ARC RADIATION IS A RESULT OF ULTRA-VIOLET (UV) AND INFRA-RED (IR) RAYS AND EXPOSURE CAN CAUSE:

• Skin Cancer
• Thermal Skin Burns (severe sun burn)
• ARC FLASH (Welders Flash) or EYE BURN which can result in inflammation of the cornea, cataracts or blindness.
• A welding flash can occur by indirectly viewing the arc even for a relatively short time, for example:
• Unconsciously looking out the corner of the eye
• Looking away from the arc (close eyes then turn away).
• Reflections of the arc from shiny surfaces in the welding area.

ADVISED PROTECTION REQUIRED INCLUDES:

• An approved welding helmet with the correct filter and shade number.
• Safety glasses which will help to refract (bend away) the UV and IR rays away, reducing the chances of Arc Flash.
• Always wear protective full covering clothing to shield your body from potential burns, for example:
• Overalls/flame resistant wool or cotton.
• Leather apron and jackets.
• Always wear leather gloves.
• Skull cap (for overhead welding).
• Screen the welding zone when welding in open spaces.

TIPS FOR PREVENTION OF ELECTRIC SHOCK

• Never touch live metal parts with bare skin or wet clothing.
• Repair any damaged or loose connections, especially bare cables, before welding.
• Keep your gloves and other protective clothing, dry and free of oil and grease.
• Never coil or loop welding cables around your body.
• Don’t weld while standing on a wet surface or while standing in water.

Are caused by the melting, vapourisation and other reactions of the consumables, base metals and gases (where applicable) involved in the welding and cutting arcs.

Some common contaminants:

Exposure to fumes and gases caused by welding and cutting can damage the lungs and respiratory system or cause asphyxiation.

ADVISED PROTECTION REQUIRED INCLUDES:

• Keep your head out of and away from the fumes.
• Adequate ventilation is required, use natural air flow or electo-mechanical forced air systems.
• Use a welding fume respirator (minimum of P2 Grade), or Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR) Welding Helmets or a Supplied-Air (breathing-air) respirator, especially for use in confined spaces.
• Use a fume extraction unit/or fume-extraction gun in addition to the PAPR Welding Helmet.
• Please consider the people working around or near you for the exposure to welding fumes.
  
  Please Note: WELDING FUME FEVER caused by breathing fumes formed by the welding of various metals can occur a few hours after exposure and can last several days. It has been proved that drinking milk and lining your stomach does-not safe-guard your airways from welding fumes and does-not help elevate the effects nor seriousness of breathing welding fumes.

SYMPTOMS INCLUDE:

• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Dry nose and throat
• Chills
• Metallic taste in mouth
• Weakness
• Joint and muscle pain

Note: If any of these symptoms are observed please seek professional medical attention.

• Are caused by welding and related processes, operators are at continual risk of burns by hot and molten metal, sparks and heat radiated from the arc.
• Welding sparks can travel long distances and have been known to reach up to 15 metres away from the source of welding on the ground and even further when working in elevated positions.
• These sparks can reach combustible materials and start fires, as well as burning unprotected skin.
• Burns can result from handling hot just welded work (the most common of welding burns) and molten weld metal (spatter) falling or spitting onto exposed skin.

ADVISED PROTECTION REQUIRED INCLUDES:

• Always wear protective clothing.
• Keep safety glasses on your head where they belong, and wear your safety specs even underneath your welding helmet.
• Always mark just welded work with the word “HOT”.
• Keep a steel water bucket handy with cool water and metal tongs to enable the cooling down of hot metals parts that are not affected by quenching.
• Know where the nearest fire extinguisher or fire hose is and how to use them. Its best to have a Fire Extinguisher mounted close by in your welding area, or on a mobile cart/trolley if you are working on site.
• Remove combustible materials away from the welding area (at least 15 metres or 50 feet away). After welding is finished
• If in an elevated position, post a person on the ground as a fire-watcher.
• Never connect the earth-return lead to electrical circuits of pipes containing gases or flammable liquids.