Oxyacetylene Welding Safety

Oxyacetylene Welding Safety 

1. 1. Preventing Eye Injury

• Wear goggles with the proper lens when welding, cutting, and grinding.
• Protect others' vision by using a welding shield.
• Make sure no one is standing in front of the cylinder valve before cracking it to prevent eye injury from blowing dust and grit.
• Make sure no one is standing in front of the gas regulators when turning them on to prevent injury from flying glass should they explode.

1. 2. Preventing Burns

• Wear protective gloves, clothing, and boots (lace-up shoes can trap hot sparks, molten metal, and slag).
• Use a spark striker for lighting a torch, not matches or heated metal.
• Cool in water or mark your work "HOT" to keep others from touching it.
• Do not wear ragged clothes or cuffs on pants.
• Keep gloves and protective clothing free of oil and grease.

1. 3. Preventing Respiratory Problems

• Ventilate the work area properly.
• Do not breathe the toxic fumes from welding or cutting galvanized material.

1. 4. Preventing Equipment Damage

• Always use gas regulators to protect the hoses from the high cylinder pressure.
• Use tongs not the leather gloves to pick up hot metal.
• Do not over tighten hose connections and torch tips.
• Never lift cylinders by their valves.
• Never weld or cut on concrete; overheated concrete cracks and explodes.
• Be careful not to break tip cleaners off in the tip being cleaned.
• Keep hoses clear of the torch flame and dropping, molten metal when cutting.

1. 5. Preventing Fire & Gas Explosions

• Never light a torch in an area full of feed or grain dust.
• Keep the area between you and the cylinders clear and the cylinder valves unobstructed.
• Keep oil and grease away from oxygen and oxygen connections.
• Do not try to find a gas leak with a flame; use soapy water from a soap that does not contain oil.
• Do not weld or cut on closed containers, tanks, or vessels.
• Never leave a lighted torch unattended.
• Never use the oxygen tank as a pressure supply to inflate tires or blow off surfaces.
• Always make sure the safety chain is attached and hold onto the oxygen cylinder when moving the cylinder truck.
• When moving or storing individual cylinders, always replace the caps to prevent valve damage.

Activity:

1. Identify all the components of an oxyacetylene welder.
2. Change lenses on welding goggles.
3. Take an oxyacetylene safety test.