A welder’s workplace is a specially equipped area for both welded and preparatory work. Organization of the welder’s workplace can take up to 30% of the time spent on the entire welding process. This production belongs to the category of dangerous, and therefore requires accurate calculation and appropriate training. The process of joining metal by exposure to high temperatures by welding is time-consuming and demanding. Welding specialists are confronted with many factors that can worsen their health, lead to various injuries to colleagues, fire and other industrial accidents. Therefore, the main conditions for the organization of the welder's workplace should be the convenience and safety of all necessary work. In the article below we will analyze the main points. And also give a description of the organization of the welder's workplace.
Workplace Organization Rules
A special role in ensuring the growth of labor efficiency is played by the correct organization of the welder's workplace. It is also worth paying attention to another important point. This is a strict observance of the program of the discipline "organization of the welder's workplace." Firstly, the welder’s workplace should be equipped with the necessary equipment, appropriate tools and materials for the work. The architecture and ergonomics of the welder's workplace should include the presence of racks, tables and shelves needed to store parts and assemblies. The specialist is assigned a stationary post equipped with a cabinet, hinged racks or a box for storing cables, devices, tools, drawings and maps of the technologist. According to the standards, welding equipment is positioned in such a way that the welder can perform work on the maximum possible area without resorting to rearrangement of equipment. For example, the main points of the organization of the workplace of the welder of semi-automatic welding should be given:
- All possible illumination of the working area is activated, then the material and the necessary tool are prepared.
- An important point is to check the connection of cables and hoses. Only after that we start preparing the apparatus itself, unwind the welding sleeve, connect the gas cylinder, additionally check the gas supply to the apparatus and inspect the burner nozzle.
- The corresponding parts are prepared, and the welding process begins, at the end of which it is necessary to allow the formed seam to cool for one to two minutes. Next, we clean the resulting seam from the slag. We finish the ongoing work by turning off the gas supply and power to the device.
Types of jobs
The organization of the workplace of a manual arc welder, as well as a gas welder, occupies the first place in the general cycle of preparatory work. Traditionally, stationary and non-stationary (mobile) jobs of the welder are distinguished.
Organization of a stationary workplace
Permanent (stationary) places, also called welding posts, are designed for work performed in specialized workshops or workshops. A prerequisite is an installed welding machine, protected from atmospheric influences, a mandatory ventilated (ventilated) room with an area of ​​at least 3 m², a concrete floor and walls that do not reflect welding glare.
Formally, even in your garage you can organize a full welding post, of course, subject to the availability of grounding. In stationary equipped areas, mainly welding of small parts is carried out, which can be placed and conveniently adjusted on the welding table. At a stationary post, the tool is stored in a box intended only for inventory.
Ventilation requirements
Special requirements for the organization of the welder’s workplace are dictated by the need to protect the specialist in the course of welding. Because in the air the concentration of harmful impurities, metal particles (when cutting metal) and dust increases. This, in turn, can adversely affect the health of both the welder and the workers in the workroom. To maintain constant air circulation in the production, ventilation is installed, which can be divided into two groups:
- local exhaust ventilation (placed directly above the welding station);
- general exchange (valid throughout the room).
Local exhaust ventilation is used for a welding station, while a large welding workshop uses general exchange exhaust ventilation. To withdraw the welding aerosol at the place of its concentration during manual electric welding, rotary and lifting inclined panels of equal plane suction are used. When welding medium-sized products, the architecture of local suction can be performed in the form of a hood for hoods, a vertical or inclined suction panel. When welding large-sized products, medium sizes, as well as small products, the welder can, in addition to various types of ventilation, use welding masks with autonomous ventilation in the breathing zone.
Organization of a mobile workplace
Temporary (mobile) jobs of the welder are organized for work performed directly on large-sized parts and installations, which are physically impossible to move to the welding station . Organization of the welder's workplace in non-stationary places is necessary in conditions when it is necessary to weld large-sized products that are stationary. In this case, the welder is forced to move around the entire perimeter, whether welding a long pipeline or a fixed frame.
According to safety precautions, such places should be separated by special fireproof screens (shields). Posts must be provided with means to extinguish the fire. It must be remembered that a fire extinguisher is not enough for the welder's workplace, and therefore it is equipped with a sandbox. You should not overload the workplace with things that are not needed for the production of this part, and unnecessary equipment, as this will not only reduce the efficiency of the production process, but also threaten the health and life of the welder.
Installation site
There are features of the organization of labor at the welder’s workplace in the conditions of production and work in the open air: it must be specially prepared and protected from atmospheric influences. Because the presence of water in the form of steam or precipitation can lead to electric shock. When organizing a welder’s workplace “in the field”, canopies, tents or portable awnings are used. Again, due to the performance of work in the “field” conditions, difficulties arise in the storage of welding equipment.
At the end of the shift, each time you need to move the welding machine to its storage location. The best option is to keep it in a closed room, and you only need to extend the welding cables to the direct welding spot, but if this is not possible, the best solution is to install the welding machine on a portable platform or hand truck. This will reduce the preparation time of the team and increase its effectiveness. To work on the installation site, the welder needs a special bag for storing the tool. The function of the bag can also be performed by a portable tool box.
Welder tools
The welder's tool is completed taking into account the specifics of the upcoming welding work. However, there is a certain list of tools, the presence of which for a competent specialist is strictly required. Without these elements, the welding process is not possible by definition.
These tools include:
- An electrode holder, on the quality and reliability of which depends on the convenience of work and safety. The electrode holder cannot exceed a weight of 0.5 kg, it must be serviceable, it is necessary that the electrode does not hang in it, and the handle is rubberized.
- Welding electrodes. Electrodes are classified by grades, type, coating thickness, quality, purpose and permissible spatial positions. Of course, the electrode must match the type of metal being welded. Before work, you need to make sure that the electrode coating is uniform, dense, durable, without cracks and sag. Among other things, a welder working with a non-consumable electrode should carry a set of ground tungsten electrodes, a set of keys, pliers or wire cutters.
Protective devices
Protective devices include a shield or mask, which is used to prevent injuries and burns to the eyes, face from the harmful effects of infrared radiation and hot metal splashes. The main requirement for masks is the presence of a light filter in them that inhibits infrared and ultraviolet radiation, as well as reducing the brightness of the light rays of the arc.
Accessories and tools
Additional tools include:
- steel brush - necessary for cleaning metal from dirt, rust before welding and slag at the end of the weld ;
- a hammer with a pointed end, which is used to beat slag from the surface of the seam;
- Chisel for cutting a defective spot of a weld - used to cut drops of frozen metal from the surface of the product.
To conduct measuring work, the welder needs a tape measure, ruler, square, as well as a white marker to mark the finished product.
Welder Clothing
The welder's suit is made of specialized fire-resistant fabric, which is designed to protect the specialist from sparks, splashes of molten metal and does not melt from contact with heated surfaces, which eliminates burns.
Moreover, the welder does not have the right to carry out any type of fire welding without a protective set of clothes, which includes:
- Actually the welder’s suit itself , corresponding to the required GOST.
- Special footwear resistant to the thermal effects of sparks and steel splashes.
- Work gloves or gloves, mainly made of canvas.