Even if the ship is grounded and the pipe passes through a welded sleeve I have been 'tickled' by high frequency before the arc fired and dropped the work for fear of being shocked. A ground strap on the work close by can make all the difference. We all work in uncomfortable places, hot, stagnant, and with wet sweaty clothes by the end of the day...... take the time to get some extra ground. Steel doesnt feel the current..... but you will.

Hey,
I can relate.

I was welding on the bed of a truck yrs ago, the headache rack I believe, and I was kneeling on the bed, steel bed mind you.
This was with my AC225, 130amps, 1/8 7018.
No glove on my left hand.
I was putting a rod in my stinger, twist stinger.
And I got zapped, dropped the stinger, and it really jolted me.

No ill effects from it tho.

Anyway.

~John

So here is a lesson learned. First I know better, am on our safety team and preach hard to others the importance of proper PPE, you know how it goes though. That one time you don't take a few extra seconds to put your leather sleeved jacket and gloves on is the one time you get hurt. I just needed to sand one small spot on some alum and the 36 grit sanding pad caught in spectacular fashion and left its mark on the bottom of my forearm. Let this be a reminder to everyone, do it right and safe. It is always that one time that gets you. Oh and it hurts bad.
-Jonathan

Ouch!

The "at work" version of road-rash...

Even the smartest can do something dumb....
Makes me wonder... Why is it when we do something dumb like that, we say, "That smarts!!!"?

Seems contradictary...

Steve S

Steve,
Maybe because it is something we are supposed to add to our "smarts". I don't know. I do know I feel really dumb for doing it but thankful it was not a cut off wheel. My wife was standing there and she said she was waiting to see blood everywhere. It is going to be a long healing process for sure. The heat and sweat killed it today.
-Jonathan