Welding, cutting, and brazing - California

California’s state requirements regarding welding, cutting, and brazing include a substantial amount of regulatory information beyond the federal requirements. Click on the following links to view the state and federal regulations.

Welding, Cutting and Brazing

Citations

California: Title 8, Division 1, Chapter 4, Subchapter 7, Group 10— Gas systems for welding and cutting

Group 11—Electric Welding

Federal: 29 CFR 1910.254 Welding, cutting, brazing

A summary of the additional requirements includes the following:

• For acetylene generators located inside, a portion of the exterior walls or roof equal to at least 10% of the combined areas of the enclosing walls and roof must be of light, noncombustible material, preferably single-strength glass.
• In every acetylene generator house, room, or compartment over 100 sq. ft. in floor area, there must be 2 readily accessible exits remotely located from each other. At least one exit door must give direct access to the outside.
• At least one fire extinguisher of at least 10B:C rating must be kept available for service and in good working order near each acetylene generator house or room.
• Whenever a person is inside an acetylene generator, another person must be stationed outside the generator to assist in case of emergency. The person in the generator must be provided with, and must wear an approved life line and belt. In addition, a ladder must give access to the interior of the generator.
• Flashlights used in the generator room or storage building must be Bureau of Mines permissible type or equivalent.
• Before a portable acetylene generator is recharged, partially or completely, it must be thoroughly cleaned of all sludge and refilled with clean water.
• The seal on calcium carbide storage containers stored indoors must not be broken so long as there is carbide in excess of one pound in any other unsealed package of that size of carbide in the building. The contents of damaged containers must be promptly used or transferred to another container.
• Sealed metal containers of calcium carbide stored out-of-doors must be stored in rows with ample space for easy inspection and under tarpaulins.
• Carbide storage rooms must not be used for the storage of any other material except fuel gas cylinders, singly or manifolded.
• Trucks or wheelbarrows used inside carbide storage rooms must be equipped with rubber or other nonsparking tires.
• There must be no opening from a carbide storage room into any other room or building, except that if there be a partition between the carbide room and a generator room, a doorway will be permitted if all electrical equipment in the carbide room is installed in accordance with Electrical Safety Orders for hazardous locations.
• Nonferrous tools except copper or copper base alloy tools must be provided and used for opening carbide containers.
• Service piping and fittings must comply with Section 2, Industrial Gas and Air Piping Systems of the American National Standard Code for Pressure Piping ANSI B31.1.1983.
• All drip pots must be readily accessible.
• Oxygen piping must never be placed in a tunnel, trench, manhole, or duct where it may be exposed to contact with oil.
• In low-pressure (less than 1 psi) gas piping systems, a hydraulic back-pressure valve must be employed at every point where fuel gas and oxygen are withdrawn from the system.
• If the station outlet is equipped with a detachable regulator or connected directly to a hose, the outlet must terminate in a union connection that complies with the Standard Connections for Regulator Outlets, Torches and Fitted Hose for Welding and Cutting Equipment, Compressed Gas Association, Pamphlet E-1-1980.
• Each fuel-gas and oxygen cylinder lead must be provided with a backflow check valve.
• Manifolds must be located and guarded to protect them against damage from trucks and from any material being moved in the vicinity.
• Fuel gas and oxygen manifolds must bear the name of the substance they contain in letters at least 1-inch high, either painted on the manifold or on a sign permanently attached to it.
• Nothing may be placed on top of a manifold, when in use, which will damage the manifold or interfere with the quick closing of the valves.
• Special manifold buildings or rooms also used for the storage of cylinders containing fuel gas and of drums of carbide must have signs conspicuously posted, reading, "Danger No Smoking, Matches or Open Lights," or other equivalent wording.
• Where liquid oxygen in a quantity exceeding 100 gallons is to be used for welding and cutting, the containers must be located outside or in a special building having no other occupancy except that related to the handling and gasification of the oxygen, and must comply with the provisions of Article 139, Oxygen.
• Hose for oxy-fuel gas service must comply with the Specification for Rubber Welding Hose, 1979, Rubber Manufacturers Association.
• Hose connections must comply with the Standard Connections for Regulator Outlets, Torches and Fitted Hose for Welding and Cutting Equipment, Compressed Gas Association, Pamphlet E-1-1980.
• All hose in use carrying any gas or substance which may ignite or enter into combustion, or which is in any way harmful to employees, must be inspected at the beginning of each working shift.
• All oxygen pipe lines must be painted one color (preferably green) and all fuel gas pipes a different color. If more than one fuel gas is employed, the pipe lines supplying the different gases must be painted distinctive colors. A color chart indicating the colors employed for this purpose must be prominently displayed. Signs clearly establishing the location and identity of section shut-off valves must be provided.
• Torches in use must be inspected at the beginning of each working shift for leaking shutoff valves, hose couplings, and tip connections. Defective torches must not be used. Clogged torch tip openings must be cleaned with suitable cleaning wires, drills, or other devices designed for that purpose.
• Torches must be lighted by friction lighters or other approved devices, and not by matches or from hot work.
• Management must:
  • establish a fire prevention and suppression procedure relative to use of cutting and welding equipment on its property and issue instructions based upon the applicable parts of ANSI Z49.1-1973, Safety in Welding and Cutting;
  • insist that only approved apparatus, such as torches, manifolds, regulators or pressure reducing valves, and acetylene generators, be used; and
  • select contractors to perform hot work involving cutting or welding who have suitably trained personnel and who have an awareness of the magnitude of the risks involved.
• All electric welding equipment must be installed and maintained in accordance with the California Electrical Safety Orders and applicable technical portions of ANSI Z49.1-1973.
• Arc welding cables with splices or repairs within 10 feet of the holder may be used if insulated connectors or splices have insulating quality equal to that of the cable are used.
• Arc welding and cutting cables must be insulated, flexible, and capable of handling the maximum current required by the operations, taking into account the duty cycles.
• The employer must ensure that only manual electrode holders intended for arc welding and cutting, and capable of handling the maximum current required for such welding or cutting, may be used.
• Hot electrode holders must not be dipped in water.
• Employers must ensure that when arc welders or cutters leave or stop work or when machines are moved, the power supply switch must be kept in the off position.
• When arc welding is performed in wet or high humidity conditions, employees must use additional protection, such as rubber pads or boots, against electric shock.
• One or more safety emergency stop buttons must be provided on all multi-spot welding machines, with a minimum of one stop button at each operator's position.