SAFETY IN WELDING

Safety check list for welding

1.00 and related processes
Preparation for hot-work onboard
should include, without being limited
to the points below:

Equipment
✓ Check that the power source
functions correctly, is correctly
connected to mains, and that you
are familiar with its operation.
✓ Ensure that gas cylinders are
Keep your welding equipment well properly secured, in upright
­maintained. position, and fitted with correct
and properly functioning
regulators for the gas. Acetylene
and oxygen regulators shall be
fitted with flashback arrestors.
Protect cylinders against heat and
mechanical damage.
✓ The valve opening of the acetylene
cylinder shall point away from
other compressed gas cylinders,
and a heat resistant mitten shall be
available.
✓ Hoses shall be in good condition,
without leaks or damage, and with
correct colour coding for the gas.
(Red for acetylene, blue for oxygen,
black for shielding gases and filt­
ered air). Use correct hose conn­
ectors and hose clamps. Pieces of
Never use defective welding cables. pipe and twisted wire must never
be used. Never use oil or grease in
connection with welding gases and
never use copper in connection
with acetylene.
✓ Cables shall be of oil resistant
type with undamaged insulation
and properly mounted cable
connectors. Use safety cable
connectors where both halves are
protected to prevent contact with
deck when disconnected.

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 SAFETY IN WELDING

✓ Check that torches and electrode

holders are in good working order, 1.00
including check of blowpipes
(AC/ OX), nozzles (AC/OX, Flame
Spray, TIG, Plasma), electrodes
(TIG, Plasma), and insulation (TIG,
Plasma, GMAW, MMAW).
✓ Check all gas connectors for leaks,
including torch valves. Even Argon
may be a safety risk if it replaces
air in a confined area due to
excessive leaks. Replace defective
gaskets with original gaskets only.

Keep cables and hoses clear of passage

✓ Keep hoses and cables clear of passage ways and
ways. protected from sparks, hot metal and mechnical
damage e.g. in doorways, hatches, etc.
✓ Both welding and ground clamp cables should be
stretched to the work place, and the ground clamp
should be fastened with good electrical contact
directly on the work piece.

Work place
Tidy up the work place and remove any flammable
materials, liquids and gases from workplace and adja-
cent spaces including spaces above/below decks,
behind bulkheads and inside pipes or containers. Cover
any openings through which sparks may be led to other
areas onboard which have not been prepared for hot
work.

✓ Shield the work place to protect others from sparks

✓ Ensure that sufficient and correct fire fighting
Place ground clamp (return clamp) directly
on the work piece, know where the return
current goes.
and radiation from the arc, and post a warning sign
that welding is in progress.
equipment is available at the workplace, and that
personnel familiar with its use is present. Ensure that
the work place is properly ventilated, if necessary
with special fume extraction equipment. This is
especially important when working on galvanized or
coated surfaces which may produce harmful fumes
when heated.

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 SAFETY IN WELDING

1.00

Cover openings! Sparks may travel far!

Hot work procedure

✓ Ensure that all relevant check lists, certificates and
permits for hot work have been issued.
✓ If work is being done outside the ship’s workshop, an
assistant protected in the same manner as the welder
should accompany him.
✓ If work has been done inside a confined space the
assistant should be placed outside, within view of the
welder and with possibility to cut off gas and power
supply. (Gas quick couplings and an unlocked safety
cable connector may act as emergency cut-offs).

Operator / assistant protection

✓ When working, wear safety shoes and a proper boiler
suit with long sleeves. Do not wear clothes of highly
combustible materials or wet clothes, and do not carry
combustible material, e.g. matches, lighters, oily rags. Ensure proper ventilation.
✓ Welding gloves should always be used, and when
necessary also use additional leather clothing for
protection against sparks, heat and electric shock.
✓ Use head and face protection (helmet, shield,
goggles). Ensure that filter glasses are unbroken and
have the correct shade.

