Welding – Health & Safety Guidance

Safe Welding Practices for Workplaces

Welding and allied processes pose significant health and safety risks if not properly managed. This guidance covers the main hazards involved, legal obligations, and practical control measures to protect welders and other workers exposed to welding operations.

Key Hazards in Welding

  • Fume and airborne contaminants: Welding fume may contain metal oxides, gases and particulates that can damage lungs, possibly cause cancer, and may have no safe exposure level.
  • Asphyxiation and gas hazards: Shielding or inert gases (e.g., argon, carbon dioxide) can displace air in enclosed spaces and lead to rapid unconsciousness without warning.
  • Fire and explosion: Sparks, molten metal, hot slag, and flammable atmospheres around welding operations increase risk of ignition or explosion, especially in tanks, drums, confined spaces or where gas cylinders are present.
  • Electrical hazard: Arc welding creates a live circuit; risk of electric shock, burns or stray currents is significant, especially in damp or conductive environments.
  • Other risks: These include UV/IR radiation (arc flash), heat stress, manual handling impacts, slips and trips around welding zones, and noise.

Legal & Regulatory Obligations

Employers and duty-holders must ensure the health and safety of workers so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes:

  • Conducting a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for welding activities.
  • Implementing the hierarchy of control: eliminate risks where possible, then substitute, isolate, apply engineering controls, administrative controls, and finally PPE / RPE.
  • Ensuring that exposure to welding fume, gases, and other hazards is controlled under regimes such as COSHH.
  • Maintaining equipment, providing information, training and supervision, and establishing safe systems of work.

Practical Control Measures

Preventing or Reducing Exposure

  • Consider whether welding operations can be avoided or replaced with less risky methods.
  • Minimise welding duration, select consumables/processes that emit less fume, mechanise or automate where possible.
  • Use Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) to capture fume at source.
  • Provide adequate general ventilation, especially outdoors or where LEV is impracticable.

Respiratory Protection & Personal Equipment

  • Where LEV/general ventilation cannot fully control exposure, supply suitable Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE). Fit-testing and maintenance is essential.
  • Provide appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): welding helmets/visors, gloves, fire-resistant clothing, boots, and eye protection against arc flash.
  • Ensure adjacent workers and passers-by are protected using screens or curtains.

Fire, Explosion & Gas Hazards

  • Clear flammable or combustible materials from the area before hot-work; maintain fire watches as needed.
  • Ensure safe procedures in tanks or vessels, including proper hot-work permits.
  • Manage gas cylinders correctly: secure, isolate, ensure connections and valves meet standards, and proper storage.

Electrical Safety

  • Ensure welding equipment is installed and maintained by competent persons; cables and insulation are intact; correct return path used.
  • Avoid welding in wet or damp conditions without appropriate insulation or mats; provide dry platforms when necessary.

Training, Systems & Supervision

  • Train workers in hazards, safe welding practices, correct use and maintenance of controls, PPE / RPE and emergency procedures.
  • Supervise inexperienced workers, apprentices, or those using unfamiliar equipment.
  • Establish standard operating procedures, safe systems of work and permit-to-work systems where required.

Monitoring, Maintenance & Review

  • Regularly inspect and maintain LEV, welding equipment, PPE / RPE, curtains/screens, gas systems and permit systems.
  • Conduct exposure monitoring (air sampling, biological monitoring) where necessary.
  • Review risk assessments, control measures and training when there are changes in work, equipment, materials, or if incidents/near-misses occur.
  • Keep records of maintenance, inspections, training and monitoring.

Practical Checklist for Welding Safety

  • Has the welding task been properly planned and risk-assessed?
  • Are fume/gas extraction or ventilation systems operational and effective?
  • Is RPE provided, face fit-tested, clean and correctly used?
  • Are fire/explosion hazards cleared and fire/spark management in place?
  • Is electrical equipment in good condition and safe?
  • Are workers trained, competent, and supervised if needed?
  • Have adjacent workers and passers-by been considered and protected?
  • Are regular inspections and maintenance of systems recorded?
  • Has the site been reviewed recently for changes that could affect safety?

Relevant Training

  • LEV Managing for Duty Holders – Develop the knowledge you need to choose the right LEV system for your workplace, train staff on its use and oversee daily checks and maintenance.
  • Confined Spaces training – A range of Confined Spaces training courses designed to meet UK safety legislation
  • Fire safety training
  • First Aid training
  • Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO)
  • Electrical Safety
  • Welding Safety Awareness – Introduction to welding hazards and safe practices for all levels of staff.
  • Arc Welding Certification – Practical and theoretical training on arc welding techniques and safety.
  • Gas Welding Certification – Training in oxy-fuel welding, cutting, and associated health and safety precautions.
  • Hot Work Permit & Fire Safety Training – Managing fire/explosion risks during welding operations.
  • Confined Space Welding Safety – Special considerations for welding in tanks, vessels or enclosed spaces.

Welding is indispensable in many industries, but it carries serious health and safety risks that cannot be ignored. Applying a systematic approach — assessing hazards, implementing practical controls, providing training, maintaining equipment, and monitoring effectiveness — will help ensure welding operations are safe, compliant, and sustainable.

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