Welding Safety: A Guide for Students

What's in Welding Fumes

OSHA says welding produces visible smoke containing harmful metal fume and gas by-products. The metals can include aluminum, antimony, arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silver, tin, titanium, vanadium and zinc. Gases include shielding gases (argon, helium, nitrogen, carbon dioxide) and process gases such as carbon monoxide, ozone and nitrogen dioxide.

How much you breathe depends on the type of welding process, base metal and filler metals used, welding rod composition, location (outside, enclosed space), welder work practices, air movement and use of ventilation controls. Among arc processes, OSHA lists fume production from highest to lowest as flux-cored (FCAW), stick (SMAW), MIG (GMAW) and TIG (GTAW).

Health Effects of Welding Fume

• Acute exposure to welding fume and gases can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, dizziness and nausea.
• Prolonged exposure may cause lung damage and various cancers, including lung, larynx and urinary tract.
• Certain fumes may cause metal fume fever, stomach ulcers, kidney damage and nervous system damage; prolonged manganese exposure can cause Parkinson's-like symptoms.
• Shielding gases such as helium, argon and carbon dioxide displace oxygen and can lead to suffocation, particularly in confined spaces; carbon monoxide can form.

Stainless steel needs extra care: Chromium in stainless steel and some consumables converts to hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), during welding; OSHA regulates exposure it under 29 CFR 1910.1026 and 1926.1126.

Welding Safety Rules for Fumes and Gases

• Understand the hazards of the materials; the Hazard Communication standard requires employer information and training.
• Clean coatings such as solvent residue and paint off welding surfaces.
• Position yourself to avoid breathing fume, for example by staying upwind outdoors.
• General ventilation reduces fume levels, but welding outdoors does not guarantee adequate ventilation.
• Local exhaust ventilation (fume hoods, fume extractor guns, vacuum nozzles) removes fume from the breathing zone when kept close to the plume.

Welding Safety Equipment

BLS reports that welders avoid injuries by following safety procedures and wearing personal protective equipment such as welding helmets, hearing protection and heat-resistant gloves, along with protective clothing. The hazards they name are fumes, very hot materials and the intense light of the arc. Welders also work on scaffolds, overhead, and in awkward positions, so fall protection and lifting technique matter on the job.

OSHA requires that welders complete training on electrical safety, according to BLS.

Welding Helmet Lens Shade Numbers

OSHA requires helmets or hand shields for all arc welding and arc cutting except submerged arc, and goggles or other suitable eye protection for gas welding and oxygen cutting. Its general-industry standard includes a shade guide by operation; darker numbers block more light:

From the shade-number guide in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252(b)(2)(ii)(H). OSHA calls it a guide that may be varied to suit the individual.

The pattern to remember: stick with small electrodes starts at shade 10, MIG and TIG run 11 to 12, heavy stick electrodes and carbon arc need 14, and torch work like brazing and oxygen cutting uses much lighter shades. Where the work allows, OSHA also calls for welders to be enclosed in booths or behind noncombustible screens so people nearby aren't exposed to the arc.

Ventilation and Fire Rules in the Welding Shop

OSHA's general requirements for welding set hard numbers that explain how a good school shop is laid out:

• Ventilation: mechanical ventilation is required in a space of less than 10,000 cubic feet per welder, in a room with a ceiling under 16 feet, or in confined spaces. The minimum rate is 2,000 cubic feet per minute per welder unless local exhaust hoods and booths or approved airline respirators are used.
• Fire watch: a fire watcher is required where more than a minor fire could develop, including when combustible material is within 35 feet of the work. The watch continues for at least 30 minutes after welding or cutting stops, to catch smoldering fires.
• Permits: before cutting or welding, the person responsible for authorizing the work inspects the area and sets precautions, preferably in a written permit.
• Confined spaces: OSHA means a relatively small or restricted space such as a tank, boiler, pressure vessel or small ship compartment. Ventilation is a prerequisite to working there, and shielding gases can displace oxygen.

When you tour a school, look for fume extraction at each booth, clear floor space around the welding area and fire extinguishers within reach.

Stainless Steel and Hexavalent Chromium

Welding stainless steel, and some consumables, converts chromium into hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI). OSHA's permissible exposure limit is 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air averaged over an 8-hour shift, and a lower action level of 2.5 micrograms. The general-industry rule is 29 CFR 1910.1026; construction has its own at 1926.1126. OSHA's fume guidance points to the fix: local exhaust ventilation, such as fume hoods, fume extractor guns and vacuum nozzles kept close to the plume, removes fume from your breathing zone.

Who Pays for Welding Safety Equipment

On the job, OSHA's personal protective equipment rule puts the cost on the employer. Required PPE must be provided at no cost to employees, with exceptions for ordinary safety-toe boots and prescription safety glasses that you're allowed to wear off the job. Employers must also choose PPE that properly fits each worker and train you on when it's needed, how to wear and adjust it, its limits, and its care and useful life.

School works differently, and programs vary. Hillsborough College provides consumables for its advanced program but has students supply their own safety and welding gear; College of Southern Idaho estimates tools and safety equipment at about $2,000, while Palm Beach State College folds protective equipment into its $4,000 resident price. Ask for the gear list before you enroll.

Safety Training Built Into Welding Programs

Many programs award a recognized safety card along with the welding credential. 36 verified programs mention OSHA 10-hour or 30-hour training on their official pages. Erie 1 BOCES includes OSHA 10 training and certification in its program; John A Logan College lists the OSHA 10-hour general card as a prerequisite for its Basic GMAW certificate; and South Central College says students earn their OSHA 10 card. BLS adds that OSHA requires welders to complete electrical safety training.

OSHA Welding Standards