Welding Tips and Tricks

So like the title says, A local plant for a national welding supply chain hired my day job to do some welding on their compressed gas tank structures, and the torch got passed to me. The tanks have their own support frame that sits on a sub frame made from angle iron thats about 2' tall. The job is to weld the mating plates from the frame to the sub frame together and weld some U shaped plates to the existing base plates and install some expansion anchors into the concrete. I asked my boss if it was safe to weld on the frames while the tanks are full, and he said I'm sure being _______ they would know. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut some of the answers I've gotten while in the store front for the business I'm trying not to name but we all know who I'm talking about, have left me lacking confidence...I'm pretty green in the professional welding game and the boss or google is usually the go to with odd questions but I'm pretty stumped on where to look for information on this subject. It seems like if the ground is in-between the arc and the tank, the tank wont see any current and as long as I don't heat the frame up too much welding it, it should be safe? buuuuut I don't really like doing work like this on a "seems like its safe" type situation. I would probably not normally ask a question like this on a forum either but I'm really stumped on where to look or who to ask??? any help or suggestions or advice on running away from this job before it kills me would be appreciated!

Thanks

Mostly big tanks like this have thick cables connecting them directly to individual copper earth spikes to prevent static electricity build-up. If your tanks are fitted up this way I think it should be ok to weld on the frame keeping your work return clamp between the weld and the ground. If the tanks are not fitted up this way, I wouldn't be touching it. Might be worthwhile getting an electrician or engineer to look at it first.

Here's the best answer I can give you, and it applies to any industry, not just welding.

1. Take your immediate supervisor to the area and walk him through exactly what your concerns are. Give lots of detail. Make sure he fully understands what you're trying to say. As he provides answers and direction, ask more questions of your own if needed.

2. After doing this, follow the direction that your immediate supervisor gives you. HOWEVER, if you still believe there is a safety concern, have made your case clear to them, and they still aren't getting it, then the next step is to talk to THEIR boss, and repeat the process from step 1. Tread lightly doing that, and be ready to back up your safety concerns if doing so. Going around a boss can be a big deal, as you probably know, and should only be a last resort for safety issues.

What’s in the tanks? How far away from the actual tank wall are you? What’s the maximum tank temperature allowed per the gas that’s inside? Do not weld on the wall of the vessel if it’s under pressure!