OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS – SUBPART Q

Welding, Cutting and Brazing

OSHA 1910.252 – General Requirements

In case of part to be welded can’t be moved

 all moveable fire hazards should be moved to safe place, 35 ft / 10.7m away from work site.
 guard should be used to confine the sparks for immoveable fire hazards.
Welding can’t be performed if these conditions don’t meet.

Precautions to be taken for floor openings / cracks or cracks / holes in walls so that combustible
material on other side is not subjected to sparks etc.

Suitable fire extinguishing equipment shall be maintained such may consist of pails of water, buckets of
sand, hose or portable extinguishers

Fire watchers shall be required whenever welding or cutting is performed in locations where other than
a minor fire might develop or any of the following conditions exist:

 Appreciable combustible material, in building construction or contents, closer than 35 feet

(10.7 m) to the point of operation.
 Appreciable combustibles are more than 35 feet (10.7 m) away but are easily ignited by sparks.
 Wall or floor openings within a 35- foot (10.7 m) radius expose combustible material in
adjacent areas including concealed spaces in walls or floors.
 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.

A fire watch shall be maintained for at least a half hour after completion of welding or cutting
operations to detect and extinguish possible smoldering fires.

Floors. Where combustible materials such as paper clippings, wood shavings, or textile fibers are on
the floor, the floor shall be swept clean for a radius of 35 feet (10.7 m). Combustible floors shall be
kept wet, covered with damp sand, or protected by fire-resistant shields. Where floors have been wet
down, personnel operating arc welding or cutting equipment shall be protected from possible shock.

Prohibited areas. welding shall not be permitted in the following situations:

 In areas not authorized by management.

 In sprinklered buildings while such protection is impaired.
 In the presence of explosive atmospheres (mixtures of flammable gases, vapors, liquids, or
dusts with air), or explosive atmospheres that may develop inside uncleaned or improperly
prepared tanks or equipment which have previously contained such materials, or that may
develop in areas with an accumulation of combustible dusts.
 In areas near the storage of large quantities of exposed, readily ignitable materials such as bulk
sulfur, baled paper, or cotton.

Relocation of combustibles. Where practicable, all combustibles shall be relocated at least 35 feet
(10.7 m) from the work site. Where relocation is impracticable, combustibles shall be protected with
flame proofed covers or otherwise shielded with metal or asbestos guards or curtains
Welding or cutting containers

Used 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 that
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.

Venting and purging. 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 recommended.

(4) Confined spaces—(i) Accidental contact. When arc welding is to be suspended for any substantial
period of time, such as during lunch or overnight, all electrodes shall be removed from the holders and
the holders carefully located so that accidental contact cannot occur and the machine be disconnected
from the power source. (ii) Torch valve. In order to eliminate the possibility of gas escaping through
leaks or improperly closed valves, when gas welding or cutting, the torch valves shall be closed and the
gas supply to the torch positively shut off at some point outside the confined area whenever the torch
is not to be used for a substantial period of time, such as during lunch hour or overnight. Where
practicable, the torch and hose shall also be removed from the confined space.

Protection of personnel

(i) Railing. A welder or helper working on platforms, scaffolds, or runways shall be protected
against falling. This may be accomplished by the use of railings, safety belts, life lines, or
some other equally effective safeguards
(ii) Welding cable. Welders shall place welding cable and other equipment so that it is clear of
passageways, ladders, and stairways.
(iii) Eye protection (A) Helmets or hand shields shall be used during all arc welding or arc
cutting operations, excluding submerged arc welding. Helpers or attendants shall be
provided with proper eye protection. (B) Goggles or other suitable eye protection shall be
used during all gas welding or oxygen cutting operations. Spectacles without side shields,
with suitable filter lenses are permitted for use during gas welding operations on light
work, for torch brazing or for inspection. (C) All operators and attendants of resistance
welding or resistance brazing equipment shall use transparent face shields or goggles,
depending on the particular job, to protect their faces or eyes, as required.

OSHA 1910.253 - Oxygen-fuel gas welding and cutting

Flammable mixture. Mixtures of fuel gases and air or oxygen may be explosive and shall be guarded
against. No device or attachment facilitating or permitting mixtures of air or oxygen with flammable
gases prior to consumption, except at the burner or in a standard torch, shall be allowed unless
approved for the purpose.

Maximum pressure. Under no condition shall acetylene be generated, piped (except in approved
cylinder manifolds) or utilized at a pressure in excess of 15 psig (103 kPa gauge pressure) or 30 psia
(206 kPa absolute). The 30 psia (206 kPa absolute) limit is intended to prevent unsafe use of acetylene
in pressurized chambers.

All cylinders with a water weight capacity of over 30 pounds (13.6 kg) shall be equipped with means of
connecting a valve protection cap or with a collar or recess to protect the valve.

Storage of cylinders, Cylinders shall be kept away from radiators and other sources of heat. Inside of
buildings, cylinders shall be stored in a well-protected, well-ventilated, dry location, at least 20 feet
(6.1 m) from highly combustible materials such as oil or excelsior.
Fuel-gas cylinder storage. Inside a building, cylinders, except those in actual use or attached ready for
use, shall be limited to a total gas capacity of 2,000 cubic feet (56 m3) or 300 pounds (135.9 kg) of
liquefied petroleum gas.

Acetylene cylinders shall be stored valve end up.

Oxygen cylinders stored in outside generator houses shall be separated from the generator or carbide
storage rooms by a noncombustible partition having a fire-resistance rating of at least 1 hour. This
partition shall be without openings and shall be gastight.

Oxygen cylinders in storage shall be separated from fuel-gas cylinders or combustible materials
(especially oil or grease), a minimum distance of 20 feet (6.1 m) or by a noncombustible barrier at
least 5 feet (1.5 m) high having a fire-resistance rating of at least one- half hour.

fuel-gas cylinders connected to one manifold inside a building shall be limited to a total capacity not
exceeding 300 pounds (135.9 kg) of liquefied petroleum gas or 3,000 cubic feet (84 m ) of other fuel-
gas. More than one such manifold with connected cylinders may be located in the same room provided
the manifolds are at least 50 feet (15 m) apart or separated by a noncombustible barrier at least 5 feet
(1.5 m) high having a fire- resistance rating of at least one-half hour.

Fuel-gas cylinders connected to one manifold having an aggregate capacity exceeding 300 pounds
(135.9 kg) of liquefied petroleum gas or 3,000 cubic feet (84 m ) of other fuel-gas shall be located
outdoors, or in a separate building or room

Oxygen manifolds shall not be located in an acetylene generator room. Oxygen manifolds shall be
separated from fuel-gas cylinders or combustible materials (especially oil or grease), a minimum
distance of 20 feet (6.1 m) or by a noncombustible barrier at least 5 feet (1.5 m) high having a fire-
resistance rating of at least one-half hour.

oxygen cylinders connected to one manifold shall be limited to a total gas capacity of 6,000 cubic feet
(168 m ). More than one such manifold with connected cylinders may be located in the same room
provided the manifolds are at least 50 feet (15 m) apart or separated by a noncombustible barrier at
least 5 feet (1.5 m) high having a fire-resistance rating of at least one-half hour.

An oxygen manifold, to which cylinders having an aggregate capacity of more than 6,000 cubic feet
(168 m ) of oxygen are connected, should be located outdoors or in a separate noncombustible
building. Such a manifold, if located inside a building having other occupancy, shall be located in a
separate room of noncombustible construction having a fire-resistance rating of at least one-half hour
or in an area with no combustible material within 20 feet (6.1 m) of the manifold.