How To Weld Safely
Tom Vondrasek | 10 May 2024 | 4 minutes to read
Welding safety is not to be taken too lightly. Welders have the potential to cause blindness, burns, or fires in the short term and respiratory issues in the long term if not handled with care.
Luckily these days there are many safety products on the market that help to prevent some of the dangers associated with welding. While a lot of welding equipment isn’t cheap, these items aren't necessarily expensive and are generally easy to source.
It is better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them, as they say.
Below you’ll find some general safety tips for welding as well as information on personal protective equipment (PPE) that is often recommended when welding:
Clear Welding Area
One of the first things you should do is to check that the area where you are welding is clear of any flammable items like oily rags, paper towels, or combustible liquids. Weld spatters are hot molten metal and can easily ignite flammable items.
If welding on a vehicle, always check what is on the other side. You don’t want to set the interior alight or cause heat damage to components. When welding, more often than not you will be using an angle grinder which causes a spray of red-hot iron filings; this is a great visual effect but can cause a fire if done unsafely.
Another good safety tip is to have a bucket of water or fire extinguisher handy just in case.
Eye Protection
The arc produced by any form of electric welding (Stick, MIG, TIG) is too bright to look at with the naked eye. If you do, it will damage the eye or, in the worst-case scenario, blind you. It is not just the arc, as welding spatter is just as dangerous for your face.
For this reason, you need a welding helmet. The new ones all have auto darkening lenses, and these are the only helmets you should buy or use. The way they work is that the lens stays clear and see through until you start welding and then it automatically darkens until you finish your weld. This leaves both hands free for welding.
A lot of helmets allow you to set the level of darkness during the welding process as this is important for keeping an eye on how the weld is progressing.
The new helmets also protect your whole head and neck from weld spatter, and some have great graphics. You could get a plain one and add your own graphics, just stay clear of the lens and sensor.
Hand Protection
A good set of welding gloves never goes astray. Usually leather or even Kevlar, they protect against heat and weld spatter. They go further up the arm than a regular glove for added protection.
Because of the heat generated by welding, they make it safe to handle the job you are working on if it needs to be moved so you can weld another part of it. It is not always easy to tell how hot a piece of metal really is, so the risk of getting burnt if not wearing gloves is quite high.
Clothing and Footwear
Leather shoes and overalls are your best bet. They provide a good level of protection against heat and weld spatter. The also work well when using an angle grinder. It goes without saying that any footwear needs to be closed-toed, as your feet will not enjoy the feeling of molten metal on them.
Respirators or Masks
Depending on the type of welding and what you are welding the process can release toxic or harmful fumes. Try and keep the area you are working in as well-ventilated as possible. Use the correct respirator or mask if in an enclosed area or if the ventilation is poor.
Grinding the Job
As most welding work requires grinding down or smoothing welds or prepping surfaces prior to welding, it is good practice to have protective goggles and earmuffs on hand. For full facial protection use a protective face shield to stop sparks.
Summing Up
As you can see, if you you’re someone who works on cars a lot already, you will probably have a lot of the safety items already. The welding helmet is the biggest expense when starting out, and it is definitely worth buying a decent one. The rest of the items are reasonably priced. It is well worth your while to purchase and use them as it is your health and welfare that is at risk if you don’t.
