Welding Site Safety Plans

Much of the focus regarding welding safety concerns the actual worker doing the welding.  Face shields, protective clothing and electrical precautions almost always focus on the welder in order to make sure that they perform their task without exposing themselves to potential injury.

However, there are other considerations to make when planning for welding to occur within a facility or job site.  Not only should the worker directly involved in the welding be afforded the proper tools and training to perform his or her job safely, but the surrounding area and all other employees should also benefit from the same level of protection.  This means taking into consideration a number of different factors that can impact the security of a welding site.

To begin with, any area where welding is planned to occur should be well marked so as to ensure that any workers who might be sharing the same space – whether as a result of performing their own tasks, or while in transit – are aware of the activity that is taking place.  This is especially important with regards to repair work that might be performed in an area where welding is out of the ordinary.  Not only does this fight through the sense of routine that can cause people to be blind to items they do not customarily encounter during their day to day responsibilities, but it also alerts them to the presence of heat and sparks which could interact negatively with any volatile substances being transported.

The latter concern can be expanded to include the effect of sparks and heat on the immediate environment.  Obviously, a shower of fire is an unwelcome proposition in almost any working situation, but in areas where combustible dust, chemical vapors or sensitive electronics are also present it can easily spell disaster.  This is part of the reason why the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that some type of shielding be used to separate a welder’s work area from the rest of the facility or job site.

This shielding often takes the form of a heavy curtain that is draped around the welder’s equipment and the items being worked on.  The advantage of a curtain is that it can be easily adapted to the shape and size of the work area, and it can also be placed over delicate gear in order to add an extra degree of protection from sparking.  Some curtains, such as those available from Wilson are manufactured in such a way as to be transparent.  Made of a special type of vinyl, they protect the eyes of passersby from the potentially harmful light frequencies produced by certain types of welding but they also allow for employees to know if a worker or equipment is present behind the curtain.  In addition, they promote the ability of light to pass through into the work area and improve the visibility of the welder, which can be critical in situations where a workspace is too cramped for supplementary lighting to be introduced.

Welding curtains are a simple, yet effective method for ensuring the safety of welders, other workers and the environment around them without having to resort to disruptive shut downs or take chances with the effects of sparking or excess heat.