Every day, more than half a million workers in various industries perform welding, cutting, brazing, and soldering work as a part of their jobs. These tasks can be dangerous; welding and cutting cause more than 50 deaths and thousands of injuries annually. While there are risks, they can be avoided with the proper preparations and precautions. This course explains the potential hazards associated with welding, as well as how to prevent them.

Some of the potential hazards are apparent, some forms of welding, for example, can reach over 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, and to reach these temperatures, fuel gases are needed, gases which create fire and explosion hazards. As a result, there are risks of burns and other traumatic injuries when welding. Other hazards are not as easily imagined, however. Some forms of welding pose electrocution risks, and you may be exposing yourself to toxic fumes. The kinds of health dangers are varied, but they all pose potentially serious, and even lethal, harm. Therefore, knowing how to best prevent these dangers is so important. Begin by knowing where you can and cannot weld and what personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for each job. This course explores the safety practices necessary to help workers avoid suffering such catastrophic injuries.

Welding is a necessary component of numerous jobs and industries. Like any other workplace task, however, welding poses its own set of unique risks to those performing it. Ignoring these risks, or ignoring ways to prevent them, could lead to potentially fatal consequences. Fortunately, this training lesson provides you with the requisite information so you know what dangers you may face and how to best prevent them. Utilize the information presented here to perform welding and hot work safely and effectively.