10 Safety tips for Welders

 Minimize injuries in your welding shop. Increase efficiency and production with less down time safely.

Ten safety tips for welders:

1. Read the manual: For any welding tools and machinery you are not familiar with using. Be sure you are aware of all safety precautions, and proper use guidelines. Check the manufacturer’s website for a PDF copy  of lost or worn manuals.
2. Wear your safety gear: Cover all exposed skin to minimize potential for damage from ultraviolet and infrared rays. Ensure your clothing is fully buttoned or zipped, including any pockets or places where sparks could fly and smolder or catch fire. Avoid keeping anything flammable like matches or butane lighters on your person or nearby when welding. When possible, wear flame resistant clothing like denim, tightly woven fabrics, or a specially designed welding jacket. 
3. Proper footwear and laces: Protect your feet with high-top leather boots. Further protection includes Ironlace boot laces, which are built to withstand the harshest environments on earth, including the welding shop.
4. Proper venting: Avoid dangerous smoke and fumes be sure your workshop is open and properly vented to minimize exposure. Exhaust hoods are traditional to remove fumes from the space, or if you must work in a confined space, wear a respirator.
5. Protect your eyes: The welding arc can cause “arc flash” and give you vision difficulties and pain for hours. Wear a welding helmet with a filter shade should be mandatory. Different shades are available depending on your welding application so ensure you get the correct one for your project to minimize risk. Ear protection and wrap-around safety glasses under your helmet is good practice.
6. Consider auto-darkening helmets: Darken the lens in a fraction of a second (some industrial-grade helmets dim in 1/10,000 to 1/20,000 of a second and have shade settings from #9-13 for welding purposes). Multi-purpose helmets have different modes for welding, cutting, and grinding. These helmets can also help reduce repetitive stress injuries from constantly snapping your head down to drop the shield before every weld (as with traditional helmets).
7. Avoid clutter in your workspace: Clear unnecessary tools and materials. Cluttered or cramped welding spaces increase the risk of knocking over equipment and causing further injury or equipment damage.
8. Boom-mounted wire feeders: Get better flexibility and  comfort and minimize tripping hazards. Booms rotate 360 degrees and moves 60 degrees up and down (creating a 24-32 ft. work area).
9. Use leverage: Use fixtures to flip and move heavy equipment and materials (as opposed to using chain and hoist systems). Move equipment and materials faster and with more flexibility. Don’t have the risk of getting body parts or clothing caught in chain/hoist systems.
10. Incentivizing safety adherence: Encourage all welders and all staff to be safe. Providing the proper, well-maintained safety equipment. Reward staff for safety compliance. Unsafe behavior should be reported immediately. You could save a life, maybe yours.

 Turn safety into a routine and not a rule. Minimize injuries, increase production, and have a happier, healthier workplace! Ironlace is a great incentive as a reward supply Ironlace boot laces for your team. Made tough to withstand the harshest environments on earth. The perfect addition to any manufacturing or production shop.