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 SAFETY IN WELDING

1.00

For light duty work (200 Amps or lower)

• Working overall w/long sleves (flame
retardent material). Preferably without
too many pockets that easily catch
For work in vertical and overhead position
sparks. For same reason avoid zips.
• Working overall
Avoid synthetic materials, including
• Safety boots with steel toes.
nylon, rayon and polyester.
• Face shield w/head band
• Safety boots with steel toes.
• Welders gloves
• Face shield w/handle or face shield w/
• Arm protector
head band
• Leather spats
• Welders gloves

✓ Where necessary use a fresh air unit or breathing

apparatus to avoid inhaling fumes and dust from the
welding process.
✓ Never use acetylene or oxygen to blow away dust
from yourself or the workplace. Always keep dry and
keep the workplace dry, especially when arc welding.

When work is paused or completed

✓ Always remove coated electrodes from the electrode
holder and switch/close off gas and current at the
source (welding machine, cylinder valve, gas outlet)
For heavy duty work (above 200 Amps) also during short breaks for meals etc.
• Working overall ✓ Do not leave the workplace unattended. When hot
• Safety boots with steel toes work is completed the work place shall be inspected
• Face shield w/head band at regular interval to ensure that no risk of fire
• Welders gloves
remains. Only when this has been assured should
• Leather jacket
• Leather trousers fire fighting equipment be retumed to its normal
storing place.

Available from Unitor:

ID No. 811053 Rev. No. 02 A3 Wall Chart “Safety
Checklist for Welding and Related Thermal
Processes”.

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 ELECTRODE WELDING AND GOUGING

Introduction
The principle of Manual Metal Arc Welding (MMAW) commonly called “stick
electrode” welding is, as for all arc welding processes, based on the electric
circuit. The electric arc formed between electrode and workpiece has two
objectives, to melt the edges of the joint forming a melt pool on the workpiece,
and to melt the tip of the coated electrode. The electrode is consumed and acts
as a filler material mixing with the melted base material to fill up the joint.
Initially manual metal arc welding was done with bare metal electrodes without
any coating, a process that was first introduced in 1888 in Russia.
The first coated electrode was patented by the Swedish engineer Oskar
Kjellsberg in 1905, but it took some years of refining coatings and testing the
reliability of welded joints before the process was accepted in the fabrication
of steel constructions. In 1938, however, the world’s first wholly welded
oceangoing ship was launched in Malmø, thereby introducing MMA welding as
a production process for the maritime market.
The popularity of the Manual Metal Arc Welding process is to a large degree
based on its versatility in addition to its modest requirements for equipment.
Even quite unsophisticated welding machines like a step-down transformer
may be used as power supply, at least for the less demanding electrodes,
and the only welding equipment required in addition to the power supply is a
suitable electrode holder.
By selecting the correct electrode, most metallic material may be arc welded
in any position and in any thickness down to approximately 2 mm.
Different electrode holders are required depending on the type of welding
work. In this chapter the following will be described:
• Normal welding/gouging with coated electrodes
• Air-Carbon-Arc gouging with copper coated carbon electrodes
Each of these areas require their special electrode holder.

4.01

Arc processes require a complete electric circuit. Always remember proper grounding.

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To establish an arc for welding and cutting, an electric circuit is required,

consisting of the power source, welding cable, electrode holder or torch
depending on the process, electrode, arc, workpiece, ground clamp and return
cable. The welding current flows through the entire system and back to the
power source. Note that the workpiece must be a part of the electric circuit
in all arc welding processes. Proper grounding and return cable is therefore
always required to ensure good welding conditions and avoid accidents by
unintended welding arcs being established e.g. at a poor ground connection.
The arc, being the heat source for the welding or cutting process, will have a
temperature between approximately 6000°C in the arc from a coated electrode
and up to 28000°C (8 times the surface temperature of the sun) in the plasma
arc used for cutting.

