NTT Blog

Industrial Welding Training at Your Facility: How Your Business Could Benefit

The world is full of too many people who regret not having protected their health when they were younger. This is the case with welders. There are documented studies that prove that the long-term health problems that are associated with this profession are preventable. However, because the effects are invisible, most welders tend to ignore them until they grow older and can no longer brush off what they’re experiencing.

The good news is that solid welding training and regular refreshers can help welders to be safer in the workplace. This saves the welder from experiencing problems later in life and helps the business save in what could be costly lawsuits from improperly trained employees.

Benefits of Providing your Employees with Safety Training for Welding

Although your welders may have undergone formal training to get certifications in welding, sometimes bad welding habits can develop over time. While ignoring some safety procedures may seem to make work easier, they may cause adverse effects in the end. Your safety supervisors should also note some of these tendencies and review each employee work habits on a regular basis. Providing training to your welders will help them in the following ways:

Learn How to Use Safety Clothing and Equipment

According to EHSToday, over 30 percent of all welding injuries are to the eyes. Your welders need to use the correct welder’s masks or eye protection every time when performing welding or other related activities. An additional 20 percent of welding injuries are to the hands, and your employees need to always wear fire-resistant or fireproof welding gloves that are in good condition. Long-sleeved shirts or fire-resistant vests can help to keep a welders chest and arms safe from flying sparks.

Your employees will also know the right boots to wear. Leather boots fitted with steel toes are best, and pants should never be tucked in because they may trap hot sparks near the skin. Your employees should also wear ear protection to reduce noise levels and prevent hot flying sparks from entering the ear canal.

Know How to Create a Safe Working Environment

Before your welders can start any welding activities, they should always begin by inspecting the working environment for any potential hazards. The floor should be dry and clear from any obstructions, have adequate ventilation, check the vents for obstructions, and inspect whether the fans are working properly.

It’s also important to clear the workspace from flammable liquids, combustible items, and any electrical wires. All electrical connections should be in good condition. After returning from lunch or breaks, your welders should re-inspect the working area before they resume their work.

Ergonomics

It is always important to locate work projects and welding equipment conveniently to avoid the need for excessive kneeling, bending and stretching. When your welders are working with heavy material, getting into the right position before lifting heavy loads and using proper lifting equipment will help avoid injuries.

Through safety training, your employees will also learn the right postures while working and maintain them at all times. Habitually straining muscles can eventually lead to chronic or permanent damage to those areas. In another study, over 20 percent of welding related injuries are to the joints and the lower back because of poor workplace ergonomics.

Learn How to Safely Perform Popular Types of Welding Procedures

It is important that your employees refresh the entire working process and master each welding process. Attention to detail makes a great welder and a more useful employee. There are four types of welding that your employees should familiarize themselves with including:

SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding): This type of welding will require your employees to follow the stick welding manual procedure. The stick welding procedure uses electric current to make an electric arc between the stick and the joined metals.

FCAW (Flux Cored Arc Welding): This is an alternative to shield welding. Due to its portability and high welding speed, the semi-automatic arc weld is used mostly in construction projects.

GTAW (Gas Tungsten Arc Gas Welding): This arc-welding process uses a tungsten electrode to weld together thick stainless steel metals or other non-ferrous metals.

GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding): Also referred to as MIG (metal inert gas), this type of welding uses a shielding gas and a wire electrode that heats up the two metals that are to be joined.

Benefits of Getting Onsite Training

Location: Because the training will be done on your company’s premises, your employees will save valuable time that they would have otherwise lost commuting to and from training.

Tailored program content: Welding trainers can tailor and customize lessons according to your business needs and policies.

Employees have access to training that works around their schedule: Unlike classroom style type of learning, on-site training can be scheduled as per your organization’s needs to avoid a clash with work hours.

Proper welding and safety habits can be reinforced through refresher welding training. Visit NTT Inc. to provide your employees with welding training that will allow them to learn new procedures and listen to detailed explanations on important safety rules. Connect with us today to learn more!

For more information about National Technology Transfer or any of our programs click here: http://www.nttinc.com or http://www.nttinc.com/seminar-list-catalog/.