Ask welders about the dangers of their work, and many will name the arc, heat, and sparks. Those hazards can cause serious injuries in seconds, but other hazards may damage the lungs, eyes, and hearing over time.
A hidden spark can start a fire after welding ends. Welding fumes can cause lasting lung damage. Arc radiation can burn the eyes without a spark touching the skin.
Welding safety requires workers to control both immediate hazards and risks that may not cause symptoms until years later. These eight tips can help protect workers now and throughout their careers.
1 Check the work area before striking an arc.
Sparks and hot slag can travel farther than workers expect. Remove combustible materials from the work area or protect them with fire-resistant covers or shields. Check nearby floors, walls, openings, and hidden spaces where sparks could travel.
2 Follow hot work procedures and assign a fire watch when needed.
Use the employer’s hot work permit process when required. Assign a trained fire watch when sparks, heat, or slag could reach combustible materials. Provide the fire watch with fire-extinguishing equipment and a way to sound an alarm. Continue the fire watch for at least 30 minutes after hot work ends or longer when conditions require it.
3 Wear protection from head to toe.
Choose personal protective equipment (PPE) that matches the welding process and its hazards. Wear flame-resistant clothing, including a leather apron or welding jacket when needed, along with leather welding gloves and boots that cover the ankles. Keep sleeves down, collars closed, and pant legs over boots. Avoid synthetic fabrics that can melt onto the skin. Wear hearing protection when welding, cutting, or grinding creates enough noise that workers must raise their voices to speak to someone nearby.
4 Protect the eyes and face from sparks and arc radiation.
Arc radiation can burn the eyes within seconds. Symptoms of this painful injury, often called arc eye, may not appear for several hours. Wear a welding helmet with the correct filter shade and safety glasses with side shields underneath.
5 Capture fumes before workers breathe them.
Welding fumes contain fine particles and gases that can damage the lungs. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies welding fumes as carcinogenic to humans, even when workers weld plain steel. Use local exhaust ventilation to pull fumes away from the worker’s breathing zone. Add respiratory protection when ventilation alone cannot control exposure. Never weld in a confined space without proper testing, ventilation, and safety procedures.
6 Inspect electrical equipment before each shift.
Check cables, electrode holders, connections, and grounding equipment for damage. Remove equipment with worn insulation, exposed wires, loose connections, or other defects from service. Keep equipment dry and shut off power when workers leave the equipment unattended.
7 Secure and protect compressed gas cylinders.
Store and use cylinders upright, and secure them against falling. Keep valve protection caps in place during storage or transport. Separate stored oxygen cylinders from fuel-gas cylinders and combustible materials as required. Keep cylinders away from heat, sparks, slag, and electrical circuits.
8 Train workers before they perform hot work.
Allow only trained and authorized workers to weld, cut, issue hot work permits, or serve as fire watches. Cover equipment use, PPE, ventilation, fire prevention, emergency procedures, and job-specific hazards. Include hazard communication training on the chemical makeup of welding rods, wire, solder, and fluxes, and the fumes and gases they produce — not just general workplace chemicals — under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1200. Provide additional training when equipment, materials, work conditions, or procedures change.
For more information on welding safety, stream any of DWC’s welding safety videos or download these free publications:
- Welding, Cutting and Brazing Checklist (English/Spanish).
- Welding Workplace Program (English/Spanish).
- 5 Tips for Welding Safety (English).
For free, confidential, on-site help identifying and controlling welding or other workplace hazards, email the Occupational Safety and Health Consultation (OSHCON) Program at OSHCON@tdi.texas.gov or call 800-252-7031. Find more workplace safety resources and training programs at www.txsafetyatwork.com.