M00001604
New product
AWS Z49.1:2012 Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes
standard by American Welding Society, 03/09/2012
In stock
Warning: Last items in stock!
Availability date: 01/03/2022
ANSI Z49.1:2012
An American National Standard
Approved by the American National Standards Institute
March 9, 2012
Supersedes ANSI Z49.1:2005
Prepared by the Accredited Standards Committee Z49, Safety in Welding and Cutting
Secretariat American Welding Society
This standard covers all aspects of safety and health in the welding environment, emphasizing oxygen gas and arc welding processes with some coverage given to resistance welding. It contains information on protection of personnel and the general area, ventilation, fire prevention and protection, and confined spaces. A significant section is devoted to precautionary information, showing examples, and an extensive bibliography is included.
American National Standard
Approval of an American National Standard requires review by ANSI that the requirements for due process, consensus, and other criteria for approval have been met by the standards developer.
Consensus is established when, in the judgment of the ANSI Board of Standards Review, substantial agreement has been reached by directly and materially affected interests. Substantial agreement means much more than a simple majority, but not necessarily unanimity. Consensus requires that all views and objections be considered, and that a concerted effort be made toward their resolution.
The use of American National Standards is completely voluntary; their existence does not in any respect preclude any- one, whether he has approved the standards or not, from manufacturing, marketing, purchasing, or using products, processes, or procedures not conforming to the standards.
The American National Standards Institute does not develop standards and will in no circumstances give an interpreta- tion of any American National Standard. Moreover, no person shall have the right or authority to issue an interpretation of an American National Standard in the name of the American National Standards Institute. Requests for interpretations should be addressed to the secretariat or sponsor whose name appears on the title page of this standard.
CAUTION NOTICE: This American National Standard may be revised or withdrawn at any time. The procedures of the American National Standards Institute require that action be taken periodically to reaffirm, revise, or withdraw this standard. Purchasers of American National Standards may receive current information on all standards by calling or writ- ing the American National Standards Institute.
International Standard Book Number: 978-0-87171-809-9
American Welding Society 550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126
© 2012 by American Welding Society
All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America
Photocopy Rights. No portion of this standard may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, including mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
Authorization to photocopy items for internal, personal, or educational classroom use only or the internal, personal, or educational classroom use only of specific clients is granted by the American Welding Society provided that the appro- priate fee is paid to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, tel: (978) 750-8400; Internet: <www.copyright.com>.
(The following is the roster of the Committee at the time of final committee action on the document.)
American National Standard Committee Z49
A. F. Manz, Chairman
S. P. Hedrick, Secretary
AMERICAN FOUNDRY SOCIETY
F. H. Kohloff
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
L. Lee
W. Milliken (Alternate)
E. Favata (Alternate)
AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION
N. Tristani
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY ENGINEERS
E. R. Ziegler
T. J. Martin (Alternate)
AMERICAN WELDING SOCIETY
D. Clark
S. P. Hedrick (Alternate)
CANADIAN STANDARDS ASSOCIATION
J. J. Palach
CANADIAN WELDING BUREAU
J. MacRae
COMPRESSED GAS ASSOCIATION
A. F. Manz
R. A. Smith (Alternate)
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BRIDGE, STRUCTURAL, ORNAMENTAL AND REIFORCING IRON WORKERS
E. Abbott
INTERNATIONAL THERMAL SPRAY ASSOCIATION
D. Hayden
INTERNATIONAL SAFETY EQUIPMENT ASSOCIATION, INCORPORATED
J. Franklin
C. Fargo
MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, INCORPORATED
P. Chaney
W. Sperko
NATIONAL ELECTRICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, INCORPORATED
Stupczy
Winchester (Alternate)
NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION
D. Duval
SHEET METAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL
G. Batykefer
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
T. Pazell
G. Cox (Alternate)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
C. Graham
R. Wright
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
R. B. Bell (nonvoting)
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
E. Berg
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE (NIOSH)
M. Gressel
This foreword is not part of ANSI Z49.1:2012, Safety in Welding, Cutting and Allied Processes, but is included for informational purposes only.
The huge demands for production placed on the United States by World War II brought a tremendous expansion to the use of welding. In mid 1943, it was recognized that some type of code or standard was needed relating to safe practices for performing welding. Under the auspices of the American Standards Association, the standard was drafted and pub- lished in 1944. It was entitled American War Standard Z49.1, Safety in Electric and Gas Welding, and Cutting Operations.
Following the war, the standard was first revised in 1950. Subsequent revisions occurred in 1958, 1967, 1973, and 1983. Each updated the standard in accordance with changing technology and welding practices. The revisions up to and including 1973 were largely evolutionary and closely preserved the format of the original war standard.
In 1983, a major rewrite was undertaken to take proper account of the vast changes in welding which had occurred in the 40 years of the standard’s existence and to clarify the somewhat patchwork presentation that had built up during the evo- lutionary revisions. The scope was redefined to address in greater detail the safety rules to be practiced by the welder and enforced by welding supervision and management. Provisions which had appeared in earlier editions, but which dealt more with building construction and piping installation over which the welder had little control, were deleted. The 1988, 1994, 1999, 2005, and 2012 revisions follow this same philosophy. Revisions are identified by a vertical line in the mar- gin next to the text.
During the period of its publication, the American Standards Association has become the American National Standards Institute and War Standard ASA Z49.1-1944 has now become ANSI Z49.1:2012.
SUGGESTIONS
Comments and suggestions for the improvement of this standard are welcome. They should be sent to the Secretary, ANSI Z49 Committee, American Welding Society, 550 N.W. LeJeune Road, Miami, FL 33126.
