Laser safety & how to reduce the risks.
Laser risks are to be treated with the utmost precaution!
See list below for easy and fast implementation in any laser cleaning or laser welding application:
Minimum Safety Requirements Checklist for Laser Machines
1. AWARENESS: Make your team around you aware of the dangers before turning the laser on.
2. EYES: Always wear Laser rated safety glasses for eye protection – more details on this below.
3. FACE: Wear welding helmet (in shade 3-5) over your laser glasses for skin protection.
4. HAND & BODY: Use leather gloves and welding jacket for hand and body protection.
5. SCREENING: Use 'INTERLOCKED' Non-combustible walls or welding screens around work area.
6. FUME: Ensure well ventilated area combined with fume extraction & respiratory protection.
7. HAZARDS: Remove all flammable or combustible items from area including, but not limited to: Paper, Cardboard, Fuel cans, Aerosols, Paint, plastic, Timber, etc.
8. FIRE EXTINGUISHER: Always have fire suppression equipment nearby.
9. REFLECTION: Be aware of where the laser beam could reflect to (up to 4metres of reflection).
10. ELECTRICAL & GASES: Remove all hoses, cables and pipes from the work area.
11. TORCH: Never point the torch towards anything flammable, combustible, or could burn (skin).
12. LASER SOURCE: Read the owners manual completely before usage and operate as directed.
13. PRESSURISED VESSELS: Never weld on pressurized vessels,
Minimum Safety Requirements for Laser Explained
1. AWARENESS: Make your team around you aware of the dangers before turning the laser on is mandatory. Unlike traditional welding equipment, handheld fiber laser welders and laser cleaners have a heat generated by high output laser light which can travel much further than UV light from traditional welding equipment. Adherence to strict safety guidelines as listed here will ensure safety for yourself and those you work with (including pets).
2. EYES: Always wear Laser rated safety glasses for eye protection. This is not a mere suggestion, its the rules. Your eyes react differently with laser as compared to traditional welding machines, e.g: We are told that your eyes will take in 10% of UV (traditional welding machines) whereas your eyes will take in 100% of laser light...So EVERYONE near a laser welder or laser cleaner must wear laser rated safety glasses for eye protection.
< More details here >
3. FACE: Wear a welding helmet over your laser rated safety glasses for facial skin protection. Ideally, put your helmet in shade 3 - 5 (or grind mode) which offers sufficient skin protection on your face and neck. Failure to protect yourself from the heat and light radiating from any welding process can cause skin burns and skin cancers.
4. HAND & BODY: Use leather gloves for hand protection and welding jacket for full body protection. As discussed in points 3 (face) and 9 (reflection), body protection is essential given that metals can be reflection can bounce around the room or surfaces being welded or cleaned and heat can reach your body indirectly. Gloves are also mandatory, given they are often closer to the work zone and potentially holding the workpiece, you must use leather gloves for high heat protection. Never use cotton or general handling gloves.
5. SCREENING: Use 'INTERLOCKED' Non-combustible walls or opaque screens around work area. Interlocked walls or opaque welding screens sounds technical, but it can be simply set up using some non-combustible and non-reflective materials in conjunction with a perimeter wire 'like an electric fence' to immediately stop the laser machine operation should someone enter the welding or cleaning enclosure during operation.
6. FUME: Ensure well ventilated area combined with fume extraction & respiratory protection. Laser welding produces less welding fume than traditional welding machines across the same welding seam, however Laser welding produces an Acidic and toxic fume, whereas traditional MIG & TIG welders produce toxic fume. Laser cleaning by contrast produces large volumes of acidic and toxic fume due to the surface treatment and oxide layers being remove so quickly.
7. HAZARDS: Remove all flammable or combustible items from area including, but not limited to: Paper, Cardboard, Fuel cans, Aerosols, Paint, plastic, Timber, etc. Anything that could burn or be damaged by heat needs to be removed as laser can travel several metres in milliseconds with high intensity. Before welding or cleaning - TAKE 5mins and look around. Removing hazards to make a safe work environment is not optional.
8. FIRE EXTINGUISHER: Always have fire suppression equipment nearby. Although this entire list serves to eliminate the risks that can cause fires, having fire hoses and/or fire extinguishers near to the work station or site is imperative.
9. REFLECTION: Be aware of where the laser beam could reflect to (up to 4metres of reflection). Reflection can be as intense as a direct laser beam, and this has very serious risks. Taking extra precaution when positioning your hands and body before welding can save lives, property and fingers. Reflection can travel up to 4metres from the welding or cleaning zone which forces us to consider where we perform such tasks. Think about your surroundings....are there any curtains, fabrics, packaging, plastics, paper, cardboard or timbers around.
10. ELECTRICAL & GASES: Remove all hoses, cables and pipes from the work area. As laser is a high energy light it will melt and burn materials near and far including PVC and rubber hoses, electrical cables and conductors, gas pipes and fittings. The use of leather or heat treated protective blankets is highly recommended.
11. TORCH: Never point the torch towards anything flammable, combustible or could burn - (e.g.: skin). Laser torches can give 3rd degree skin burns within milliseconds. Always point the torch towards the floor when not in use, and never place in a torch holder that is facing horizontal or upwards.
12. LASER SOURCE: Read the owners manual completely before usage and operate as directed. The laser machines have a strict operating process to be followed. Safety is mandatory and correct operation can only be taught by reading the entire owners manual and safety guidelines prior to operation.
13. PRESSURE VESSELS: Never laser weld or laser clean vessels holding pressure.
NOTICE: Weldmax Australia and QWS take no responsibility for incorrect operation or handling of the laser products. Laser safety and correct operation is Your responsibility.
Refer to AS/NZS IEC 60825.1 for further details relating to safety of laser products.
View Sample here
REGISTER HERE - SAFE OPERATION COMPETENCY FORM.
Register your name and company here to ensure compliance and show that you have read and understood the above information regarding laser safety at work.
Laser Welding is dangerous if not used correctly, QWS takes extra care in demonstrating the correct operation and usage for safe operation of the laser process to ensure 100% compliance to safety standards in Australia for all operators and those around to operate in a competent manner. Significant R&D has gone into laser safety personal protective equipment (PPE) such as skin, eyes, and respiratory protection, plus the laser cleaners fume control to eliminate exposure risk to people or equipment in the nearby area. Weldmax laser welding machines are designed to insist on safety through elimination of the exposure, then engineering measures are used as well to ensure complete safety.
If in doubt ASK us for help....we are here to do exactly that for you today!!
