Health and safety weld

Health and Safety

 Gas Welding.

Welding is a lot more dangerous then most jobs in the marine engineering industry which means you need a better understanding of the health and safety requirements. When welding you can be around hazards like hot pieces of metal, Compressed gases in cylinders, Open flames and dangerous fumes. This is why you need to be aware of your surroundings and have a clear work area when welding. Your overalls should be cotton so they are flame resistant and you should always wear the correct eye protection and shade for the type of welding you are doing.

Acetylene cylinders should always be standing upright so there isn’t a risk of explosions or gas leaks. The acetylene cylinder and lines should be colour coded in maroon (dark red) this is a worldwide requirement. All threads on acetylene should be left hand threads with a cut in the fitting so you know. The maximum pressure the cylinder should take is 225psi and must not be over filled.

Oxygen is the other gas which is being used which is colour coded in black but the hose is blue. The cylinder can be laid down but must be secured. These cylinders use a right hand thread unlike the acetylene cylinders. The maximum pressure the oxygen cylinder can handle is about 2000psi.

Both of these cylinders and lines should be checked out for cracks, gas leaks if there is the components should be replaced. The maximum pressure the hoses can handle is about 15psi. Thee cylinders must not be knocked or hit in anyway because if the valve is broken it will cause an explosion or for the cylinder to shoot off like a rocket.

Most of the newer gas welder’s are fitted with flashback arrestors which are used to prevent the flame or burning mixture from going back up the lines and into the cylinder it prevents explosions and damage to components. They can be reset at any time by pulling the collar down.

Pressure regulators and gauges are put in place to control the flow of the two gases into the torch at the correct pressure and at a constant rate. When putting the pressure regulator and gauges on you should never use any type of oil or grease as it will cause a thing called spontaneous combustion.

The welding torch is one of the main components in this set up as it mixes the two gases together and is where the gases are ignited and controlled through two colour coded valves which are very important in maintaining good constant welds. This component must be set up correctly and must not have loose fittings as this will cause gas leaks and explosions which could harm you or the components. The welding tips are screwed into the torch at any set angle you need. The tips require a small amount of maintenance as the mixture causes build ups inside the tip so the tip must be cleaned to maintain a good flame. The tips come in all different sizes for different thicknesses of metal and different welding applications.

Health Safety Metal skills

Health and Saftey

Part 1

Metal skills

 In the workshop you will find on the wall directions  and a first aid kit to take care of any accidents. We were told to notify the tutor if we hurt ourselves in any way.There are two fire exits in the workshop there is one at the back of the room and at the front door for emergencies.

To access the metal skills workshop you must be wearing steel cap boots to ensure if anything drops on your foot that it is protected without harm. Also you will need to be wearing overalls to protect you and your clothing from spills and catching on any of the tools you are using.

Equiptment

In the workshop there are lathes, drill presses, grinding wheels,milling machines and compressors which each of them have there own safety requirements.

Drill Press

-Safety goggles, overalls and boots must be worn.

-Work area should be clean

-No loose overalls and long hair must be tied up.

-Your work should be clamped down tight to the bench

-Drilling at the correct speed and pressure for drill bit.

Bench grinder.

-Safety goggles, overalls and boots must be worn.

-Never wear gloves when grinding because will cause serious injury if they get caught.

-Never grind into the grinding stone.

-Always grind across the face of the stone.

-Always place work on resting plate.

-Clean up area after use

Lathe

-Safety goggles, overalls and boots must be worn.

-Object is clamped in tight so cant move

 -All objects are clear around working area.

-You must know where the emergency stop button is.

-The chuck key must be removed

-Long hair must be tied up.

Milling Machine

-Learn what levers bring the scriber down the metal and across the metal

-Make sure work is clamped down to the machine.

-Wear safety glasses incase of flying debri.

Air Compressor

-Never point an airline at yourself or any else.

-All airlines and equiptment must be coiled up and placed out of the way so they cant cause a hazard or get damaged.

-Never use damaged airlines or fittings.

-Only use air compressors that have a pressure gauge or control device.

-Make sure all belts are tight and have safety guards.

health and safety part 1

Health and Safety

Part 1:

Health and safety is a government act set out to protect people of harm while working or doing activities. This is done by identifying and illuminating the hazards around you, this means removing all the things that could be in your way and cause a hazard to you  anyone while working. Before you enter the worksite you must be wearing overalls and steel cap boots. You must know your tools and how to use them. When entering your workplace you must look for fire exits, fire extinguishers, first aid kit and hazards register.

Safety Equiptment

Overalls



Overalls are a workshop requirement and should be cotton so there is less risk if chemicals spill on them or they catch fire and to prevent cuts and burns. They should not hang loose because they may get caught on a machine or power tool..

Boots (steel caped)

Steel caped boots are also a workshop requirement to make sure your feet is not harmed by falling objects in any way.

Safety gloves

Gloves are used often in the workplace they can make your job easier when welding and protects your hands from cuts, chemicals, and hot surfaces.

Safety goggles

Safety goggles are an important item in the workplace and should be worn with most tools. They stop any metal filings, chemicals and debri from your eyes and should be used when using the lathe, drill press, grinder and when using hand tools e.g hammer.

Welding mask or Welding goggles

Welding goggles should only be used when gas welding. The mask should be used on all other welding applications. They protect your eyes from flashes which are very harmful to your eyes you need different shades for different types of welding

Earmuffs

Earmuffs your choice in the workplace they are not used often but are handy when using certain tools. e.g. grinders, drills

Hand tools

Hacksaw

-You should start by using the same stance as filing.

-You should hold it straight and steady with two hands firmly.

Hammer

-You should be wearing your safety glasses when hitting metal surfaces incase of metal pieces hitting your eyes

-Always have enough room to swing the hammer and if you cant hit it then  find another way.

-Check your hammer for cracks in the handle and on metal face if there is then throw away the hammer.

-Body parts should be out of way and it must be held tight near the end half of it

All of these tools should be used only for there functions or it could cause damage to tools and you or someone near you.. The correct safety gear must be worn and tools must used in proper order and in the correct stance for the job. Most of it is common sense but you must involve health and safety into your job and be aware of your surroundings..

Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are very important when working in the workplace to keep everyone safe from getting burn in anyway. Every workshop must at least be fitted with one. There are four types of extinguishers that are used for different types of fires. That’s why it is important you know what colour coded extinguisher to use for each fire you are going to put out, if you don’t know what each extinguisher does you could make the fire worse or you could cause harm to yourself or the people around you. Example if there was an electrical fire in the workshop and you picked up the water type extinguisher you could be electrocuted or someone near you might be. So look at this chart and learn what type of extinguisher you would use for each type of fire.

Every workshop should have a first aid kit and everyone should no where it is incase it is needed.