If you ever wanna make someone look cool in a photoshoot or movie, have him\her cut, grind, and weld something. The less clothing they have on the better. However, in the real world, there is huge potential for injury from these industrial activities. In this safety talk we’ll take a look at some of the potential injuries that can occur from cutting, grinding, & welding, and what you can do to protect yourself, your coworkers, or your employees.
Some terms that may sound familiar to welders are “welder’s flash,” and “metal fume fever.” Welders are exposed to ultraviolet light from the welding arc which can cause very painful eye burns known as welder’s flash. Metal Fume Fever (characterized by weakness, chills, nausea, body pains, fever, metallic taste in mouth, dry nose and throat) is caused by breathing in the fumes formed by welding together the metals. None of these sound fun. Both can be prevented by wearing the required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Eye Protection: Protect your eyes from welder’s flash by using the required faceshield. Your eyes are extremely sensitive and vulnerable to other hazards such as flying sparks, metal chips, and heat. Protect them when cutting and grinding by wearing the required eyewear – Usually safety goggles, or safety glasses with sideshields, but may also be a faceshield or handshield. Ask your supervisor what PPE is required for the task you are performing and be sure to wear it.
Respiratory Protection: Find out what type of respirator is required for the tasks you are performing. Could be something as simple as a dust mask but may be special respirator designed to protect you while you work around chemicals, gases, and floating materials. Again, ask your supervisor what is required and make sure you wear it.
There are certainly other hazards and PPE requirements you should be aware of, all of which should be covered in your job-specific training. Protect your ears with hearing protection, your hands with special gloves, your feet with steel-toe safety shoes, and hard hats or helmets if necessary. You should know that your clothes needs to fit properly and that if you have long hair, it should be kept out of the way of the moving parts of the tools you will be using. You should definitely know that you should never weld near flammable or combustible materials. Always have someone on fire watch just in case.
There are many rules and safeguards in the workplace but only you can really keep you safe. Always inspect your area and keep your workplace clean. Always inspect your equipment and PPE. Always wear your PPE. Learn the procedures and follow them. If you ever have a question about the job you are about to perform, ask your supervisor.
That’s all for now.
Until next time, SAFETY FIRST!