Metal Shop Safety

Oxy-Fuel Cutting and Welding:

Safety Precautions for Oxyacetylene Welding and Cutting:

1. Make sure that all of your gas welding apparatus shows UL or RM approval, is installed properly and is in good working condition. Make sure that all connections are tight before lighting the torch. Do not use a flame to inspect for tight joints. Use soap solution to detect leaks.
   
2. Always wear protective clothing suitable for welding or flame cutting.
   
3. Keep work area clean and free from hazardous materials. When flame cutting sparks can travel 30-40 feet (10 to 15 meters). Do not allow flame cut sparks to hit hoses, regulators or cylinders.
   
4. Handle all compressed gas cylinders with extreme care. Keep cylinder caps on when not in use.
   
5. Make sure that all compressed gas cylinders are secured to the wall or to other structural supports. Keep acetylene cylinders in the vertical position.
   
6. Store compressed gas cylinders in a safe place with good ventilation. Acetylene cylinders and oxygen cylinders should be kept apart.
   
7. When compressed gas cylinders or fuel gas cylinders are empty, close the valve and mark the cylinder "empty" (MT).
   
8. Avoid breathing the air in the fume plume directly above the flame.
   
9. Never use acetylene at a pressure in excess of 15 pounds per square inch (103.4 kPa). Higher pressure can cause an explosion.
   
10. Never use oil, grease or any material on any apparatus or threaded fittings in the oxyacetylene or oxy fuel system. Oil and grease in contact with oxygen may cause spontaneous combustion.
    
11. Never weld or flame cut in a confined space.
    
12. When assembling apparatus, crack gas cylinder valve before attaching regulators (cracking means opening the valve on a cylinder slightly, then closing). This blows out any accumulated foreign material. Make sure that all threaded fittings are clean and tight.
    
13. When cutting or welding be alert for “backfires” and “flashbacks”
    1. Backfire: loud popping noise, momentary extinguishing of the flame with re-ignition at the torch tip.
       1. Cause: Obstructed gas flow, overheated or damaged torch tip.
          
    2. Flashback: loud pop, flame extinguished, hissing or squealing sound.
       

Cause: improper pressure, distorted to loose tip, damaged seat, kinked hoses, clogged or damaged tip.

Oxy Acetylene Setup:

:Lighting Tourch:(always use this correct sequence and technique for lighting a torch)

1. Open acetylene cylinder valve. (smaller cylinder or red hose)
   
2. Open acetylene torch valve 1/4 turn, red hose.
   
3. Screw in acetylene regulator adjusting valve handle to working pressure.
   
4. Turn off acetylene torch valve (you will have purged the acetylene line).
   
5. Slowly open oxygen cylinder valve all the way.
   
6. Open oxygen torch valve 1/4 turn.
7. Screw in oxygen regulator screw to working pressure.
   
8. Turn off oxygen torch valve (you will have purged the oxygen line),
   
9. Open acetylene torch valve 1/4 turn and light with friction lighter only.
   
10. Open oxygen torch valve 1/4 turn.
    
11. Adjust to neutral flame
    

Shutting Off Tourch:(always use this correct sequence and technique of shutting off a torch)

1. Close acetylene torch valve first, then close oxygen torch valve.
   
2. Close cylinder valves - the acetylene valve first, then the oxygen valve.
3. Open torch acetylene and oxygen valves (to release pressure in the regulator and hose).
4. Back off regulator adjusting valve handle until no spring tension is felt.
   
5. Close torch valves.