By André Odermatt

Sometimes it is assumed that good safety practices only require common sense. While good common sense is certainly helpful, it is by far not enough to properly protect the welder and the immediate surrounding areas. Training in welding safety is vital but training alone cannot change unsafe habits. It requires a positive attitude by the individual to want to learn safe practices. At a young age, we are told about dangerous situations and how to identify potentials hazards. Without such training we might acquire serious injuries. Training in safety and health should be a never-ending process in our journey through life and specialized training is required for every job function. Welding is much more then just another general factory labor job, as some may believe. A welder is a trained professional and training in safety should be part of every welder’s education.

Good housekeeping practices should be an integral part of a welder’s job and not just a supplement to work already performed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) outlines basic rules in the Code of Federal Regulations 29 CFR 1910.252 that need to be followed, but does not require a specific written program for housekeeping. The American National Standard, ANSI Z49.1:2005 Standard for Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes, outlines requirements that can only be met with impeccable housekeeping. This standard may be downloaded free of charge from the American Welding Society web site at http://www.aws.org.

Welding can pose both a safety and a health risk and it is therefore of paramount importance that welders are trained in proper safety practices as part of the training and education program. At Hobart Institute of Welding Technology, each skill-training program has a section on safety. Good housekeeping is emphasized as part of the safety training. At the end of the day, the workstation needs to be cleaned and all tools and equipment put in the right place. At times, I have seen instructors call a student back from the parking lot to give them an opportunity to promptly complete the assignment of leaving the workplace in good order.

A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING IN ITS PLACE

Most readers probably know this aphorism for good housekeeping but I think it becomes even more meaningful if one understands the history of it. Marshall McLuhan, the master of aphorisms has explained it as an allusion to printing of earlier times and the necessity of returning the type to its box after use. This would put the birth of this aphorism to the early 1800’s and while the explanation does not rest on clear evidence, it is expected to win the reader’s assent as being obviously true! Imagine a typesetter not returning the type to its place! I think no newspaper could have ever been published on time and without typos in those years!

To practice safe welding requires a positive attitude, good housekeeping practices, and knowledge of the safety standards. This combination could be called a “safety philosophy” and it forms the foundation for quality welds and quality workmanship. At HIWT students get entrenched in our safety philosophy and they will bring these good habits to future employers!