Wearing the right personal protective equipment is the most important precaution for workers who are welding and cutting. Clothing should be made of heavier cloth such as wool or heavy cotton. Welder’s jackets provide excellent protection for the upper body. Sleeves should be unrolled and collars should be buttoned. Shirts should not have front pockets so that sparks cannot lodge in these areas and cause burns. Pants should not have cuffs or be turned up for same reason, and frayed clothes, which are susceptible to catching fire and burning, should not be worn. Workers should wear appropriate flame-resistant gloves, aprons, shields, or leggings, leather capes, and sleeves, as necessary. They should also use helmets with filter lenses to protect them from arc rays as well as sparks and spatter. Spectacles with side shields or goggles will protect against slag chips, grinding fragments, wire wheel bristles, and similar hazards.

Information contained in this article was provided through the MSHA-NSSGA Alliance and was written cooperatively by members of both the aggregates industry and the regulatory agency.