COMPANY NAME

WELDING MANUAL

Table of Contents

I. Objective p.2
II. Assignment of Responsibilities p.2
III. General Requirements p.3
IV. Hot Work Permit p.4
V. Welding or Cutting Containers p.4
VI. Personal Protective Equipment p.4
VII. Ventilation p.6
VIII. Confined Spaces p.6
IX. Program Availability p.7
X. Appendix A: Hot Work Permit p.8
XI. Appendix B: Filter Shade Recommendations p.10

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 I. Objective
The objective of the Company Name Welding Manual is to comply with the Occupational
Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) rules and regulations concerning welding,
cutting or brazing, to ensure information about the hazards and dangers of welding activities
is known by affected employees and to ensure safe procedures and measures are used to
protect employees from these dangers.

This program applies to all employees who may perform welding operations in our company
as part of their job assignments. Copies of the Welding Manual are available in the
Designated Location for review by any employee.

II. Assignment Of Responsibilities

a. Management
Company Name will ensure each employee understands and follows the Welding
Manual through employee orientation, training, job performance reviews and
disciplinary action. Company Name will provide all necessary information,
equipment and personnel to comply with this program. Responsible Person will
manage the Welding Program for Company Name, maintain all records pertaining to
the plan, including reviewing and updating this plan as necessary and facilitate
training.
Management will be responsible for:
 The safe usage of cutting and welding equipment on its property;
 Establishing areas for welding based on fire potentials of plant facilities;
 Establishing procedures for welding;
 Designating individuals responsible for authorizing welding operations in areas
not specifically designed for such processes;
 Ensuring welders and supervisors are properly trained in the safe operation of
their equipment and the safe use of the process; and
 Advising all contractors about flammable materials or hazardous conditions of
which they may not be aware.
b. Supervisors
Supervisor will ensure their employees are trained in and use proper work practices, as
well as proper personal protective equipment. Additionally, supervisors:
 Are responsible for the safe handling of the welding equipment;
 Must determine the combustible materials and hazardous areas present or
likely to be present in the work location and protect combustibles from
igniting;
 Oversee welding work schedule to ensure maximum safety;
 Secure authorization for welding operations from management;

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  Provide approval of work conditions for welders;
 Shall determine fire protection and extinguishing equipment are properly
located at the site;
 Will make sure fire watches are available at the site when required; and
 Issue hot work permits to allow welding activity.
c. Employees
Employees are responsible for employing proper work practices, using necessary
personal protective equipment, understanding the welding equipment and its use,
obtaining necessary hot work permits and following procedures as described in this
plan. Employees are also responsible for reporting all incidents to Responsible Person
immediately or as soon as possible.
d. Contractors
Contract employees will be responsible for complying with this plan and will be
responsible for providing the training described herein.

III. General Requirements

a. Fire Prevention and Protection
i. The object being welded should be moved to a safe location if possible.
ii. If the object can’t be moved then all movable fire hazards in the vicinity
should be moved to a safe location.
iii. Guards should be used to confine the heat, sparks and slag to protect any other
fire hazards which cannot be moved to a safe location.
b. Special Precautions
i. Wherever there are floor openings or cracks in the flooring that cannot be
closed, take appropriate measures so no readily combustible materials on the
floor below will be exposed to sparks which might drop through the floor.
Welders are responsible for notifying the supervisor when they believe such
situations are present and guards are needed.
ii. A fire watch is required whenever there is the possibility of a fire. Fire
Watchers must:
1. Have fire-extinguishing equipment readily available and be trained in
its use.
2. Be familiar with facilities for sounding an alarm in the event of a fire.
3. Watch for fires in all exposed areas and try to extinguish them only
when obviously within the capacity of the equipment available or
otherwise sound the alarm.
4. Maintain the fire watch at least a half hour after completion of welding
or cutting operations to detect and extinguish possible smoldering fires.

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 iii. Additionally, a fire watch is required when:
1. Appreciable combustible material, in building construction or contents,
is closer than 35 feet to the point of operation;
2. Appreciable combustibles are more than 35 feet away, but are easily
ignited by sparks;
3. Wall or floor openings within 35 foot radius expose combustible
material in adjacent areas, including concealed spaces in walls or
floors;
4. Combustible materials are adjacent to the opposite side of metal
partitions, walls, ceilings or roofs and are likely to be ignited by
conduction or radiation.

IV. Hot Work Permit

Before welding can start, the supervisor must inspect the area and determine if such activities
are permissible. A hot work permit (See Appendix A) will be approved by the supervisor if
welding is deemed to be safe. A copy of the permit must be present at the work site during
welding operations. A second copy should be filed in the Safety Department. When the
welding operation is completed the worksite permit should be turned into the supervisor to be
placed with the Safety Department copy. Both permit forms should be kept for a minimum
of Time Frame.
Welding will not be permitted in the following situations:
 In areas not authorized by management;
 In sprinklered buildings while such protection is impaired;
 In atmospheres where flammable gasses, vapors, liquids or dust with air are present;
 Areas of storage with large quantities of exposed readily ignitable materials.

