Fire Safety Tips for Arc Welding

Video Transcript

" Hello! My name is Mac. On behalf of expertvillage.com, I would like to continue our discussions on arc welding, specifically shield and metal arc welding. One of the most important aspects of safety for a welder is the fact that arc welding is inherently dangerous because it can cause serious fires. The spatter from the weld puddle can actually travel quite a distance, it is not unusual for it to travel 10 feet or more. On top of that a welder often uses cutting torches and the cutting torch slag is a liquid metal, very hot and it can cause serious fires. The most important thing a welder needs to remember is to look around himself when he starts welding or before he starts welding to see if there are any flammable materials nearby: cans of paint, bundles of rags, cardboard boxes, cylinders of flammable gas like propane or acetylene, etc. Make sure the area is clean, tidy and all flammable materials had been removed. It is important if you are welding on a wooden floor, cover the floor with sheets of plywood, fire blankets, something that will keep the hot sparks and spatter from igniting the floor. Often it is necessary to come back half an hour after you have stopped welding, take a look, see if there is any smoke, sometimes smoldering fires can ignite long after the welder is left the area. Be very careful about this. It is important. We don’t want to burn down any buildings."