5
Risk of Fire or Explosion
Wear protective clothing to protect yourself
from flying sparks and hot metal.
Do not cut near flammable material. If
possible, remove all flammables within 35 ft of
the plasma cutting arc. If not possible, tightly
cover flammables with approved covers.
Sparks and hot materials can easily make their
way to adjacent areas through small cracks
and openings.
Watch for fire and keep a fire extinguisher
nearby.
Cutting on ceilings, floors, bulkheads, and
partitions can cause fire on the opposite side.
Connecting the ground cable to the work as
close to the cutting area as possible guards
against the cutting current traveling long,
unknown paths where the current can cause
electric shock and fire hazards.
Do not cut pressurized cylinders, pipes, or
vessels.
Do not cut on closed containers, such as tanks
or drums.
Do not cut containers holding flammable
materials; containers must be emptied and
properly cleaned prior to cutting.
Do not cut containers that previously held
combustibles.
Do not cut near explosive dust or vapors.
Do not place equipment on or near
combustible surfaces.
Remove combustibles, such as butane lighters
and matches, from your person prior to
operating equipment.
Hot Parts
Avoid touching hot parts with bare skin; hot
parts can cause burns.
Always allow equipment to cool before
servicing.
Always allow the torch to cool before replacing
consumables.
Wear protective clothing and insulated weld-
ing gloves, or use proper tools, if you must
handle hot parts or materials.
Flying Sparks/Metal Can Cause Injury
Sparks and hot metal blow out from the
plasma cutting arc; chipping and grinding
cause flying material.
Always wear safety glasses or goggles, along
with a face shield or helmet, when cutting and/
or welding.
Wear proper body protection to protect your
skin.
Wear flame-resistant ear plugs or ear muffs to
prevent sparks from entering your ears.
Exploding Parts Can Injure
Failed parts on inverter power sources can
explode or cause other parts to explode when
connected to power. Always use a face shield
or helmet and wear long sleeves when
servicing power sources.
Arc Rays Can Burn Eyes &
Skin
Plasma cutting emits intense visible and
invisible (ultraviolet and infrared) rays that
can burn the eyes and skin.
Use protective screens or barriers to protect
others from the cutting arc; warn others not to
watch as you cut.
