Technical information

HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES IN WELDING AND CUTTING APPLICATIONS

Material safety information

"Material Safety Information" is available, which contains safety information for welding materials. This material safety information includes:

    a) Harmful components,

    b) Damages that may occur when you use this material,

    c) First aid rules,

    d) Limit values ​​required for the study area,

    e) How to dispose of waste.

Apart from the content of the welding material, harmful substances can also form together with the welding arc heat. These harmful substances can occur for the following reasons:

• Metallic coatings, galvanized (zinc), such as lead,

• Paints, zinc and lead paints

• Surface protective compounds, impurities such as oil, grease

Particular care should be taken when welding metals containing lead, cadmium, zinc and chromium. Because these elements form harmful and toxic substances.

This is also true for materials containing plastic, oil and grease on the surface.

Workpieces with hydrochloric-acid or hydrocarbon compounds on their surface should be cleaned of these compounds before welding. Because they cause poisonous phosgene (MAK: 0,1 ml / m3) during welding.

Ventilation

In order not to reach MAK values ​​in the air to be breathed in the working environment, a natural or technical ventilation must be done. This type of ventilation must meet the requirements given in Tables 1 and 2.

The ventilation methods in Table 1 are listed by the concentration of the hazardous substances in the source materials or cover types used. The ventilation methods in Table 2 are listed according to the concentration of harmful substances in the base metal or cover type.

The type of ventilation also depends on the burning time of the flame or the arc time. It should be understood from the definition of "short time" alev hour per day or 2 hour flame or arc time per week. It should be understood from the definition of "long time", it is the time exceeding these values. When welding outdoors, it should be ensured that harmful substances do not enter the breathing air. When welding in narrow and closed areas, as stated in article 29 of UVV 26.0, the exhausting of the dirty air or ventilation of the working area with fresh air should be done.

Definition of "closed areas"

According to UVV 26.0, item 29;

• Air volume less than 100 m3

• We can say "closed areas" to areas whose length, width and height are less than 2 meters and without a natural air flow.

Closed areas; basement areas without windows are corridors, pipeline, wells, tanks, boilers, containers, cell and tank sections in shipbuilding.

Fume extraction systems or artificial ventilation methods should be used to prevent toxic substances from forming, to prevent combustible gases from accumulating and to decrease oxygen while welding in closed areas.

Where fume extraction or a technical ventilation is not possible, appropriate breathing equipment should be used. In closed areas, special attention should be paid to ventilation when performing oxi-gas welding, flame cutting and heating, which may cause nitric-oxides to rise above acceptable limits.

Attention ! Ventilation is not permitted using oxygen in enclosed spaces, as this will cause serious accidents due to combustion.

Table 2. Ventilation methods in methods that do not use welding materials

k: short time

u: long time

F: Natural ventilation

T: Technical ventilation

A: Absorption of harmful substances where they occur

Respiratory protection

Air Supply

Air absorbed from the work area can be fed back only after it is free from harmful substances. If the concentration of hazardous substances does not exceed ¼ of the relative MAK-values, the recycled air can be considered sufficiently free of harmful substances.

If the source smoke contains substances such as carcinogenic nickel compounds or chromium compounds, ventilation and air supply should be made according to special conditions