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• NEVER aim the torch nozzle at any part of your body
or the body of any bystanders.
• Do not wear gloves or other clothing that contain oil,
grease, or other flammable substances.
• Do not wear flammable hair preparations.
• Do not cut in an area until it has been checked and
cleared of combustible and/or flammable materials Be
aware that sparks and slag can fly 35 feet and can
pass through small cracks and openings. If work and
combustibles cannot be separated by a minimum of
35 feet, protect against ignition with suitable, snug-
fitting, fire resistant, covers or shields.
• Do not cut on any wall before checking for and
removing combustibles touching the other side of the
wall.
• Do not weld, cut, or perform other such work on used
barrels, drums, tanks, or other containers that had
contained a flammable or toxic substance. The
techniques for removing flammable substances and
vapors, to make a used container safe for welding or
cutting, are quite complex and require special
education and training.
• Do not strike an arc on a compressed gas or air
cylinder or other pressurized vessel. Doing so will
result in a violent rupture.
• Do not weld or cut in an area where the air may
contain flammable dust (such as grain dust), gas, or
liquid vapors (such as gasoline).
• Do not handle hot metal, such as the workpiece or
electrode stubs, with bare hands.
• Always turn the POWER switch OFF, before setting
the torch down, to prevent accidentally triggering the
cutting torch.
• Always wear leather gloves, heavy long sleeve shirt,
cuffless trousers, high-topped shoes, helmet, and cap.
As necessary, use additional protective clothing such
as leather jacket or sleeves, fire resistant leggings, or
apron. Hot sparks or metal can lodge in rolled up
sleeves, trouser cuffs, or pockets. Sleeves and collars
should be kept buttoned and pockets eliminated from
the shirt front.
• Always have fire extinguishing equipment handy for
immediate use! A portable chemical fire extinguisher,
type ABC, is recommended.
• Wear ear plugs when cutting overhead to prevent
spatter or slag from falling into an ear.
• Make sure cutting area has a good, solid, safe floor,
preferably concrete or masonry, not tiled, carpeted, or
made of any other flammable or electrically conductive
material.
• Protect flammable walls, ceilings, and floors with heat
resistant covers or shields.
• Check the cutting area to make sure it is free of
sparks, glowing metal or slag, and flames before
leaving the cutting area.
FUME HAZARDS
WARNING
FUMES, GASES, AND VAPORS CAN CAUSE
DISCOMFORT, ILLNESS, AND DEATH!
• To reduce risk of discomfort, illness, or death, read,
understand, and follow the following safety
instructions. In addition, make certain that anyone
else that uses this cutting equipment or is a bystander
in the cutting area, understands and follows these
safety instructions as well.
• Do not cut in an area until it has been checked for
adequate ventilation as described in ANSI standard
#Z49.1. If ventilation is not adequate to exchange all
fumes and gases generated, during the cutting
process, with fresh air, do not cut unless you (the
cutter) and all bystanders are wearing air-supplied
respirators.
• Do not heat metals coated with, or that contain,
materials that produce toxic fumes (such as
galvanized steel), unless the coating is removed.
Make certain the area is well ventilated, and the
operator and all bystanders are wearing air-supplied
respirators.
• Do not weld, cut, or heat lead, zinc, cadmium,
mercury, beryllium, or similar metals without seeking
professional advice and without inspecting the
ventilation in the cutting area. These metals produce
EXTREMELY TOXIC fumes that can cause
discomfort, illness, and even death.
• Never weld or cut in areas that are near chlorinated
solvents. Vapors from chlorinated hydrocarbons, such
as trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, can be
decomposed by the heat of an electric arc or by the
ultraviolet radiation generated by the arc. These
actions can cause PHOSGENE gas (a HIGHLY
TOXIC gas) to form, along with other lung and eye-
irritating gases. Do not weld or cut where these
solvent vapors can be drawn into the work area or
where the ultraviolet radiation can penetrate to areas
containing even very small amounts of these vapors.
• Do not cut in a confined area unless it is being
ventilated or the operator (and anyone else in the
area) is wearing an air-supplied respirator.
• Momentary eye, nose, or throat irritation are an
indication of inadequate ventilation. Stop cutting
immediately and take the necessary steps to improve
ventilation in the cutting area. Do not resume cutting if
physical discomfort persists.