V. Welding or Cutting Containers

No welding, cutting or other hot work shall be performed on used drums, barrels, tanks or
other containers until they have been cleaned so thoroughly as to make absolutely certain
there are no flammable materials present or any substances such as greases, tars, acids or
other materials which when subjected to heat, might produce flammable or toxic vapors. Any
pipe lines or connections to the drum or vessel shall be disconnected or blanked. All hollow
spaces, cavities or containers shall be vented to permit the escape of air or gases before
preheating, cutting or welding. Purging with inert gas is highly recommended.

VI. Personal Protective Equipment

a. Railings, safety belts, life lines, or other effective safeguards must be used to protect
welders and their helpers from falling when working on platforms, scaffolds or
runways.
b. Proper eye and face protection will be provided based on the type of welding being

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 performed. Not only should the welder be protected, but also any other employee
working nearby. Face protection must meet certain safety requirements and standards
as required by OSHA. Lenses should bear a permanent marking indicating the
manufacturer and the shade number. Employees should do the following:
i. Clean and inspect welding helmets and eyewear regularly and keep in good
condition;
ii. Wear safety glasses with side and top protection under welding helmets;
iii. Make sure the goggles or helmets have the correct shade of filter for the task
(See Appendix B);
iv. Keep face and eye protection on whenever hazards are present;
v. When possible, isolate welding areas from others with partitions or curtains
designed to absorb harmful welding rays;
vi. Follow manufactures’ guidelines and procedures to ensure proper eye
protection; and
vii. Immediately stop using damaged or defective PPE and report it to the
supervisor. Mark defective PPE or discard so as to keep others from using it.
c. Appropriate protective clothing must be worn when welding. The size, nature and
location of the work will determine the type of clothing protection needed. Some
general guidelines include:
i. Wear a fire-resistant cap under the welding helmet;
ii. The use of earplugs or muffs might be appropriate to keep hot sparks or other
material from entering your ears and to protect against loud noise;
iii. Wear leather high-topped boots to protect your feet and ankles. The use of fire-
resistant boot protectors might be required also. Never wear cuffed pants
which can “collect” flying sparks or hot metal. Keep your pants pulled over the
tops of your boots;
iv. Always wear fire-resistant insulated welding gloves which are free of holes or
other damage;
v. Clothing made of wool or heavy cotton is best to wear. Wear long sleeve shirts
with buttoned cuffs and collars and long heavy duty pants. Keep all protective
clothing dry, clean and without any holes. This helps prevent clothing from
catching fire;
vi. Remove all objects from your pockets before welding; and
vii. Use leather aprons, sleeves and leggings as needed.
d. For protection from arc welding rays, the welder should be enclosed in an individual
booth painted with a finish of low reflectivity such as zinc oxide and lamp black, or
shall be enclosed with noncombustible screens similarly painted. Booths and screens
shall permit circulation of air at floor level. Workers or other persons adjacent to the
welding areas shall be protected from the rays by noncombustible or flameproof
screens or shields or shall be required to wear appropriate goggles.

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VII. Ventilation
Ventilation is necessary to control hazardous fumes, gases and dust. Proper ventilation can be
obtained through natural or mechanical means. Natural ventilation is sufficient when the
following criteria are met:
i. The welding area contains at least 10,000 cubic feet per welder;
ii. The ceiling height is at least 16 feet high;
iii. There are no barriers to blocking cross ventilation; and
iv. The welding space is not a confined space.
If any of these requirements are not met, then mechanical ventilation is required which must
exhaust at least 2,000 cubic feet of air per minute per welder unless:
 Airline respirator is used: or
 Local exhaust hoods or booths are used. Local exhaust hoods or booths must provide
airflow of at least 100 linear feet per minute.
Specific materials which require mechanical ventilation measures include:
 Fluorine Compounds
 Zinc
 Lead
 Beryllium
 Cadmium
 Mercury
 Cleaning Compounds
 Stainless Steel

VIII. Confined Spaces

A confined space is defined as a relatively small or restricted space such as a tank, boiler,
storage bin, or pressure vessel. They are large enough and so configured that an employee can
bodily enter and perform work. They also have restricted means of entry and exit. Before
welding of any type can be performed in confined spaces certain restrictions and other
considerations must be made.
a. Ventilation - Confined spaces must be adequately ventilated to prevent the
accumulation of toxic materials or possible oxygen deficiency. This applies to the
welder as well as helpers and other personnel in the immediate vicinity. If adequate
ventilation is not possible, airline respirators must be used. In areas Immediately
Dangerous to Life, a self-contained breathing apparatus must be used. Oxygen should
never be used for ventilation.
b. Gas cylinders and welding machines must be left outside of the confined space.
c. Where a welder must enter a confined space through a manhole or other small
opening, a lifeline must be provided for quickly removing the welder in case of
emergency. There must be an Attendant stationed outside the confined space to
monitor the authorized entrants and be capable of summoning rescue and other
emergency services, if necessary.