REQUESTS FOR STANDARD INTERPRETATION
Official interpretations of any of the technical requirements of this standard may be obtained by sending a request, in writing, to:
Managing Director, Technical Services American Welding Society
550 N.W. LeJeune Road Miami, FL 33126
Requests not in writing cannot be considered for an official interpretation (See Annex E).
Page No.
Personnel iii
Foreword v
List of Tables x
List of Figures x
Part I—General Aspects 1
Purpose and Scope 1
Purpose 1
Scope and Applicability 1
Exclusions 2
Definitions 2
Approved 2
Confined Space 3
Cylinder Storage 3
Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) 3
Other Definitions 3
Qualified Person 3
Shall 3
Should 3
Unit 3
Welder 3
General Provisions, Management, and Supervision 3
Setup and Installation 3
Responsibilities 4
Protection of Personnel and the General Area 6
Protection of the General Area 6
Eye and Face Protection 6
Protective Clothing 9
Noise Control 10
Respiratory Protective Equipment 10
Training 11
Ventilation 11
General 11
Breathing Zone Sampling 12
Avoid the Fume 12
Types of Ventilation 12
Special Ventilation Concerns 13
Fire Prevention and Protection 14
Areas Containing Combustibles 14
Fire Protection 15
Hot-Work Authorization 16
Welding or Cutting Containers 16
Confined Spaces 17
Ventilation in Confined Spaces 17
Location of Service Equipment 18
Adjacent Areas 18
Emergency Signal 18
Attendants in Areas Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH) 18
Brazing Furnaces 19
Public Exhibitions and Demonstrations 19
Application 19
Supervision 19
Site 19
Fire Protection 20
Protection of the Public 20
Cylinders 20
Process Hoses, Cables, and Conduits 21
Precautionary Information 21
General 21
Precautionary Information for Arc Welding and Related Processes and Equipment 21
Precautionary Information for Oxyfuel Gas Processes and Equipment 21
Hazardous Materials Information 21
Brazing Filler Metals Containing Cadmium 22
Brazing and Gas Welding Fluxes Containing Fluorides 22
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) 22
Graphic Symbols 23
Hazard Communications 23
Part II—Specific Processes 24
Oxyfuel Gas Welding and Cutting Safety 24
Scope 24
Terminology 24
Oxygen and Combustibles 24
Attachments for Gas Mixing 24
Torches 24
Hose and Hose Connections 25
Pressure-Reducing Regulators 26
Compressed and Oxyfuel Gas Cylinders (Containers) 27
Cylinder Manifolding 32
Arc Welding and Cutting Equipment Safety 32
General 32
Safety Aspects in Selection of Arc Welding Equipment 33
Installation of Arc Welding Equipment 34
Operation 35
Maintenance 38
Resistance Welding Safety 39
General 39
Installation 40
Guarding 40
Electrical 41
Static Safety Devices 43
Ventilation 44
Maintenance 44
Electron Beam Welding and Cutting Processes (EBW and EBC) 44
General 44
Potential Hazards 44
Laser Beam Cutting and Welding 45
General 45
Brazing and Soldering Safety 45
General 45
Potential Hazards 45
Annex A (Informative)—American Welding Society Safety and Health Standards List 49
Annex B (Informative)—List of Other Sources. 51
Annex C (Informative)—List of Publishers 53
Annex D (Informative)—Master Chart of Welding and Joining Processes and Master Chart of
Allied Processes 55
Annex E (Informative)—Guidelines for the Preparation of Technical Inquiries for the Z49 Committee 57
Table Page No.
1 Guide for Shade Numbers 8
Figure Page No.
Precautionary Information for Arc Welding Processes and Equipment 22
Precautionary Information for Oxyfuel Gas Processes and Equipment 22
Precautionary Information for Brazing Filler Metals Containing Cadmium 23
Precautionary Information for Brazing and Gas Welding Fluxes Containing Fluorides 23
(American National Standard Z49.1:2012 uses a two-column format to provide both specific requirements and sup- porting information. The left column is designated as “Standard Requirements” and the right column is designated as “Explanatory Information.” The paragraph number of the Explanatory Information is preceded by the letter “E.”)
Standard Requirements
Part I General Aspects
Purpose and Scope
Purpose. This standard is for the protection of persons from injury and illness and the protection of property (including equipment) from damage by fire and explosions arising from welding, cutting, and allied processes.
Explanatory Information
E1.1 Beginning with the revision of 1983, the scope of ANSI Standard Z49.1 has been refocused towards those safe practices for performing welding, cutting, and allied processes, which are generally within the implementation control of the welder or the weld shop management. It is written in a manner suitable for issuance to the welder and shop management to give practical information to help them perform these functions safely. It also contains information useful to educators, industrial hygienists, engineers, and similar parties also responsible for safety and health in welding. With this refocused scope, some provisions which appeared in prior editions have been deleted. Those were provisions which dealt more in matter of building design and construction, facility pipelines, and electrical installations. Those provisions, of course, are still important and necessary and must be followed. They are not provisions usually under the immediate control of welding and cutting operations.
Scope and Applicability. This standard shall be for the guidance of educators, operators, managers, and supervisors in the safe setup and use of welding and cutting equipment, and the safe performance of welding and cutting operations.
E1.2 Specific provisions are included for oxyfuel gas and arc welding and cutting, resistance welding, electron beam welding, laser beam cutting and welding, and brazing and soldering.
However, the requirements of this standard are generally applicable to the other welding processes such as sub- merged arc welding and allied processes shown in the American Welding Society Master Chart of Welding and Allied Processes, included in Annex D.