Practical setup

Welding machine

Welding cable
Return cable

Electrode
holder

Electrode

Ground clamp
Arc

Workpiece
4.01
Welding current
The arc properties are dependent on the current supplied to it. Basically there
are two different types of electric current; alternating current (AC) and direct
current (DC). DC is a stream of negatively charged electrons flowing through
the cable, moving from the negative pole (-) to the positive pole (+). AC is
achieved when the power supply switches positive and negative polarity at
a frequency which normally is 50 or 60 times per second (50 or 60 Hz). The
electrons will then no longer flow in a steady stream but flow back and forth in
the cable, and 100 or 120 times a second the current will actually be zero, as
shown in the diagram.

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 ELECTRODE WELDING AND GOUGING

AC as welding current
(inverter or rectifier) that rectifies
Mains power will normally be AC, and the AC from the mains supply to a
the simplest form of welding power DC of correct amperage and voltage
sources are transformers that reduce for welding. To avoid the dangers the
the mains voltage and provide means current pulses represent in cases of
for adjusting the amperage (welding electric shock, several countries have
current), still delivering AC to the issued regulations on how smooth
welding arc. As the AC actually is the DC current shall be in order to be
zero each time it changes direction accepted as DC without requirements
only electrodes specially developed for open circuit voltage reducing
for AC will be usable with welding devices. These requirements should
transformers. be observed when installing welding
The pulsating effect of AC has proven equipment on board.
to be especially dangerous to an
operator in case of electric shock.
Where burns are the main danger
from an electric shock from DC, the
AC pulses may in addition cause
cramps and heart failure as the
pulses affect the nervous system.
Authorities in several countries have
therefore issued special regulations
and demands for open circuit voltage
reducing equipment for welding
power sources with AC output.
The only welding application that
requires AC as welding current is TIG
welding of aluminium, as the back
and forth flowing electrons serve the
purpose of tearing up the unmelted
oxide layer that forms on top of an
aluminium melt pool. However, in
onboard repair and maintenance
4.01 welding the Wire Welding Process
Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
process is an alternative for DC current, constant towards the positive
aluminium welding which offers (+) pole.
several advantages, and is done with
DC. AC current cycling from one direction
through zero to the opposite direction, 50
or 60 complete cycles per second.
DC as welding current
DC is by far the best suited and most
commonly used current for welding
processes. It is normally obtained
through a welding power source

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 ELECTRODE WELDING AND GOUGING

Basic principles Manual Metal Arc welding

There are three different types of Transformers: Alternating Current
current used for Welding: DC-, DC+ Inverters & Rectifiers: Direct Current
and AC. + or –
Transformer power sources produce
alternating current (AC). This type of
current changes direction 50 or 60
Welding machine
times per second (50-60 Hz). There
are restrictions on alternating current
used on board ships because this
type of current goes deep into the
body and can harm vital organs if the
body becomes part of the electric
circuit. Rectifier and inverters Return Welding cable
produces direct current (DC) which cable
is regarded as a safe type of current
to use on board. This type of current
runs in one direction (from – to +) so Electrode holder
we can manipulate by connecting the Arc
electrode to either - or + polarity. If
we want deep penetration we can
connect the electrode to – polarity Ground clamp
and thereby bombard the base
material with electrons that make 70%
of the heat accumulating in the base Coating
material. Connecting the electrode
to + polarity gives the opposite
reaction with a high burn-off rate on Core rod
the electrode, high weld build up and
shallow penetration. Most root runs Shielding smoke
are done with DC- polarity to get the
necessary penetration, while filler
passes and capping runs are done Base metal
with DC+ polarity.
4.01
The principal task of all power Molten weld
sources is to take alternating current Metal transfer
from the mains and bring the high Travel
voltage down to a suitable working
voltage. Rectifiers and inverters
also convert the AC current into DC – 30 % + 70 % 50 %
current.
electrons electrons electrons

+
70 % – 30 % +– 50 %
DC- DC+ AC
Direct current moving from – to + Alternating current

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