Chapter 2: Physical Hazards in the Welding Environment

A collage of five photos of people in various settings, one with a graduation cap and gown, one in a kitchen, one working as a mechanic, one seated at a computer, and one driving a tractor.
A Variety Of People From Different Backgrounds: Anyone Can Become A Welder Or Become Proficient At Welding. / Photo Credit: Anand Raj; Tasayu Tasnaphun; U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Chen; fauxels; Kindel Media, Pexels License; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0; PD; Pexels License; Pexels License

Overview

You may have grown up working with your hands on a farm around heavy equipment, or in the suburbs working on cars in your garage. You may have grown up with a goal of becoming a writer or lawyer, and working with your hands is unfamiliar. You may have grown up playing sports or spending your time creating art. You may have a background in retail or hospitality. You may have a college degree or not have finished high school. You may identify with all or none of these descriptions. What we do have in common is that we are learning a skill that can be both personally fulfilling and financially rewarding. Many of us have entered into a career in welding with no idea what we were getting into!

The rear of an ambulance with the back door open.
Figure 2.1. Following Safety Rules On The Job Can Keep You From Taking An Ambulance Ride / Photo Credit: Mikhail Nilov, Pexels License

No matter what our background is, when we start a career in welding, we must be aware of the fact we can be injured or even lose our lives while on the job. The Williams-Steiger Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970 (OSHA) requires employers to provide training and maintain a safe working environment. “Since OSHA’s establishment in 1971, workplace fatalities have been cut by 60 percent, and occupational injury and illness rates, by 40 percent.” (OSHA, n.d)

Objectives

After completing this chapter, students will be able to:

  • Know your rights to a safe workplace
  • Identify welding-specific hazards
  • Identify general industry hazards

Key Terms

  • Unsafe act
  • Unsafe condition
  • Occupational injury
  • Occupational illness
  • Burns
  • Particulates
  • Fumes
  • Hot work
  • Maritime
  • SDS/Safety Data Sheet
  • lockout tagout procedures

Attributions

  1. Chapter opening image: Man Wearing Black Graduation Gown and Cap; Cut em Up…; Aviation Machinist’s Mate Airman Jadah Martinez performs on an aircraft engine in the jet shop aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).; Photo of Man Wearing Eyeglasses; A Woman Driving a Tractor by Anand Raj; Tasayu Tasnaphun; U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Michael Chen; fauxels; Kindel Media is released under Pexels License; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0; PD; Pexels License; Pexels License
  2. Figure 2.1: image released under the Pexels License

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Introduction to Welding Copyright © by Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.