[DeepPenetration]

Let's talk common injuries when welding. The ones I can think of are: the one time you decide to tack without a glove and you fry your finger. The reason why you said screw the glove because the last time you popped a tack the wire shot through the seam of your glove. The infamous spatter in the ear. Merely touching laser cut parts and dicing your finger down to the bone. Hood flip whiplash. Blood blister from fighting a popclamp. Splinters from the shavings that funky die grinder bit everyone uses to knock boogers down. What else can you think of?

[Coldman]

Getting speared by braided wire wheel shards.
Grinding particles getting in your eye even though you are wearing safety glasses and a welding helmet.

[Coldman]

Forgetting to do up that top button.

[weldin mike 27]

If your laser cut parts are that Sharp, there's something wrong. We get all our parts cut on laser, and they are crisp but not SHARP.

On another note, cuts and scratches from the SHARP mig wire end.

[TRACKRANGER]

(OH&S inspectors, look away please)

My favorite is when you are laying down that absolutely perfect bead, and then some molten spatter gets inside your glove, or in your boot, and you haven't finished the fillet. And you don't dare give in, 'cause that fillet is looking really great. Only weak bastards would stop. And then you get to the end of the weld, and chuck the boot and/or the glove off faster than a Lamborghini can accelerate. And you'll only be in pain for a few days.

But the bead is sensational !!! Yes, it was worth it....

[hey_allen]

It's not welding, I'm fairly sure that the panels that I get at work are water jet cut, but every once in a while a brushed aluminum panel will lay someone's finger open.

Welding related injury, leaning down to rest my wrist on a tube for stability, only to miss the edge of the glove and land bare skin on hot steel.

[pigpen60]

while doing some tig and holding a piece for tacking and getting your finger in the kill zone!

[jdranchman]

Never ever ever rest the point of a newly sharpened (hot) tungsten on your finger, or leg or your palm. All accidents of course.

[DeepPenetration]

(OH&S inspectors, look away please)

My favorite is when you are laying down that absolutely perfect bead, and then some molten spatter gets inside your glove, or in your boot, and you haven't finished the fillet. And you don't dare give in, 'cause that fillet is looking really great. Only weak bastards would stop. And then you get to the end of the weld, and chuck the boot and/or the glove off faster than a Lamborghini can accelerate. And you'll only be in pain for a few days.

But the bead is sensational !!! Yes, it was worth it....

Right there with you bub! I laid down this sweet 6 ft pass at 27volts. It was about 2 feet in when I realized I forgot my knuckle sheild. My knuckles were cooked at the end of it!! It was an absolutely perfect weld though.

[danielbuck]

ahh man, I got the spatter sizzling in my ear a few weeks ago underneith a jeep! It scared me more than anything


arc burn on my arms when I think "oh, I'm just doing a little welding, no need to sleeve up"

[dirtmidget33]

Lay torch on leg to reposition parts and accidentally bump or push down on pedal

[plain ol Bill]

Using a high freq start on your TIG will surely break you of the habit of listening to make sure your argon is turned on!

[Boomer63]

Cutoff wheels that shatter or other accidents involving them have cost me about 90 stitches over my career (when I tell the story now it is up to 102 stitches). Have had my eyes drilled out (because of particulates) four separate times (YES! Wearing eye protection)! [Mostly]. Arc burn from faulty hood once or twice, arc burn from bright, reflective surface behind me twice. Carbon monoxide and zinc poisoning, many times. (Ventilation, we don’t need no stinkin’ ventilation!) Lead poisoning from torching up nasty old iron with heavy coats of really old paint. Lit on fire because of frayed clothes, many times. Lit on fire because I was standing in high weeds that caught fire when I was doing some field welding, one time. No … two times. Fell off ladders, twice, with the end result various broken bones and concussion. Fell off building (was really messed up from that one! Had cracked ribs, broken shoulder and brain injury!) one time. Exposed to what we called ‘blast furnace gas’ at the steel mills in Gary and rendered unconscious twice. Lots more … it has been an adventure!

[rick9345]

nominate BOOMER63 OSHA poster child?

