PPE in the Welding Industry

ppe or personal protective equipment is equipment whose design and intention is to protect an individual’s body from the hazards involved in their job or workplace. For welders, this includes dust, flying particles, debris, burns, noise, light, radiation, contaminants, and many more. But by wearing proper protection and getting appropriate training, it is possible to work safely in this dangerous field.

PPE Regulations

In Chapter 2, Physical Hazards in the Welding Environment we discussed what welders must be protected from and why. We also introduced OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). This administration provides regulations that employers and job sites must follow in the United States to ensure a safe workplace for employees. Oftentimes, this may be putting safety guards in place on tools and equipment, requiring fall protection for individuals working over a certain height. But there are times when safety guards, guide rails, and harnesses are not a plausible solution. Like protecting a welder from the UV and infrared rays on a welding arc. So, there is personal protection equipment for the body to mitigate the risk to the health and well-being of the worker.

There is a list of OSHA regulations regarding proper PPE. We will look over a few here. But know that this text provides some basic information and knowledge for a new welder to start to work safely. This does not take the place of OSHA or other safety training regarding personal protective equipment and its proper use and care.

PPE must meet OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132, which states that personal protective equipment for the face, eyes, head, and extremities must be provided, used, and maintained in a sanitary, reliable condition whenever specific hazards are present.

This means that not only does a worker need to have the required PPE for the task at hand, but it also needs to be kept clean and in working condition for the original purpose the item was designed for. Wearing a fall protection harness is not enough if the harness is too big or held together with duct tape. It would no longer be in proper working order or capable of doing the task it was designed to do.

OSHA 1910 also states that the employee must be provided training on how to use the equipment, clean it, fit it properly, and it will be replaced should the version be considered obsolete or damaged unintentionally on the job. An employer is not required to replace the item if it was intentionally damaged or lost, and they can also choose to require additional training for the PPE if the employee cannot demonstrate proper use or changes their job site or job.

american national standards institute (ansi) is another agency that regulates PPE and job safety standards; however, they cannot enforce the requirements, whereas OSHA can because it is the law. ANSI is often seen as a more specific set of standards created for a certain task, whereas OSHA can be very detailed and provide legal requirements employers must adhere to. Additionally, other federal law safety regulations take precedence or are not governed by OSHA regulations. For instance, the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) will have its own PPE and safety regulations.

This is a list of OSHA regulations you can find on their website that are directly relevant to welding:

• 1910.252, General requirements. For Welding and Brazing
• 1910.133, Eye and face protection.
• 1910.134, Respiratory protection.
• 1910.94, Ventilation.
• 1910.95, Occupational noise exposure.
• 1910.137, Electrical Protective Equipment.

Care and Storage for PPE

Proper use, wear, and cleaning of PPE is part of the welder’s responsibility. When respirator filters become excessively dirty, they are not capable of effectively doing their job and open the welder to breathing difficulties while in use and breathing in the toxic fumes the filter was designed to filter out. For welders, keeping PPE clean, caring for the equipment while in their possession, and storing it away after use is part of the job. It may be that the welding helmet you use on the job is one of many that get circulated in a small shop. Most welders prefer their own and purchase their own welding hood/helmet rather than share. However, there may be a time you forget it, lose it, or it gets damaged during a job. Some job places will have a loaner on hand, just like your welding school did.

Inspect your welding hood. Does the headgear inside work? Or does it constantly flop down over your face while you are moving? Is the screen clean, or is there major debris and burns? Do you need to replace it? Not all welding hoods are auto-darkening and may not have certain features like grind mode, sensitivity settings, or the ability to change to different lens shades. If your hood does have those features, does your battery work, and do all the features work?

Over time, electronic welding helmets need to be replaced when the optics no longer work as designed. Working in the wrong welding mode because the needed one stopped working properly can cause damage to your eyes or prevent you from seeing the area to be welded.

If you have a helmet without electronic features, you are less likely to run into some of these issues. However, it is important to keep your welding screen clean, clear, and without cracks.

Safety glasses should be stored in a soft cloth bag so that the lenses don’t get scratched laying upside-down.

Hearing protection such as insertable earplugs should be cleaned with soap and water or discarded if they are not meant to be reused. Do not clean earplugs with alcohol, solvent, or alcohol-type cleaner. A warm water wash with soap should be enough. However, you may need to wash them several times to get them clean. After they are rinsed, let them air dry.

Even reusable earplugs are recommended to be replaced every 2-4 weeks.

Welders also need to keep their arms, legs, and head covered from sparks and molten metal. If a company REQUIRES certain PPE, they must pay for and provide it. Employees should not have to purchase these items themselves.

This PPE can be a welder’s cap, a bandana, gloves, jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, or a welding jacket. These items may not require special care in keeping them clean after use. However, proper storage of the welding jacket, gloves, boot covers, etc, might be as simple as hanging them in your work locker.