Welding - Health and Safety in
Published by the Department of Labour
Wellington
New Zealand
October 2006
ISBN 0-478-28075-0
Contents
Introduction
Part 1: Welding hazards
Part 2: Training, qualifications and competency
Part 3: Equipment selection, maintenance and safety
Part 4: General health and safety in welding
Part 5: Fire and explosion prevention and hot work
Part 6: Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Part 7: Fume and gas control
Part 8: Local exhaust ventilation for welding processes
Part 9: Electrical safety
Part 10: Safe use of welding gases
Part 11: Hazardous substances
Part 12: Metal preparation
Part 13: Welding in confined spaces
Part 14: Hot metals sparks
Part 15: Radiation(ultraviolet, infrared and lasers)
Part 16: Working technique
Part 17: Noise and vibration
Part 18: Manual handling
Part 19: Hand tool fitness and safety
Part 20: Specific requirements of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992
Part 21: Welding fume control summary worksheet
Introduction
Welding poses a range of both well known and subtle hazards to health and safety. These can act quickly or may show up only in the long term. They can be rapidly fatal (electric shock or exposure to cadmium fumes) or have delayed effects (lung changes over time).
The Department of Labour has adopted the following documents, published by the Welding Technical Institute of Australia (WTIA), as its main sources of advice about health and safety in welding:
- Health and Safety in Welding 2004 - Technical Note 7 (TN7)
- Fume Minimisation Guidelines (FMG)
Printed copies of TN7 may be obtained from:
Heavy Engineering Research Association
PO Box 76134
Manukau City
Auckland
Tel (09) 262 2885
www.hera.co.nz
The Fume Minimisation Guidelines can be downloaded free from:
This booklet summarises some of the main points in the relevant sections of both the above publications.
The Welding Health and Safety Assessment Tool, along with other related information, can be downloaded from the Department of Labour website:
Providing health and safety information and advice for employees who carry out welding and cutting processes can be complex. There are many subtleties and traps for the unwary or inexperienced. If you have any doubt that the information available on the Department of Labour website or in the WTIA publications covers your situation, get help from a specialist.