511 EM 385-1-1 Chapters 9-15

Sections

10-8. General Requirements.

General Requirements

Welding and cutting equipment must meet ANSI Z49.1 standards.
Vents or openings must be provided before heating drums or containers to release built-up pressure.
Keep cables, hoses, and equipment clear of passageways and stairs.

Electrical and Pressurized System Requirements

Maintain and use welding cylinders as per specific guidelines.

Personal Protective Measures

Provide eye and face protection against UV, infrared radiation, and flying objects during welding and related operations.
Vent welding, cutting, and heating operations to prevent hazardous exposures.
Protect others in the same atmosphere as welders or cutters.

Fire Protection

Ensure suitable fire extinguishing equipment is available and ready for immediate use near welding or cutting operations.
Hot work permits are required for hot work operations on federal installations, unless specified otherwise.
Survey the area to ensure it is free of combustible materials, potentially explosive atmospheres, or oxygen-enriched atmospheres before starting operations.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

10-6. What must be provided before heating drums or containers?

Tie-downs to prevent movement

Vents or openings

Personal protective equipment

Warning signs and barriers

You forgot to answer the question!

EM 385-1-1 Paragraph 10-8 (a.–d.).

10-8. General Requirements. (a.–d.).

a.  General. (10-8.a)

(1)  All welding and cutting equipment and operations must be according to standards and recommended practices of ANSI Z49.1.

(2)  Before heat is applied to a drum, container, or hollow structure, a vent or opening must be provided for the release of any built-up pressure generated during the application of heat. Do not use heat or spark producing tools to create or provide venting.

(3)  Keep cable, hoses, and other equipment clear of passageways, ladders, and stairways.

b.  Electrical and Pressurized System Requirements.  Maintain and use welding cylinders according to paragraph 10-8.g.  (10-8.b)

c.  Personal Protective Measures.  A CP must evaluate hazards to determine what controls are needed for welding, cutting, and heating operations that do not involve conditions or materials described in this chapter.  (10-8.c)

(1)  Eye and Face Protection.  Protect the eyes and face of welders and those exposed to such tasks from UV and infrared radiation and flying objects during welding, grinding, and chipping operations.  (See chapter 5)

(a)  Protect personnel performing or exposed to work that produces UV, blue, or infrared light from these hazards according to the following requirements:

(a-1)  Select shaded lenses based on the type of equipment and work (see chapter 5).
            (a-2)  Protective helmets must have non-reflective surfaces and be free of cracks or openings.
            (a-3)  Do not use lenses that are cracked or pitted.
            (a-4)  All filter lenses must meet ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 requirements.
            (a-5)  Welding helmets and ANSI Z87.1 rated safety glasses with top and side protection must always be used.

(b)  Do not use electronic-shading welding helmets for welding processes requiring a higher shade rating than the helmet can give.  Most auto-darkening helmets are not suited for welding processes requiring a filter shade of 14 or higher.

(2)  Naturally or mechanically vent all welding, cutting, and heating operations so that personnel exposures to hazardous concentrations of airborne contaminants are within acceptable limits.  Provide local exhaust ventilation whenever welding, cutting, or heating is performed in a confined space.  (See chapter 6)
    (3)  Protect other persons exposed to the same atmosphere as welders or cutters in the same manner as welders or cutters.

(4)  Arc and Gas Cutting.  Employ local mechanical exhaust ventilation or other means to adequately remove the fumes generated during oxygen cutting that involves either an iron powder or chemical flux, gas-shielded arc cutting, or plasma cutting.

d.  Fire Protection.  (10-8.d)

(1)  Suitable fire extinguishing equipment of sufficient capacity must be provided in the immediate vicinity of welding or cutting operations and maintained in a state of constant readiness for immediate use.

(2)  Hot work permits are required on federal installations when hot work operations are performed, unless otherwise indicated by the USACE supervisor/KO or COR (see chapter 9).

(3)  Before conducting welding or cutting operations, survey the area to ensure it is free of the following hazards:

(a)  Combustible materials located close to the operation (for example, within 35 feet (10.7 m).

(b)  The presence or possible generation of potentially explosive atmospheres (for example, flammable gases, vapors, liquids, dusts).

(4)  Hierarchy of fire control.  Objects to be welded, cut, or heated must:

(a)  Move object(s) to a location free of dangerous combustibles.

(b)  If the work cannot be moved, take all moveable fire hazards in the vicinity to a safe place (for example, moved at least 35 feet (10.7 m) horizontally from the welding or cutting area) or protect the combustible material and construction from the heat, sparks, and slag of welding.

(c)  When welding or cutting must be done in a location where combustible or flammable materials are located, the USACE supervisor/KO or COR must inspect the operations and authorize an exception before the work may begin. A fire watch must stand with readily available fire extinguisher equipment and be available to sound an alarm in the event of a fire.  Employer will determine how long a fire watch is required to stay in place, but it must be a minimum of thirty (30) minutes after the exposure has ended and documented in the AHA.  (See chapter 9)

(5)  When an operation is such that normal fire prevention precautions are not sufficient, assign additional fire watch personnel to guard against fire and instruct them in anticipated fire hazards and use of the firefighting equipment (see chapter 9).

(6)  When welding or cutting is to be done over combustible flooring, protect the flooring with fire-resistant shielding covered with damp sand, or kept wet.  Where flooring is wet or damp, protect personnel operating arc welding or cutting equipment from potential shock hazards.

(7)  Install noncombustible barriers below welding or burning operations in a shaft or raise.

(8)  Tightly cover openings or cracks in walls, floors, or ducts within 35 feet (10.7 m) of the site of welding or cutting operations to prevent the passage of sparks to adjacent areas.

(9)  Where welding or cutting is to be done near walls, partitions, ceilings, or roofs of combustible construction, use fire resistant guards to prevent ignition.

(10) Where welding or cutting is to be done on a metal wall, partition, ceiling, or roof, take precautions to prevent ignition due to heat conduction or radiation of combustibles on the other side.

(11) Do not weld or cut on a metal partition, wall, ceiling, or roof with a combustible covering, nor on walls or partitions of combustible sandwich-type panel construction.

(12) Before welding or cutting drums, tanks, or other containers and equipment that have contained HAZMAT, thoroughly clean the containers according to NFPA 326 and ANSI/AWS F4.1.

(13) When welding or cutting is to be conducted near a sprinkler head, use a wet cloth or equivalent protection to cover the sprinkler head and then remove the cloth at the completion of the welding or cutting operation.

(14) When welding or cutting in areas protected by fire detection and suppression systems, take precautions to avoid accidental initiation of these systems.