Best Safety Equipment for Welding Facilities
When you work as a welder, the risk of injury is high if you don’t take the necessary precautions. In fields of work that are high risk by nature, safety is of the utmost importance. This is why employers should be investing in the best safety equipment for welding facilities. You don’t want your workers to be seriously injured on the job. This is the worst case scenario for plenty of reasons. Not only does injury impact the individual employee’s health, but it also affects your entire operation. In this article, we’ll go over some common dangers associated with welding and where to find welding safety equipment. Read along to understand the importance of safety in the workplace.
The Dangers of Not Using Welding Protective Gear
Welding is a profession that poses many threats. Work pieces can get incredibly hot, sparks can often fly in unpredictable directions, and so much more. With so many hazards around, it’s crucial to wear and use the best welding gear on the market. Quality gear ensures that your workers are protected from predictable and unpredictable hazards in your workplace. Here are a few of the biggest dangers that welding might pose in your workplace.
Electrical Risks
This is one of the biggest risks that welders face in the workplace. An electrical shock can lead to severe injury or even death. When two metal objects have voltage between them, the welder is placed within the electrical circut. Skin contact with these metal pieces can create a shock of 20 to 100 volts. It’s important to note that a shock of 50 volts or more can kill a person depending on the surrounding conditions. This is why welders are encouraged to wear dry clothing and gloves and to insulate themselves from the welding project. In a scenario where electrical shock can happen, welding safety equipment is vital.
Gas and Fumes
Welding fumes can be incredibly dangers and sometimes lethal. These fumes are made up of metals like aluminum, lead, iron, and more. Gases like carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, and nitrogen dioxide are also found in these fumes. Being exposed to welding fumes can cause lung damage and several different types of cancer. Additionally, these fumes can even affect organs like kidneys and livers. Respiratory protection and air ventilation are critical to fostering a safe work environment for welders.
Fire
Since welding creates high temperatures, fire is an inevitable risk in the welding industry. Ultraviolet radiation created by the welding arc can do a lot of damage. When you leave your skin unprotected in such an environment, you’re increasing the risk of getting burned. Additionally, long term UV exposure to unprotected skin can eventually cause skin cancer. The arc also causes extreme heat in general and produces both sparks and spatter. Even people around the welder’s work station are exposed to these types of hazards if welding protective gear isn’t used.
OSHA Guidelines For Welding Safety Equipment
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has specific standards for welders in the workplace. Employers that fail to comply with the set regulations face heavy legal consequences. Failure to comply can result in high fines and a list of actions to correct the workplace safet violations. Instances of repeated violations can cost you thousands of dollars per day. OSHA even order work to be stopped at a specific jobsite in certain situations. While they don’t have the power to directly shut down your business, noncompliance with regulations can result in financial turmoil. You can look up all of the standards online, but here is a rundown of some of the main points.
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Personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for workers
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Ventilation should be adequate when working in confined spaces
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Welders should be enclosed in booths or protected by screens when working
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Welding should only be done in areas that have been deemed fire safe
These are just four of the main points OSHA makes in their general requirements for welding operations. But since OSHA does not test, approve, certify, or endorse specific products, it can be difficult to find the best safety equipment for welding facilities.
Find The Best Welding Gear
To find the best welding gear, you must take the job’s needs into account. There are plenty of different types of welding projects you can take on. This means you might need a specific tool for one job that you don’t need for another. The type of metal you will be welding also plays a significant role in the kind of welding protective gear you purchase. But there are also some staple products that you will use no matter what job you’re working on. This includes:
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Welding gloves
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Welding helmet and eye protection
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Work boots or shoes
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Heat resistant jacket
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Welding pants
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Ear muffs or ear plugs
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Welding and safety screens
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Welding blanket
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Welding curtains
This is just a short list of the many staples of welding gear and equipment. The best safety equipment for welding facilities protects workers and promotes a positive and productive work environment. Keeping welders safe on the job is actually proven to up employee morale. When you have happy employees, you see more productivity and ultimately more profit for your company. Plus, employees are more likely to stay at a job for a long period of time if they feel safe.
Find The Best Safety Equipment For Welding Facilities With Singer Safety
At Singer Safety, we pride ourselves on offering our customers the highest quality industrial safety products. Our company has been a leader in the industrial barrier equipment industry since 1950. We even were one of the first companies to recognize loud noises as hazards and offered the solution of noise control systems. We have been innovators and pioneers in industrial safety equipment, and our business’s longevity is proof of that. For those searching for welding safety products that will stand the test of time, consider our products. For more information about our welding products, visit our website and start shopping today.
