VHS English Version Product Number: 1001HEVHS
DVD English Version Product Number: 1001HEDVD
Excellent program for welders. Explains a variety of precautions, possible health problems involved in welding operations, and tips on how to generally improve the employee's health.
Excerpt: This program will discuss the general safety and healthhazards associated with welding and cutting, and examine hazards and controlsspecific to oxy-fuel gas welding, cutting, and ARC welding. Whenever possiblethe focus will be on relevant standards.
The hazards associated with weldingand cutting arise from toxic gases and fumes, radiation, electrical circuits,and flammable and combustible materials. Chemical agents commonly encounteredin welding include the fumes of nickel, zinc, iron-oxide, copper, cadmium,fluoride, manganese, and chromium, and gases such as carbon monoxide, oxides ofnitrogen and ozone. Physical agents include visible, infrared, and ultra-violetradiation, noise, vibration, thermal energy, and electrical energy. Fumesgenerated during welding and cutting operations may arise from the base metalbeing worked on, from coatings previously applied to the base metal, from theflux present, or from the filler metal being used. Other than fumes other solidmaterials such as fluxes and filler metal may enter the air through fugitivedusts. Mineral and metal dusts may also be produced.
Fumes may produce avariety of affects. For instance, Metal fume fever is an acute disease of shortduration caused by the inhalation of metal oxide fumes such as zinc, copper,and magnesium. Symptoms include respiratory disturbances resembling aninfection, influenza, fever, acute, bronchitis, pneumonia. Chills, shivering,trembling, nausea and vomiting may also occur. These symptoms most frequentlyoccur after the first exposure following a period of relief such as a Mondayafter a weekend off. In addition welders exposed to fumes containing suchsubstances iron, chromium, chromates, lead, and aluminum, may suffer damage tothe lungs, lung cancer, possible nervous system problems, and irritation to theeyes, nose, throat, and lungs. Injuries to the eye occur when eye protection iseither not properly worn, or not worn at all to protect against the electricalwelding arc. These injuries include keratitis, penetration and retinal injurysuch as welder’s flesh. Exposure of the skin to ultraviolet radiation fromwelding and cutting can result in a skin burn resembling a severe sun burn.Chronic dermatosis may also result from welding torch radiation. Hearing lossmay be suffered due to hazardous noise level or traumatic injury to the earcaused by flying metal. Another hazard resulting from welding and cutting isreduced muscle power and pain in the shoulders. These are caused by static andoften distorted postures adopted during welding operations. The fire hazardscaused by welding and cutting are due either to direct flame, or to flyingsparks, and molten metal. Explosions may be caused when welding sparks igniteflammable or explosive materials. This worker is using a drum containing asolvent as a work bench while cutting. Should the torch pierce the drum anexplosion could occur. Even without piercing the drum the heat is sufficient toincrease vapor pressure which could cause the drum to explode.
An oxy-fuel gaswelding process unites metals by heating them with the flame from thecombustion of the fuel gas or gasses. Sometimes the process includes the use ofpressure and a filler metal. It’s hard to believe that something as vital tolife as oxygen can be a deadly hazard as well, but in fact, it can be. Thepresence of oxygen is required to support any burning process. Oxygen must becombined with a fuel gas to produce the desired operating flame. Oxygen byitself is not flammable or explosive, however the presence of pure oxygendramatically increases the speed and force with which burning takes place.Combustible materials burn much more rapidly in pure oxygen than in air. Oxygenalso forms explosive mixtures in certain proportions with a acetylene and otherflammable gases, however this hazard can be controlled.