Posts Tagged ‘safety tips’

Take Care of Burns That Might Occur During Welding:

Thursday, December 23rd, 2010

Safety is very important that has to be considered at the time of welding. Whether it is a MIG, TIG, Stick, or any other technique of welding a welder must make sure to perform the weld with appropriate safety equipments and with suitable welding tools.

During the process of weld a welder may get injured in many ways. One of the most common injuries which every welder would have experienced is “burns”.

Burns are one of the most general and hazardous injuries that occur in the welding shop. Burns might occur through ultraviolet rays and if contacted with hot welding materials. The possibilities of getting infected are very high due to the dead tissue. Hence it is very important for a welder to get an appropriate medical treatment for the burn so as to reduce the chance of high infections.

In welding industry burns are divided into three classifications depending on the degree of the severity. They are

• First degree burns- skin in reddish color, tender and painful but it doesn’t involve any broken skin.

• Second degree burns- skin will be severely damaged which in turn results in formation of blisters and a possible break down in the skin.

• Third degree burns- surface of the skin and possibly the tissue below the skin below appears white or as charred. Since nerve endings get destroyed over here there would be no feeling in that particular area.

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How to weld aluminum in a safe way:

Monday, August 30th, 2010

Aluminum can be welded either with a wire feed welder or stick welding. To avoid injury, use these safety measures:

• Wear a protective welding hood while welding aluminum.

• It is important that you wear safety equipments like thick leather welding gloves, long jeans and boots and welding jacket to protect yourself against sparks and heat caused by welding.

• After welding work is over for the day, clean the work area as it can reduce the risk of fire caused by sparks.

• Always route the welding leads from welder to steel so that nobody can trip on them.

• Before a technician starts the aluminum welding process, ensure that all the cords and welding leads are free from defects.

• After welding work is over, turn off the welder.

• Clean up all the tools and materials used in this project so they don’t become a hazard.

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What does it take to be a Welder?

Sunday, February 22nd, 2009

If there are metal materials in need of being melted or fused together to create a product or structure, it would take a welder with skills in welding to get that job done. They are workers in the manufacturing business who use heat to join metal pieces together to become one. It would take a Welding professional to join beams at their seams in order for those parts to eventually become a building or structure.

The welder is accustomed to wearing eye goggles and welding equipment to perform their job. There are other pieces of protective equipment most welders would wear such as:

•    Leather gloves,
•    Long sleeve jackets, and
•    They must wear safety shoes too.

This equipment aids them in protecting their bodies while they perform their work. Their work environment is considered to be hazardous and they must work carefully. As a welder, you might even experience working in the midst of a welding curtain, used to protect anyone not wearing goggles or onlookers.

Their equipment, for example the goggles are used to protect their eyes from the UV rays caused by the open flame and the metal it burns. This flame can burn the retinas and damage the corneas of any welder not careful enough to follow all safety procedures.

Safety is of the highest concern and it takes a trained professional to know the seriousness of that fact and adhere to them. Which is why welders with formal training are sought out because they have some form of training on what it takes to do be a welder.

If you are looking for formal training to on how become a welder, you might find that there are classes near you in one or more of the following institutions:

•    high schools,
•    community colleges,
•    vocational institutes,
•    the U.S. Armed forces.

If you have taken a course in Welding, you might want to get certified in some skills more specific to advance your career. You might want to check with The American Welding Society to get one or more certificates to specialize in. There are some Welders that are able to be promoted within the ranks of the company they work for due to strengthening their skills and after obtaining vast experience.

In the manufacturing industry there is growth for welders. There is a need for those trained as a Welder, there are employers seeking their unique skills. Welders can look for work in such fields as: the utilities, construction, or manufacturing industries. There will most times be a demand for someone knowledgeable of the welding process or someone who is able to inspect for quality.

If Welding is a field that you are interested in and want to check on the overall job outlook for the future, it is one that is positive. The Welder profession cannot be totally replaced by automation, although there are some jobs that have been shifted because of the use of mechanical automation equipment.

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Plasma Cutter Safety Tips

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

Plasma cutters are as safe as other types of welding equipment but it is very important to follow the safety tips. Plasma works at a very high heat so there are risks involved if you do not work with it safely.

There are many different plasma cutters and some are for the hobbyist or industry. This information is geared towards those individual machines and not to larger industrialized cutters.

Electricity and Shock

Although most people understand that electricity can kill you if not worked with properly, you may not be thinking that your plasma cutter works with electricity. You will need to take the precautions with it that you would take with any other electric machine.

Between the workpiece and the torch you are completing an electrical circuit. This means that if you are operating the torch you should not touch anything around it including the water in the water table because you can get shocked from it. The plasma cutter has a higher voltage than a welder so if shocked you will get between 100 and 200 volts.

Safety Equipment You Need

Always wear boots, insulated gloves and safety goggles. You will want to keep your clothing and your body dry and use insulating mats under your feet in order to keep grounded. A welding helmet with a dark lens should be mandatory so that you are protecting your eyes. Also a particle mask will protect you from inhaling toxic fumes that may make you light headed.

Before You Cut Make Sure It’s Safe

As you approach your machine you should be sure to inspect the cup shield, the electrode and the tip to make sure everything is in place. This machine does not work the same way as a welder so it is important to avoid starting and restarting the plasma arc. This can stop your machine from operating correctly.

Noise Levels

Although many people do not like to use ear protection for various reasons it is important in plasma cutting. The noise levels form these machines can be upwards of 120 db when you are cutting at a high amperage. Be sure to wear your protection to keep your ears healthy.

Although you may see other people not paying attention to safety issues it is important for your own protection to ignore them and pay attention for yourself. Always operate your machinery responsibly.

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