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WELDING AND CUTTING: HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES
Unfortunately, some individuals see health and safety as an overhead and a burden. But more enlightened companies are aware that implementing better health and safety practices and investing in state-of-the-art personal protective equipment can pay dividends through improved productivity and reduced scrap and rework. Take, for example, auto-darkening welding helmets. Clearly these are more user-friendly than traditional passive helmets, and they can save valuable seconds that can add up over the course of a year. Just five minutes per day of additional productivity equates to 19 hours for a whole year. At a cost of £11 per hour, this works out at an annual gain of £209. If the welder performs a high number of short welds rather than fewer continuous welds, the daily saving could easily be more than five minutes. But simply buying low-cost, low-specification auto-darkening helmets could be a false economy, as better quality helmets offer benefits that might not be immediately obvious. Because of the way auto-darkening helmets work, the switching time is faster at higher temperatures. So, while a low-cost helmet may justifiably meet the EN 379 standard and the manufacturer may quote a switching time of, say, 0.0001 seconds, it could well be that this figure is for an ambient temperature of 55 degrees C, which is certainly not typical of working environments in the UK. The problem with the switching being even marginally slower at normal ambient temperatures is the small amount of additional light that reaches the operator's eyes and makes them tired, especially if he is spending all day tack welding or spot welding. And remember that tired eyes lead to worker discomfort and, inevitably, reduced productivity and more mistakes. All of which is likely to cost the employer much more in the long run than a better quality helmet. A further issue relating to welding helmets is the weight and balance. Again, low-cost helmets are likely to be heavier and not as well balanced, which can result in neck strain or back problems, depending on the posture adopted during welding. As before, this discomfort can result in undue tiredness, as well as the possibility of long-term musculoskeletal problems. So far we have only considered the impact that a welding helmet can have on worker discomfort, tiredness and, ultimately, productivity. But similar arguments also apply to other items of PPE used during welding and cutting, such as footwear, gloves/gauntlets, hearing protection, eye protection, overalls, jackets (especially for outdoor working), aprons and, where used, breathing apparatus. PPE has a significant affect on productivity, but this is not the limit of the relationship between health and safety and productivity. Traditional anti-spatter sprays, for instance, contain dichloromethane. So although they help to reduce post-weld finishing, they represent a serious health hazard. Modern sprays, on the other hand, such as the Eco-Tech product from ESAB, not only eliminate this hazard, but they are also more effective than their hazardous counterparts. Eco-Tech is excellent at preventing adhesion of weld spatter, suitable for both ferrous and non-ferrous welding, with no risk of porosity, and it does not evaporate quickly, which avoids the need for re-application during welding. General good health and safety practices are also worth considering in terms of their productivity. A trailing cable costs nothing to tidy away but, if a worker trips and injures himself, it might result in lost production, managerial time spent on an accident investigation and an insurance claim, reallocation of resources if the injured worker needs time off - and the worker concerned will have suffered a injury, which is bad enough in itself. If health and safety is to be taken seriously in a workplace where cutting and welding is involved, a risk assessment must be performed. Although this might identify some risks that can be eliminated (often for free, by means of good housekeeping), it is inevitable that PPE will be required to reduce the remaining risks to a level that is low as reasonably practicable. Implementing good housekeeping practices and choosing the right PPE can deliver productivity and quality benefits that will more than pay for the investment in time and PPE.
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