Page 142 - Quick Guide to Welding and Weld Inspection by S.E. Hughes, Clifford Matthews

A Quick Guide to Welding and Weld Inspection

. Taking reasonable care for your own health and safety
and that of others who may be affected by what you do or
do not do.
. Co-operating with your employer on health and safety.
. Correctly using work items provided by your employer,
including personal protective equipment, in accordance
with training or instructions.
. Not interfering with or misusing anything provided for
your health, safety or welfare.
A welding inspector is not a Health and Safety Officer but
must be aware of the dangers associated with welding and
cutting operations and comply with their legal duty under
site procedures and/or national legislative requirements (i.e.
HASAWA) to ensure the safety of themselves and other
workers. Some dangers will be common to any workplace
environment and some will be specific to the welding/cutting
environment. The following sections contain some typical
dangers associated with an environment where welding and
cutting operations take place.
Electrical safety
When welding, electrical safety practices must be followed
including identifying all electrical equipment and having it
tested for electrical safety on a planned basis. Equipment
must have the correct insulation, be in good condition and be
suitably earthed. A low voltage 110 V supply should be used
where appropriate for all power tools and the correct fittings
and connections must be fitted to the cables and equipment.
A duty cycle is an important consideration and refers to
the amount of current that can be safely carried by a
conductor in a period of time. The time base is normally ten
minutes and a 60% duty cycle means that the conductor can
safely carry this current for six minutes in ten and then must
rest and cool for four minutes. At a 100% duty cycle the
equipment can carry the current continuously. Generally
60% and 100% duty cycles are given for welding equipment.

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Woodhead Publishing Ltd – A Quick Guide to Welding and Weld Inspection
Data Standards Ltd, Frome, Somerset – 17/9/200909QG Welding chap9.3d Page 126 of 134