[plantwelder]

Cutoff wheels that shatter or other accidents involving them have cost me about 90 stitches over my career (when I tell the story now it is up to 102 stitches). Have had my eyes drilled out (because of particulates) four separate times (YES! Wearing eye protection)! [Mostly]. Arc burn from faulty hood once or twice, arc burn from bright, reflective surface behind me twice. Carbon monoxide and zinc poisoning, many times. (Ventilation, we don’t need no stinkin’ ventilation!) Lead poisoning from torching up nasty old iron with heavy coats of really old paint. Lit on fire because of frayed clothes, many times. Lit on fire because I was standing in high weeds that caught fire when I was doing some field welding, one time. No … two times. Fell off ladders, twice, with the end result various broken bones and concussion. Fell off building (was really messed up from that one! Had cracked ribs, broken shoulder and brain injury!) one time. Exposed to what we called ‘blast furnace gas’ at the steel mills in Gary and rendered unconscious twice. Lots more … it has been an adventure!

Is your middle name "Lucky", by any chance, Boomer? I've been caught in an explosion caused by someone else welding, had an acetylene leak explode and take most of my hair off, splinter in the eye while wearing goggles (this one keeps coming up) burns on my feet despite boots being laced up tight, metal fume poisoning from welding galvanised more times than I can remember, burnt fingers from nipping the end off 7018's, electric shock from using d.c. Welder a outside on damp days, electric shock from TIG when I've forgot to put the earth clamp on, so many metal shards in my hands that I can't walk in a straight line past a scrapyard magnet, long white blisters from picking up the wrong end of the filler wire, when you think about it mostly it's heat or electric shock. Damned dangerous job when you think about it.

[TRACKRANGER]

nominate BOOMER63 OSHA poster child?

+1

[Otto Nobedder]

My sleeve crept up while my glove cuff crept down. Didn't notice. Laid my wrist on a fresh weld.

That one's still healing, there's some of the scab left.

"Dumb-ass moment".

Steve S

[Coldman]

Did the same thing a couple of days ago except it got me in sleeve gap where the cuff buttons up. Not bad this time. Small blister.

[Boomer63]

Cutoff wheels that shatter or other accidents involving them have cost me about 90 stitches over my career (when I tell the story now it is up to 102 stitches). Have had my eyes drilled out (because of particulates) four separate times (YES! Wearing eye protection)! [Mostly]. Arc burn from faulty hood once or twice, arc burn from bright, reflective surface behind me twice. Carbon monoxide and zinc poisoning, many times. (Ventilation, we don’t need no stinkin’ ventilation!) Lead poisoning from torching up nasty old iron with heavy coats of really old paint. Lit on fire because of frayed clothes, many times. Lit on fire because I was standing in high weeds that caught fire when I was doing some field welding, one time. No … two times. Fell off ladders, twice, with the end result various broken bones and concussion. Fell off building (was really messed up from that one! Had cracked ribs, broken shoulder and brain injury!) one time. Exposed to what we called ‘blast furnace gas’ at the steel mills in Gary and rendered unconscious twice. Lots more … it has been an adventure!

Is your middle name "Lucky", by any chance, Boomer? I've been caught in an explosion caused by someone else welding, had an acetylene leak explode and take most of my hair off, splinter in the eye while wearing goggles (this one keeps coming up) burns on my feet despite boots being laced up tight, metal fume poisoning from welding galvanised more times than I can remember, burnt fingers from nipping the end off 7018's, electric shock from using d.c. Welder a outside on damp days, electric shock from TIG when I've forgot to put the earth clamp on, so many metal shards in my hands that I can't walk in a straight line past a scrapyard magnet, long white blisters from picking up the wrong end of the filler wire, when you think about it mostly it's heat or electric shock. Damned dangerous job when you think about it.

Plantwelder - You sound like my kind of welder! Get 'r' done and damn the consequences!! YEAH!!

[Boomer63]

HA - HA!! Very funny guys! I have heard the 'OHSA Poster Child' line before. I had one grinder accident when a wheel shattered and ripped open my shoulder! That one accounted for 65 stitches, both inside and outside (when I tell the story now it is 72 stitches!). I heard from other guys in my union that our apprentice coordinator wanted to get a picture to show the noobs specifically about what NOT to do! (Alright, I will admit to ... removing the blade guard ... and ... maybe using a cut off wheel in the grinder).

One more to add!

