Welding uses high temperatures and highly flammable materials. Facilities that include this type of hot work need comprehensive fire protection plans, including fire extinguishers, to prevent and address potential emergencies. Here are four tips for keeping your welding team and business safe.

How Should Your Company Promote Welding Safety? 

1. Enforce Protective Gear Rules

Ensure that your staff wears safety glasses, welding jackets, and closed-toe shoes when on the job. While welding, they should also don welding helmets to protect their faces and eyes. Exposed skin may sustain burns, so every outfit should cover up as much skin as possible and include heavy-duty gloves.

2. Provide Respiratory Protection

Base metals, gasses, and filler metals contain chemicals, including hexavalent chromium, that may cause long-term respiratory damage. Ensure workers use adequate respiratory protection to keep from breathing in fumes.

Some companies rely on powered-air respirators to provide fresh air under a helmet. Others provide extraction hoods for indoor workspaces to keep the air clear.

3. Have a Fire Suppression System

If your welding contractors work indoors, invest in a fire suppression system to limit the risk of fire damage. Work with prevention specialists to create a customized system to stop fires as soon as possible without affecting work throughout the building. These setups include smoke detectors and alarms to alert employees to emergencies. Staff can use extinguishers to put out minor blazes before they grow. 

4. Create Exit Routes

Every commercial and manufacturing building requires emergency exits and safe, clear routes people can use to evacuate. Place fire extinguishers along these pathways, light them brightly, and include proper signage. You can create a pre-planned exit route and practice evacuation with drills so welders are prepared to leave their stations if needed.

If your company practices welding and needs fire extinguishers or other safety and suppression equipment, contact Fire Protection Specialists in La Crosse County, WI. Based in Bangor and Eau Claire, these certified technicians will customize a fire protection plan to keep your staff and equipment safe. They also provide hands-on fire extinguisher training to prepare teams for emergencies. Visit their website to learn more about their services, or call (800) 658-9463 to discuss your needs.