Health and Safety part2

Gas welding is a part of marine engineering which requires a greater knowledge in the health and safety with the equipment you are using as it involves bottles of highly pressurised gases and open flames. You always need to check your work area before you start welding to check where everything is such as fire extinguishers, the main gas cut off valve (if you aren't working straight off the bottles) and cold water taps incase of burning yourself on hot metal or the flame.

There are two cylinders involved one has oxygen and the other has acetylene. It is a worldwide requirement that they are colour coded. Oxygen-black Acetylene-red/maroon. When transporting and using the acetylene it must always be in an upright position secured but the oxygen doesnt need to be upright, still secured though.

Always check cylinders and valves for leakage and hoses for cracks, burns or and other damage

As you can see the hoses coming off the acetylene bottle are also red. With the oxygen the hoses are blue as a general rule which makes it easier to know which hoses goes to what bottle. It has also been designed so you can never put the hoses, gauges etc on the wrong bottles as the thread is oppisites for each bottle. The oxygen bottles and the other hardware are all fitted with right hand thread and the acetylene gear is all left hand thread for safety purposes. The max fill pressure for a oxygen bottle is 2500psi and acetylene is alot less at 225psi with a max working pressure of around 15psi.

A few quick videos about welding and safety:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfRQxxxLJuo

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheAtHomeWelder#p/u/24/FG3io6OCUr8

If you are putting the pressure regulating valve and gauges onto the gas bottle never put oil or grease on or around any threads as this could cause spontaneous combustion. When you have finished welding for a period of time, at all times your line pressure should show 0psi and the pressure regulating valve should be closed incase the bottle is leaking. This will prevent gas or oxygen leaking through the lines and into your work place.

The torch is where the gases are mixed together to form the working gas. As for the rest of the equipment this is no differant with the colour coded valve controls. Always check the torch is all together properly before you try light it up as this could cause injury to yourself. When igniting the torch always face away from you and prefrably towards an extraction unit. When it comes to the tip there is many differant shapes and sizes for diffaerant heats so be sure you have the correct one for the job your wanting to do. Always check the tip is clean and clear of any metal in or on the end of the tip as this will affect your flame and could catch you out. Flashback arrestors are there to prevent and flame burning back up into the equipment causing damage or explosions. If in the case of a flashback happening you just need to pull the cap which resets it and you can weld again.

 

Flashback arrestors are there to prevent and flame burning back up into the equipment causing damage or explosions. If in the case of a flashback happening you just need to pull the cap which resets it and you can weld again.

referances:

www.google.com/images

Health and Safety part1

Health and safety starts with yourself and being aware of hazards and your surroundings. Also having a clean work enviroment is key to a safe workplace. The moment you set foot in to a workshop you need to be prepared and dress apropriately which means having the right safety gear on. This involves wearing steel toe boots, cotton or non flamable overalls and having things like earmuffs, safety glasses and gloves close by if necessary. Another key point is always be familiar with the tools and machinery you are using and if not dont be afraid to ask someone.

With all this safety gear there is differant levels of protection from all parts so you need to be sure you have the correct sort of gear for the application. Few examples would be - the safety goggles will be differant shades of lenses as a darker tint will be used for things like welding and the clear lenses will be used for things like using a lathe, bench grinder etc. 

Knowing the use for each type of fire extinguisher is another part of being safe in your work place. If you were to use the wrong extinguisher it could have terible concequences for example if you were to use a water-based extinguiser in or near an electrical fire the user could get electrocuted. Below is a table to explain what you can and cant use each extinguisher for.

When it comes to tooling and machinery you will always need to be aware of what you are using and how you are using it. With the hand tools they are only made for specific applications so dont use them for other reasons for example dont use a file for a hammer as the file will lose its shape and grit. If you use them correctly this will keep your hands and fingers out of the way and will prevent them getting hurt.

With the machinery there is alot to remeber to keep yourself safe and to continue to work. The similar things to remember from machine to machine is basic things like take note of where the emergancy stop button is also make sure the machine is clear and clear of clutter incase anythning does go wrong.



Safety goggles must always be worn while operating this machine, make sure it is clean of all metal fillings so what you are working on can sit level under the drill piece, always drill slowly to save the drill bit biting into your material, use oil to lubricate the drill bit if nessacary, use gaurds if supplied and able to be used, remove chuck before drilling



once again make sure your material is locked in so it doesnt move and hurt you, wear safety glasses so there is no chance the metal filings getting in your eye

Always wear safety goggles when using this machine, check wheels for any cracks or dents that could catch your material while grinding, have a pot of water near so you can cool down your work while working as it will get hot fast, use gaurds where your able to as extra protection for your eyes



Safety goggles must always be worn as there is alot of metal filings around, before operating remove chuck, keep hands clear of all rotating parts, do not wear any baggy clothing around this machine as you dont want it to get caught.

The health and safety of all workers is down to themselves understanding their workplace and its enviroment.

referances:

www.google.com/images - images