BRIEF

Policy Summary

The Welding, Joining, and Thermal Cutting Safety Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) ensures that welding is performed safely and in conformance with applicable safety standards by qualified and authorized personnel in a manner that ensures acceptable joint quality and integrity.
"Welding" includes all joining processes that use heat to join materials with or without a filler material. Examples of such processes are welding, brazing, soldering, and thermal cutting (e.g., severing or removing metal by localized melting, burning, or vaporizing of the work pieces).

Who Should Read This Policy

This policy applies to:

• Employees who need welding work performed.
• Facilities personnel who will be welding.
• Engineering personnel who will be welding.
• Division personnel performing low-risk welding.
• Facilities management overseeing welding operations.
• Engineering management overseeing welding operations.
• Division management overseeing low-risk welding operations.

To Read the Full Policy, Go To:

The POLICY tab on this wiki page

To Read the ES&H Program Details, Go To:

ES&H Manual Chapter 33

Contact Information

EHS Subject Matter Expert for Welding
Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Division

POLICY

A. Purpose

The Welding, Joining, and Thermal Cutting Safety Program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) ensures that welding is performed safely and in conformance with applicable safety standards by qualified and authorized personnel in a manner that ensures acceptable joint quality and integrity.
"Welding" includes all joining processes that use heat to join materials with or without a filler material. Examples of such processes are welding, brazing, soldering, and thermal cutting (e.g., severing or removing metal by localized melting, burning, or vaporizing of the work pieces).

B. Persons Affected

This policy applies to:

• Employees who need welding work performed.
• Facilities personnel who will be welding.
• Engineering personnel who will be welding.
• Division personnel performing low-risk welding.
• Facilities management overseeing welding operations.
• Engineering management overseeing welding operations.
• Division management overseeing low-risk welding operations.

C. Exceptions

This policy does not apply to:

• Subcontractors performing repairs on subcontractor-owned equipment that may be operated at Berkeley Lab. Note that other Berkeley Lab requirements apply to these same subcontractors. See the Construction Health & Safety and sJHA Process — Subcontractor Job Hazards Analysis programs in the ES&H Manual.
• Subcontractors performing welding where quality and safety requirements are specifically addressed in subcontractor requirements (e.g., structural welding or fabricating components or equipment).

D. Policy Statement

1. Requests for welding through the Facilities Division are made via the Work Request Center.
   1. The Facilities Division will follow its internal welding procedures (ADMN-070, Facilities Welding and Brazing, and OPER-346, Facilities Welding and Brazing).
2. Requests for welding on scientific equipment are made to the Engineering Division.
   1. The Engineering Division will follow its internal welding procedure.
   2. An Engineering or Safety Note will be prepared for high-risk welds.
3. Perform a hazards analysis and follow Integrated Safety Management (ISM) to identify hazards and controls for low-risk welding (e.g., soldering, spot welding, and torch brazing).
   1. Should a scientific division need to perform other types of welding, specific policies and procedures should be developed and implemented with the oversight of the EHS Welding Subject Matter Expert.
4. Obtain a Hot Work Permit for:
   1. Resistance spot welding.
   2. Open-flame welding processes.
   3. Arc-welding processes.
5. Perform an Exposure Assessment prior to performing welds to ensure vapors, fumes, gases, heat, noise, and radiation are controlled.
6. Complete training requirements for welding to be performed.
7. Implement control measures identified in the:
   1. Work Planning and Control activity.
   2. Hot Work Permit.
   3. Exposure Assessment.
   4. Division-specific welding procedures.
8. Perform the welding process according to control measures.
9. File Hot Work Permits with the Berkeley Lab Fire Department.

E. Roles and Responsibilities

Managers, supervisors, and employees have the responsibility to adhere to the provisions of this policy.

F. Definitions/Acronyms

G. Recordkeeping Requirements

None

H. Implementing Documents

I. Other References

• ANSI Z49.1:2012, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes
• ANSI/ASME Z87.1:2003, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices
• ANSI Z87.1:1989, American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection

J. Contact Information

EHS Subject Matter Expert for Welding
EHS Division

K. Revision History

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

Source Requirements Documents

• 10 CFR 851, Worker Safety and Health Program
• California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Electrical Safety Orders (ESO), General Industry Safety Orders (GISO), and Construction Safety Orders (CSO)
  • ESO Group 1. Low-Voltage Electrical Safety Orders (Sections 2299–2599)
  • GISO 5150, Ventilation and Personal Protective Equipment Requirements for Welding, Brazing and Cutting
  • GISO 4850–4853, Electric Welding, Cutting, and Heating
  • GISO 4794–4848, Gas Systems for Welding and Cutting
  • GISO 3380–3400, Personal Protective Equipment
  • CSO 1530, General Requirements of Mechanical Ventilation Systems
  • CSO 1536, Ventilation Requirements for Welding, Brazing, and Cutting
  • CSO 1537, Welding, Cutting, and Heating of Coated Metals
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 51B-2009 Standard for Fire Prevention During Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work (Chapters 3–7)

Implementing Documents

Other References

• ANSI Z49.1:2012, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes
• ANSI/ASME Z87.1:2003, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices
• ANSI Z87.1:1989, American National Standard Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection