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OM-185 480 Page 1
SECTION 1 – SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR ARC WELDING
safety_som1 4/95
OM-185 480 – 2/97
1-1. Symbol Usage
Means Warning! Watch Out! There are possible hazards with this
procedure! The possible hazards are shown in the adjoining symbols.
This group of symbols means Warning! Watch Out! possible ELECTRIC SHOCK, MOVING
PARTS, and HOT PARTS hazards. Consult symbols and related instructions below for necessary
actions to avoid the hazards.
Y Marks a special safety message.
. Means NOTE; not safety related.
1-2. Arc Welding Hazards
WARNING
The symbols shown below are used throughout this manual to call attention to and identify possible
hazards. When you see the symbol, watch out, and follow the related instructions to avoid the hazard. The
safety information given below is only a summary of the more complete safety information found in the
Safety Standards listed in Section 1-4. Read and follow all Safety Standards.
Only qualified persons should install, operate, maintain, and repair this unit.
During operation, keep everybody, especially children, away.
ELECTRIC SHOCK can kill.
Touching live electrical parts can cause fatal
shocks or severe burns. The electrode and work
circuit is electrically live whenever the output is on.
The input power circuit and machine internal
circuits are also live when power is on. In
semiautomatic or automatic wire welding, the wire,
wire reel, drive roll housing, and all metal parts
touching the welding wire are electrically live.
Incorrectly installed or improperly grounded
equipment is a hazard.
1. Do not touch live electrical parts.
2. Wear dry, hole-free insulating gloves and body protection.
3. Insulate yourself from work and ground using dry insulating
mats or covers big enough to prevent any physical contact with
the work or ground.
4. Disconnect input power or stop engine before installing or
servicing this equipment. Lockout/tagout input power according
to OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 (see Safety Standards).
5. Properly install and ground this equipment according to its
Owner’s Manual and national, state, and local codes.
6. Always verify the supply ground – check and be sure that input
power cord ground wire is properly connected to ground
terminal in disconnect box or that cord plug is connected to a
properly grounded receptacle outlet.
7. When making input connections, attach proper grounding
conductor first – double-check connections.
8. Frequently inspect input power cord for damage or bare wiring –
replace cord immediately if damaged – bare wiring can kill.
9. Turn off all equipment when not in use.
10. Do not use worn, damaged, undersized, or poorly spliced
cables.
11. Do not drape cables over your body.
12. If earth grounding of the workpiece is required, ground it directly
with a separate cable – do not use work clamp or work cable.
13. Do not touch electrode if you are in contact with the work,
ground, or another electrode from a different machine.
14. Use only well-maintained equipment. Repair or replace
damaged parts at once. Maintain unit according to manual.
15. Wear a safety harness if working above floor level.
16. Keep all panels and covers securely in place.
17. Clamp work cable with good metal-to-metal contact to
workpiece or worktable as near the weld as practical.
ARC RAYS can burn eyes and skin;
NOISE can damage hearing; FLYING
SLAG OR SPARKS can injure eyes.
Arc rays from the welding process produce intense
visible and invisible (ultraviolet and infrared) rays
that can burn eyes and skin. Noise from some
processes can damage hearing. Chipping,
grinding, and welds cooling throw off pieces of
metal or slag.
NOISE
1. Use approved ear plugs or ear muffs if noise level is high.
ARC RAYS
2. Wear a welding helmet fitted with a proper shade of filter to
protect your face and eyes when welding or watching (see ANSI
Z49.1 and Z87.1 listed in Safety Standards).
3. Wear approved safety glasses with side shields.
4. Use protective screens or barriers to protect others from flash
and glare; warn others not to watch the arc.
5. Wear protective clothing made from durable, flame-resistant
material (wool and leather) and foot protection.
FUMES AND GASES can be
hazardous to your health.
Welding produces fumes and gases. Breathing
these fumes and gases can be hazardous to your
health.
1. Keep your head out of the fumes. Do not breathe the fumes.
2. If inside, ventilate the area and/or use exhaust at the arc to
remove welding fumes and gases.
3. If ventilation is poor, use an approved air-supplied respirator.
4. Read the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and the
manufacturer’s instruction for metals, consumables, coatings,
cleaners, and degreasers.
5. Work in a confined space only if it is well ventilated, or while
wearing an air-supplied respirator. Always have a trained
watchperson nearby. Welding fumes and gases can displace air
and lower the oxygen level causing injury or death. Be sure the
breathing air is safe.
6. Do not weld in locations near degreasing, cleaning, or spraying
operations. The heat and rays of the arc can react with vapors to
form highly toxic and irritating gases.
7. Do not weld on coated metals, such as galvanized, lead, or
cadmium plated steel, unless the coating is removed from the
weld area, the area is well ventilated, and if necessary, while
wearing an air-supplied respirator. The coatings and any metals
containing these elements can give off toxic fumes if welded.