6
welding shields and/or helmets in place.
t Do not wear a cracked or broken
helmet and replace any cracked or bro-
ken
lenses IMMEDIATELY.
t Do not allow the uninsulated portion
of the wire feed gun to touch the ground
clamp or grounded work to prevent an
arc
from being created on contact.
t Provide bystanders with shields or hel-
mets
with a #10 shade lens.
t Wear protective clothing. The intense light
of the welding arc can burn the skin in
much the same way as the sun, even
through light-weight clothing. Wear dark
clothing of heavy material. The shirt worn
should be long sleeved and the collar kept
buttoned to protect chest and neck.
t Protect against REFLECTED ARC RAYS. Arc
rays can be
shiny surfaces
such as a glossy painted surface, alu-
minum, stainless steel, and glass. It is
possible for your eyes to be injured by
arc rays even when wearing a
protective helmet or shield. If welding
with
a
surface behind you, arc
rays can bounce
the surface, then
the lens on the inside of your helmet
or shield, then into your eyes. If a
-
tive background exists in your welding
area, either remove it or cover it with
something non-
ammable and non-
.R arc rays can also
cause skin burn in addition to eye injury.
FIRE HAZARDS
WARNING
FIRE OR EXPLOSION CAN CAUSE DEATH,
INJURY, AND PROPERTY DAMAGE! To
reduce the risk of death, injury, or property
damage from
or explosion, read, under-
stand, and follow the following safety
instructions. In addition, make certain that
anyone else that uses this welding equip-
ment, or is a bystander in the welding area,
understands and follows these safety
instructions as well. REMEMBER! Arc welding
by nature produces sparks, hot spatter,
molten metal drops, hot slag, and hot metal
parts that can start
burn skin, and
damage eyes.
t Do not wear gloves or other clothing that
contains oil,
grease, or other
substances.
t Do not wear
hair prepara-
tions.
t Do not weld in an area until it is checked
and cleared of combustible and/or
mable materials. BE AWARE that sparks
and slag can
35 feet and can pass
through small cracks and openings. If
work and combustibles cannot be sepa-
rated by a minimum of 35 feet, protect
against ignition with suitable, snug
ting, resistant, covers or shields.
t Do not weld on walls until checking for
and removing combustibles touching the
other side of the walls.
t Do not weld, cut, or perform other such
work on used barrels, drums, tanks, or
other containers that had contained a
or toxic substance. The tech-
niques for removing
sub-
stance and vapors, to make a used con-
tainer safe for welding or cutting, are
quite complex and require special edu-
cation and training.
t Do not strike an arc on a compressed
gas or air cylinder or other pressure ves-
sel. Doing so will create a brittle area
that can result in a violent rupture imme-
diately or at a later time as a result of
rough handling.
t Do not weld or cut in an area where the
air may contain
dust
(such as
grain dust), gas, or liquid vapors (such as
gasoline).
t Do not handle hot metal, such as the
work piece or electrode stubs, with bare
hands.
t Wear leather gloves, heavy long sleeve
shirt, cu
ss trousers, high-topped
shoes, helmet, and cap. As necessary,
use additional protective clothing such as
leather jacket or sleeves,
resistant
leggings, or apron. Hot sparks or metal
can lodge in rolled up sleeves, trouser
or pockets. Sleeves and collars
should be kept buttoned and pockets
eliminated from the shirt front.
t Have
extinguisher equipment handy
for immediate use! A portable chemical
extinguisher, type ABC, is recom-
mended.
t Wear ear plugs when welding overhead to