Back in the day, I was on a job where we had a lot of tacking of small elements. I was holding for my partner because I was faster at fit up than he was. Anyway, I would hold the iron and he would tack it, and I would close my eyes when he was tacking. Just tacking, right!??!! Well, eye lids aren't protection from arc burn ... as I found out that night.

[Boomer63]

My sleeve crept up while my glove cuff crept down. Didn't notice. Laid my wrist on a fresh weld.

That one's still healing, there's some of the scab left.

"Dumb-ass moment".

Steve S

Steve - over 35 years in this trade and I still get burned that way. I was on a job doing plug welds, 1" thick material (SMAW 7018 process). I was wearing knee pads because I also had to do some on my knees work; sometimes I DO work safely! I was not aware the the knee pads had pulled up my pants above the level of my work boots on both legs. Accordingly, the insides of both legs had nice, football shaped burns on them from a 12 hour shift of plug welding.

Another "Dumb-ass moment"

[kiwi2wheels]

A common theme here seems to be crap in the eyes, even when using eye protection. I've given up on safety glasses for any thing but very brief tungsten grinding, for all other grinding / machining I always use goggles.

I add foam so I cant see any perimeter daylight, cover breather vents, and still stuff seems to find it's way in. And then the f****** goggles fog up !

Has anyone come across any brand of comfortable goggles that do what they say on the box ? The latest I have are from 3M.

[Boomer63]

@Kiwi - I have thought about goggles. I had an eye 'incident' a few weeks ago. I set down my 4" angle grinder (WITH blade guard!) upside down right in front of me on my work table. At that instant, all of the crap that normally clings to the inside of the blade guard choose to come loose and fly right up underneath my FACE SHIELD and SAFETY GLASSES! No real injury, but my eyes were burned a bit by the hot particulate. Went to the eye doc who looked me over and sent me home. I can't quite remember, but I think he advised a stiff shot of vodka, to prevent infection and ward off 'grinder depression'.

A few years ago, when I was still married, I got a small particulate in my eye while working the bench grinder. I had to go to the eye doc so he could scoop it out. When I got home, the ex was glaring at me, and to head off the argument, I told her that I WAS in fact wearing safety glasses. She kept staring at me, then finally asked WHERE the safety glasses were. I didn't want to lie, so I kind of indicated that they were in fact up above my forehead. Maybe that is one reason we are divorced?

[kiwi2wheels]

@Kiwi - I have thought about goggles. I had an eye 'incident' a few weeks ago. I set down my 4" angle grinder (WITH blade guard!) upside down right in front of me on my work table. At that instant, all of the crap that normally clings to the inside of the blade guard choose to come loose and fly right up underneath my FACE SHIELD and SAFETY GLASSES! No real injury, but my eyes were burned a bit by the hot particulate. Went to the eye doc who looked me over and sent me home. I can't quite remember, but I think he advised a stiff shot of vodka, to prevent infection and ward off 'grinder depression'.

And they call them " safety guards !!?? I very rarely use a guard with my 115mm grinder with death wheels or grinding
discs.... Sometimes I will fuse a face shield, as well as the goggles, that is if I can find a shield you can see
through .

A few years ago, when I was still married, I got a small particulate in my eye while working the bench grinder. I had to go to the eye doc so he could scoop it out. When I got home, the ex was glaring at me, and to head off the argument, I told her that I WAS in fact wearing safety glasses. She kept staring at me, then finally asked WHERE the safety glasses were. I didn't want to lie, so I kind of indicated that they were in fact up above my forehead. Maybe that is one reason we are divorced?

You can never win........

[plantwelder]

Plantwelder - You sound like my kind of welder! Get 'r' done and damn the consequences!! YEAH!![/quote]

Thanks for the compliment, Boomer. Yes, I was that guy, but unfortunately I stop and think a bit more nowadays, mainly 'cos I can't run as fast as I used to when it all goes wrong. So far no stitches, apart from in some minor cuts, but did once grind my thumb end almost to the bone on a 12" pedestal grinder. That one grew back on its own, think I must have a bit of salamander in me. I'm now at that age that when I drop a tool, I wait until I drop something else so I only have to bend down the once.

I've got a theory that welders are like fighters, we only feel the pain afterwards. Anyway, stay lucky.