Way too often many of us,myself included, need reminded of some basics. I read this the other day on OFNnet.com and thought I'd share. Very good info.
Eye's
I have been a Fitter/Fabricator/Welder for 17 years now and I hope some of what I write here will help you learn to do your own work a little less painfully. Doing all this cool stuff is a lot less fun if you're hurting yourself doing it, so this article will focus o*n personal safety. Let's start with eye protection. You only get two and they don't grow back so this is one of the most important things to protect. Good quality safety glasses are a good start and there are quite a few styles to choose from. The days of looking like a geek while protecting your
are long gone. Check all the styles Uvex carries...
www.uvex.com/eyewearindex.htmlThe majority of these use a disposable lens because they will get scratched and pitted the more you use them. Personally I wear eye glasses which makes wearing safety glasses a bit more difficult. I use a full face shield and find it's a very comfortable option. They are inexpensive and not only protect your
but also your face and neck from debris.
Check the site for a complete listing. They have one listed for about $9...a very cost effective safety solution.
http://www.safetyplus.net/product/924/Clothing
Even the clothing you wear is important when welding or working with steel in general. It is important to cover exposed skin for a few reasons. The spatter and sparks are the obvious, but did you know that the UV from welding is strong enough to give you a bad sunburn in seconds? Aside from the fact it can be painful, it also just isn't good for your skin and could lead to skin cancer...so cover up!
Denim's and cottons are best, anything like nylon type materials will melt to your skin when spatter hits it. Most "natural fibers" are good.
Foot Protection
Steel toed boots are best. Anything less and you might be limping or worse. Open toed sandals or flip-flops are definitely not what you should be wearing while doing any work with steel. Runners are marginal at best...most will allow a hot chunk of spatter to burn right through in no time and obviously they will not keep your toes from being crushed when (not if) you drop a piece of steel on them.
Gloves
Gloves should be used, preferably something made of leather. For fitting I use the inexpensive leather and fabric work gloves. They run about $2-$4 and last long enough. Mostly they prevent cuts from sharp edges as well as steel slivers. once you start welding they don't provide enough protection from the heat and spatter so for welding a full leather glove is best. Even these can be had for $4-$10 and they will outlast "fitters" gloves about 5 to 1. Also, as popular as they are, mechanixs gloves are NOT a good choice when welding or cutting. They will burn through. Invest the money on a good pair of full leather gloves.Here are some quick tips that can help you stay safer in your "man space".
Grinders
Grinders should have the safety guard in place. Admittedly I break this rule everyday so all I will say is wear your gloves and eye protection and when you're done with the grinder always put it down on it's back. I'll do a more in depth article on grinders and techniques in the near future...
Welders
Welders, roll up the leads often and make it a habit. Your leads will last longer and so will the guns plus you won't be creating a tripping hazard. Torch's, if you're not using it turn the bottles off and like the welder roll up the hoses often. Keeping things somewhat orderly will help in many ways.
Torches
Torch bottles should always be chained unless you're changing a bottle. They should be chained to something sturdy (hello Captain Obvious) Torches are another subject I'll delve into more deeply soon.
Fire
Lastly let's discuss fire and the potential for fire. I work in a concrete shop so it's not much of a concern there...yet we have about 15 extinguishers handy and spread out through the shop. Let's face it, most of us work on our stuff in wood frame garages that are attached to our home. Oxy-fuel cutting should never be done inside a wood frame garage...you'd be begging for a fire. Keep a large extinguisher handy at all times. Even the garden hose, with a spray nozzle attached and the water on, easily reachable is better than nothing.
If you can, have a buddy do fire watch for you when you're welding something...you'd be amazed at how far spatter sparks fly and how long some of them stay glowing red.
Remember, none of this cool stuff is any fun when you're sitting in the ER.
Written by tRustyK5
