745 Welding, Cutting, and Brazing Safety

Metals

The general safety measures required while welding, cutting, and brazing include local exhaust ventilation and/or the use of airline respirators.

Provide mechanical ventilation when welding or cutting if done on metals:

• In a space of less than 10,000 cubic feet (284 m (3)) per welder.
• In a room having a ceiling height of less than 16 feet (5 m).
• In confined spaces or where the welding space contains partitions, balconies, or other structural barriers to the extent that they significantly obstruct cross ventilation.

Exception: If atmospheric tests under the most adverse conditions show that employee exposure to gases and fumes is within the acceptable concentrations specified by 29 CFR 1910.1000, the safety measures below are not required. See the Annotated Z Tables for more information about PELs.

Beryllium: Beryllium is covered in 1910.252(c)(8). Welding or cutting indoors, outdoors, or in confined spaces involving beryllium-containing base or filler metals must be done using local exhaust ventilation and airline respirators. In all cases, protect all workers in the immediate vicinity of the welding or cutting operations with local exhaust ventilation or airline respirators. For more information on Beryllium, see OSHA's Topics Page

Cadmium: Cadmium is covered in 1910.252(c)(9). In confined spaces or indoors, welding or cutting operations involving cadmium-bearing or cadmium-coated base metals must be done using local exhaust ventilation or airline respirators.

• When done outdoors, work must be done using respirators, such as fume respirators, approved for this purpose by NIOSH under 42 CFR part 84.
• If work is done in a confined space, welding (brazing) involving cadmium-bearing filler metals must be done using local exhaust ventilation, airline respirators paragraph 1910.252(c)(3), or self-contained units per (c)(4).

For more information on Cadmium, see OSHA's Topics Page

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