Thread: Lesson 2 GMAW welding course

Lesson 2 GMAW Course.

Occ Health & Safety

The title of course is in reference to what happens in a work place. OK we are diyers but some may make the transition into a workplace to weld for living and will share the responsibilities for their safety with the employer.

Every work place including training institutions must have an OCC health & Safety policy. Its part of the legal policy of an institution based course ,but also its common sense, really its bad for business to lose students through accidents & incidents in the work place and legally a training institution is seen as a having the same responsibilities as a work place.

Notice I said responsibilities, the worker has them too. To act in a sensible and safe manner, to obey the rules and regulations of the work lace and wear the PPE stipulated /recommended for the job are part of these legislated responsibilities. On the worker side there are workers around who continually won’t wear their safety glasses, welding gloves, spats or whatever PPE applies. You will hear excuses, too hot; too uncomfortable - these guys risk a fine should an inspector walk in, or worse a possible refusal or reduction in a work cover claim.

Basically most of the legislation is based on the AS Australia standards Codes which apply to the work .There are hundreds but some very basic ones which lay out the safety standards applicable in the workplace. The employers are expected to comply with the codes as they are taken as the law in many cases.
Here’s an example of a general legislation guide.


“Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984, employers are required to provide, as far as is practicable, a working environment in which employees are not exposed to hazards (Section 19).

Employees are required by the Act to take reasonable care to ensure their own safety and health at work, and that of others (Section 20).

The Act also requires employers and employees to consult with one another on safety and health matters. When there is a difference of opinion between the employer and employees on safety and health, the issue should be resolved as prescribed in the Act. “

It then breaks down into this

“ Information, instruction, training and supervision
Employers have a duty of care under the Act to provide information, instruction, training and supervision so that employees are not exposed to hazards. This applies to all aspects of work, including work in wet, cold, windy or hot weather.

The Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 require employers, main contractors and self employed persons to, as far as practicable, identify each hazard to which a person is likely to be exposed, assess the risk of injury or harm from each hazard, and consider the means of reducing the risk (Regulation 3.1).
Part 3 of the Regulations includes:
• general duties for workplaces (Division 1);
• personal protective clothing and equipment (Division 2);
• noise control (Division 4);
• prevention of falls (Division 5);
• electricity (Division 6);
• scaffolds, gantries, hoardings and barricades, and formwork (Division 7);
• confined spaces (Division 8);
• tilt-up concrete and pre-cast concrete elements (Division 9, Subdivision 1);
• welding and allied processes (Division 9, Subdivision 3);
• excavation and earthworks (Division 9, subdivision 6); and
• demolition (Division 9, subdivision 7). “



In a nut shell its all about common sense and attitude to how you go about your job or if you continually unnecessary take risks.

On the box the other night I watched a program on how the Hoover Dam was built –one of the seven engineering marvels of the world. It was in the time of the depression when jobs were hard to come by and labour was cheap. One hundred and seven men paid the ultimate price for lack of an OCC. Health & Safety policy of the construction company. Most of the deaths came in situations that welders could find themselves in. Working at heights and working in confined spaces are the hazards that I noticed.

Most will say, it could not happen these days, but as the economy gets tighter and jobs get harder to hang on to, a little bit of that sort of thinking that cost lives will creep back in. I wouldn’t say there are too many companies that still operate like that, but sadly there may be still a few with us and they will ask workers to perform tasks that are unsafe to them.



Some workers, possibly those who have not been educated in OCC health and Safety will take the risk. Those that have been trained will hopefully recognize the risk and refuse the task.
Thank goodness we here in Australia have some of the best OCC health & Safety departments of State Governments in the world and legislation to back them.

The great thing is, if your employer asks you’re to do something that you believe is hazardous, you have a perfect right to refuse until it is proven safe. A quick call to your local state Government OCC. Health & Safety Division or department can sort that one out very quickly.

Ok lets get some discussion going.

Grahame