Safety Policy and Procedure Policy Number 015 Authorized By: The Cianbro Companies Alan Burton Title: Welding and Cutting Hazard Assessment Program Effective Date: 09/16/95 Page 1 of 12 1 Status 1.1 Update of existing policy, effective 06/03/11. 2 Purpose 2.1 To provide guidelines and requirements to protect team members from the hazards associated with welding, cutting, and burning operations. 3 Applicability 3.1 This policy applies to all subsidiary companies and departments of the Cianbro Companies. 3.2 All organizations are required to comply with the provisions of this policy and procedure. Any deviation, unless spelled out specifically in the policy, requires the permission of the Safety Director or designee. 4 Definitions 4.1 Adequate Ventilation: Used in this policy means any of the following: Local exhaust ventilation is used to capture fumes or in open area with adequate air movement or adequate dilution ventilation with directional air flow away from team member. 4.2 Air Arc (Carbon Arc): A cutting process by which metals are melted by the heat of an arc using a carbon electrode. Molten metal is forced away from the cut by a blast of forced air. 4.3 Bug-O BUG-O Systems Inc.: A manufacturer of a system of drives, carriages, rails and attachments designed to automate welding guns, cutting torches and other hand held tools. 4.4 Cad Welding: An exothermic (gives off heat) welding process that fuses conductors together to form a molecular bond with a current-carrying capacity equal to that of the conductor. Typically used in grounding systems. 4.5 Downdraft Table: A downdraft table is a work station for welding (or grinding and cutting) that provides a ventilated table to work on top of. The air and contaminant is drawn down through the table and away from the worker. 4.6 Flux: A substance which facilitates welding (and soldering and brazing) by chemically cleaning the metals to be joined. The primary purpose of flux in welding is to prevent oxidation of the base and filler materials. Note: Flux typically contains fluorides. 4.7 Flux Core Arc Welding (FCAW): An arc welding process which melts and joins metals by heating them with an arc between a continuous, consumable electrode wire and the work. Shielding is obtained from a flux contained within the electrode core. Added shielding may or may not be provided from externally supplied gas or gas mixture. 4.8 Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) MIG: (also referred to as solid wire welding) Arc welding process which joins metals by heating them with an arc. The arc is between a continuously fed filler metal (consumable) electrode and the workpiece. Externally supplied gas or gas mixtures provide shielding. Policy: 015 Welding and Cutting Hazard Rev. 06/03/11 Page 1 Assessment Program 4.9 Inadequate Ventilation: As used in this policy means local exhaust ventilation is not being used or work is inside enclosed spaces with inadequate air movement or any other location with inadequate air movement or the air movement draws the contaminants through breathing zone of the team member. 4.10 Lance Rod: Thermal lance rod is a cutting tool that utilizes ignited iron (or aluminum or magnesium) fed with a stream of pressurized oxygen. A steel tube packed with steel rods (and aluminum or magnesium) is connected to a valved handle assembly fed by an oxygen line and tank. An intensely hot (6k - 10 k degrees Fahrenheit) oxy/steel fueled jet is created at the tip. 4.11 The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): Federal agency responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury and illness. NIOSH is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the Department of Health and Human Services. It is essentially the research arm of OSHA and is responsible for approving respirators. 4.12 Oxy-Fuel Cutting: A mixture of oxygen and the fuel gas is used to preheat the metal to its 'ignition' temperature which, for steel, is 700°C - 900°C (bright red heat) but well below its melting point. A jet of pure oxygen is then directed into the preheated area instigating a vigorous exothermic chemical reaction between the oxygen and the metal to form iron oxide or slag. The oxygen jet blows away the slag enabling the jet to pierce through the material and continue to cut through the material. Typical fuel gases used are acetylene, propane, MAPP (methylacetylene-propadiene), and propylene. 4.13 Plasma Cutting: Arc cutting process which severs metal by using a constricted arc to melt a small area of the work. This process can cut all metals that conduct electricity. 4.14 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) or (Stick Welding): Arc welding process which melts and joins metals by heating them with an arc, between a covered metal electrode and the work. Shielding gas is obtained from the electrode outer coating, often called flux. Filler metal is primarily obtained from the electrode core. 4.15 Sub-Arc Submerged Arc Welding: A process by which metals are joined by an arc or arcs between a bare metal electrode or electrodes and the work. Shielding is supplied by a granular, fusible material usually brought to the work from a flux hopper. 4.16 Threshold Limit Values TLV® (TLVs): Guidelines, not standards prepared by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, Inc (ACGIH) to assist industrial hygienists in making decisions regarding safe levels of exposure to various hazards found in the workplace. A TLV® reflects the level of airborne exposure that the typical worker can experience without an unreasonable risk of disease or injury. Cianbro uses the TLV in situations where it is more protective than the OSHA PEL. Some definitions obtained from the Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. website 4.17 Tungsten Inert-Gas Welding (TIG) or Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) (HELIARC): Joins metals by heating them with a tungsten electrode which should not become part of the completed weld. Filler metal is sometimes used and argon inert gas or inert gas mixtures are used for shielding. 5 Policy 5.1 Adequate ventilation is required during welding and cutting operations. If adequate ventilation is not provided then respiratory protection is required. 6 Responsibilities 6.1 The top Cianbro manager of the job site is responsible for the implementation of this policy on the job site. 6.2 Corporate Safety is responsible for maintaining this document. Policy: 015 Welding and Cutting Hazard Rev. 06/03/11 Page 2 Assessment Program 7 Welding and Cutting Hazard Assessment Program Index 7.1 Health Effects ......................................................................................................................................... 3 7.2 Pre-Job Welding and Cutting Hazard Evaluation................................................................................... 3 7.3 Engineering and Administrative Controls ............................................................................................... 6 7.4 Respiratory Protection ............................................................................................................................ 7 7.5 Exposure Monitoring............................................................................................................................... 7 7.6 Medical Surveillance............................................................................................................................... 8 7.7 Training................................................................................................................................................... 8 7.8 Physical Hazards.................................................................................................................................... 8 7.9 Safety At Home....................................................................................................................................... 9 9.1 Appendix A Minimum Respiratory Protection for Cutting and Welding Processes .............................. 10 9.2 Appendix B Exposure Guidelines for Welding Fumes and Gases ....................................................... 11 9.3 Appendix C Associated Guidelines for Gases Associated with Welding and Cutting.......................... 12 7.1 Health Effects Welding, burning, and cutting produce metal fumes and gases that can be hazardous to your health. Breathing in these fumes and gases can and does make people sick. Luckily, a healthy body clears most toxic substances including welding fumes. Still, you can be exposed to too much of any fume or have a medical problem that makes you more likely to get sick from exposure to welding and cutting fumes. The length of time that you are exposed to these gases and fumes, the type of hot work you do, the work environment, and the protection you use determine the risks to your health and how you will be affected. Like most other toxic substances, welding and cutting fumes have “acute” effects that may occur as soon as or shortly after you are exposed. Acute effects can include headache, cough, shortness of breath, eye irritation, or metal fume fever. Welding and cutting fumes also have “chronic” effects that may not be noticed for years. These effects may include lung, kidney, bone or joint disease and even cancer. Most acute effects are caused by brief overexposures. These effects almost always go away within a day or two and don’t cause any permanent damage. Chronic effects from lower exposures over longer periods of time, like lung disease or cancer, are more