Clothing Tips for Arc Welding Safety
Arc welding safety is a concern to all arc welders, and if sufficient safety measures are taken, arc welding can be a safe and successful career. However, many times welders overlook even the most basic of safety precautions and in doing so, they expose themselves to hazards such as arc radiation, fire, explosions, overexposure to gases and fumes, and electric shock. Serious injuries and even death can result from such carelessness.
Protective clothing should always be worn when welding. It protects a welder from burns much like the clothes that firemen wear. Burns are the most common injury that welders face because sparks often find their way to bare skin. Welding arcs have a very intense light and can cause burns to both the skin and the eyes with only a few minutes worth of exposure. The clothing that a welder wears varies according to the job being done, but all protective clothing needs to allow freedom of movement while still protecting against burns from weld spatter, sparks, and arc radiation. Many kinds of clothing will protect a welder from ultraviolet radiation (which looks like a sunburn) but if there is excessive exposure severe burns and even cancer can result. This is a part of arc welding safety that many welders end to forget.
Wool clothing is better for welding than synthetics because it is resistant to fire and durable. Cotton is a good material if it is treated for fire protection. Synthetics should never be worn because they can actually melt if exposed to extreme heat, such as from a welding torch. If you can, make sure your clothes do not have oil and grease on them as they can ignite if there is oxygen present. Sleeves pant cuffs should never be rolled up because of sparks or hot metal that could deposit in the folds. To keep these same particles from falling into your boots, pants should be worn outside work boots, which should be leather high tops.
Other clothing you should wear are flame-resistant suits, leggings, aprons, leather sleeves, leather shoulder capes, and caps under your helmet. The clothing you need will depend on the job you are doing, but make sure you wear the bare minimum so that you can protect yourself. No matter what job you are doing, you should always wear heavy, flame-resistant, heavy gloves, made of materials as leather, to protect from cuts, scratches, and burns. Gloves will also provide some protection against electric shock as long as they are in good condition and dry.
As far as electric shock goes, clothing can protect you to a certain extent only if it is dry. Moisture will increase the potential for electric shock and how severe the shock is should you receive one. If you are working in wet conditions or in very hot conditions where you are sweating heavily, you should either change your clothing as often as possible so that it is dry or try to insulate even more than normal and work on grounded metal.
Protective clothing should always be worn when welding. It protects a welder from burns much like the clothes that firemen wear. Burns are the most common injury that welders face because sparks often find their way to bare skin. Welding arcs have a very intense light and can cause burns to both the skin and the eyes with only a few minutes worth of exposure. The clothing that a welder wears varies according to the job being done, but all protective clothing needs to allow freedom of movement while still protecting against burns from weld spatter, sparks, and arc radiation. Many kinds of clothing will protect a welder from ultraviolet radiation (which looks like a sunburn) but if there is excessive exposure severe burns and even cancer can result. This is a part of arc welding safety that many welders end to forget.
Wool clothing is better for welding than synthetics because it is resistant to fire and durable. Cotton is a good material if it is treated for fire protection. Synthetics should never be worn because they can actually melt if exposed to extreme heat, such as from a welding torch. If you can, make sure your clothes do not have oil and grease on them as they can ignite if there is oxygen present. Sleeves pant cuffs should never be rolled up because of sparks or hot metal that could deposit in the folds. To keep these same particles from falling into your boots, pants should be worn outside work boots, which should be leather high tops.
Other clothing you should wear are flame-resistant suits, leggings, aprons, leather sleeves, leather shoulder capes, and caps under your helmet. The clothing you need will depend on the job you are doing, but make sure you wear the bare minimum so that you can protect yourself. No matter what job you are doing, you should always wear heavy, flame-resistant, heavy gloves, made of materials as leather, to protect from cuts, scratches, and burns. Gloves will also provide some protection against electric shock as long as they are in good condition and dry.
As far as electric shock goes, clothing can protect you to a certain extent only if it is dry. Moisture will increase the potential for electric shock and how severe the shock is should you receive one. If you are working in wet conditions or in very hot conditions where you are sweating heavily, you should either change your clothing as often as possible so that it is dry or try to insulate even more than normal and work on grounded metal.
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