Welding Case

Welding is a well-known trade, especially in the booming Alberta economy. Welders “join and sever metals in beams, girders, vessels, piping and other metal components, make metal parts used in construction and manufacturing plants, and weld parts, tools, machines and equipment” (Alberta Occupational Profiles, 2012). Welders either fuse items such as metals together using heat, electric current flows, or burning gases.

“Welding usually involves applying heat to metal pieces to melt and fuse them together. In electric arc welding, heat is created as an electric current flows through an arc between the tip of the welding electrode and the metal. In gas welding, such as oxy-acetylene welding, the flame from the combustion of burning gases melts metal. In both arc and gas welding, filler materials are melted and added to fill the joint and make it stronger. In resistance welding, the metal piece itself is melted as current flows through it; no filters required” (Alberta Occupational Profiles, 2012)

For a person to be certified as a Welder they must go though four years of school, these four years are broken down into two months of school and ten months of on the job training. Welders often have strenuous working conditions, which include tight spaces, working under pressure, and working with dangerous and corrosive materials. These types of working can be very dangerous to the worker, and can also be know as hazards. Hazards are described as “something that has the potential to cause injury or damage to health. The risk of injury or damage to health occurring depends on how hazards are dealt with or controlled.” (Welding Hazards and Risk Management, 2012). Some hazards that a welder can be exposed to can be classified as chemical, physical, and ergonomic. As welders are exposed to many of these hazards on a daily basis, there are control strategies for each of these hazards; these are known as, personal protective equipment (PPE), administrative,