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 d. When arc welding is to be suspended for any substantial period of time, such as during
lunch or overnight, all electrodes must be removed from the holders and the holders
located to prevent accidental contact. Additionally, the machine must be disconnected
from the power source.
e. In order to eliminate the possibility of gas escaping though leaks or improperly closed
valves, torch valves must be closed and the gas supply to the torch positively shut off
at some point outside of the confined space when not being used for a substantial
period of time, such as during lunch or overnight. Where practical, the torch and hose
should also be removed from the confined space.
f. After the work is complete, the welder should mark the hot metal or provide some
means of warning other workers.

Employees must be trained in confined space entry before entering and working in a confined
space. Additionally the Confined Space Entry Manual must be adhered to and followed in
addition to this Welding Safety Manual anytime welding activities are performed in confined
spaces. Check with Safety Department for more details.

IX. Program Availability

A copy of this program will be made available, upon request, to employees and their
representatives.

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Appendix A
Hot Work Permit
All temporary work involving open flames or producing intense heat or sparks requires a Hot Work
Permit. The permit must be issued by management and authorized by the appropriate supervisor
before any hot work (welding, brazing, cutting, grinding, etc.) can begin. Two copies of the Hot
Work Permit must be made. One should be filed in the appropriate department. The second copy
should be posted at the site of the hot work until the job is completed. The worksite permit should
then be filed with the other copy in the appropriate department.

Issue Date: Permit Expires:

Building: Dept: Area:
Authorizing Supervisor: Start Time: End Time:
Operator: Fire Watch:

Checklist
Following items must be checked by the authorizing supervisor and operator/welder. If any item is
checked “No”, then hot work must not begin until item or area is corrected.
Yes No
  Work area examined
  Equipment inspected, in good repair
  PPE inspected, in good repair
  Sprinkler system operable
  Combustible materials/items moved a radius of 35 feet away from work area
  Explosive atmosphere (s) eliminated
  Floor and wall openings covered
  Fire watch assigned and required during work and for minutes afterwards*
*Fire watch must be at least 30 minutes in duration
  Fire watch has ample extinguishing equipment and is trained to properly use it
  Work area is considered a confined space (if yes additional confined space will be
required. Contact supervisor before proceeding)
  Proper ventilation provided for the work area
Other precautions
  1.
  2.

Authorizing Supervisor Signature Date

Final Checkup: To be completed after hot work is finished and fire watch is over
The work area and all surrounding areas subjected to heat and sparks were monitored during the hot
work operations and during the required fire watch period and found to be safe.

Fire Watcher Signature Title Date 8

WARNING
HOT WORK IN PROGRESS
WATCH FOR FIRE AND
OTHER POSSIBLE
HAZARDS

IN CASE OF AN
EMERGENCY

CALL:

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Appendix B: Filter Shade Recommendation Chart
The following is a guide for the selection of the proper shade numbers. These
recommendations may be varied to suit the individual's needs.

Welding Operation Shade

#
Shielded metal-arc welding 1/16-, 3/32-, 1/8-, 5/32-inch electrodes 10
Gas-shielded arc welding (nonferrous)- 1/16-, 3/32-, 1/8-, 5/32-inch 11
electrodes
Gas-shielded arc welding (ferrous)- 1/16-, 3/32-, 1/8-, 5/32-inch 12
electrodes
Shielded metal-arc welding: 3/16-, 7/32-, ¼-inch electrodes 12
Shielded metal-arc welding: 5/16-, 3/8-inch electrodes 14
Atomic hydrogen welding 10 - 14
Carbon arc welding 14
Soldering 2
Torch brazing 3 or 4
Light cutting, up to 1 inch 3 or 4
Medium cutting, 1 to 6 inches 4 or 5
Heavy cutting, 6 inches or over 5 or 6
Gas welding (light) up to 1/8 inch 4 or 5
Gas welding (medium) 1/8 inch to ½ inch 5 or 6
Gas welding (heavy) ½ inch and over 6 or 8

NOTE: In gas welding or oxygen cutting where the torch produces a high yellow
light, it is desirable to use a filter or lens that absorbs the yellow or sodium line in the
visible light of the operation.

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