Safety Precautions while Working in Welding shop:

(A) Gas welding:

1. One should not use a leaking gas cylinder.
2. One should not handle oxygen cylinders, valves, regulators, hoses or fittings with oily hands.
3. Welder should not mix the gases in one cylinder.
4. No one should transfer the gas from one cylinder to another.
5. One should clearly mention on the cylinders the type of gas in it (i.e. oxygen,acetylene, etc.).
6. One should use nose masks where the local exhaust ventilation is not practicable. Insist the safety officer to provide proper ventilation system.
7. Always avoid skin contact with fluxes, which contain fluorides. If they will penetrate the skin, they produce severe irritation.
8. No one should weld the parts, which are coated with toxic material such as lead,cadmium, zinc, mercury, or paint containing toxic before materials. Any such coatings must be removed prior to welding.
9. Acetylene gas should not be brought in contact with the unalloyed copper directly (except in torch) which may result in a violent explosion.

(B) Arc welding:

1. One should use protective clothing and eye protection devices while performing arc welding operation, otherwise radiation from electric arc will damage the retina of eyes. One has to be sure that other people standing nearby also uses eye-protection devices from ultraviolet rays.
2. Always use ear protection devices such as muffler because excessive noise caused during the process of arc welding may cause temporary or permanent hearing loss.
3. Welder should keep clothing and gloves dry.
4. Always keep welding cables free of grease and oil.
5. One should prevent the non-insulated portion of the electrode holder from touching the welding ground or job-piece when the current is on.
6. Always keep the body insulated from both the work and the metal electrode holder.
7. One should carry out the welding process by standing on the insulating material like dry wood rather than on a grounded metal structure.
9. It is easier and safer to establish an arc on a clean surface than on a dirty or rusty one.
10. Always turn the welding machine off when it is not in use.
11. One should not change the polarity switch when the machine is under use.
12. This will burn the surface of the switch and the resulting arc can cause injury to the welder.
13. Always avoid using electrode holders with defective jaws or poor insulation.