Welding joins metal with light hotter than the sun — respect it and the craft is safe for a lifetime; ignore it and a single shift can hurt you four different ways. Here is the exact safety baseline every ArcForge welder follows, shop or site.
Eyes, Skin, and Lungs — In That Order
An auto-darkening hood with the right shade protects against arc flash, which can burn corneas in seconds. Cover all skin: UV from the arc sunburns exposed arms fast, and spatter finds every gap. For lungs, weld galvanized or stainless only with extraction or a P100 respirator — metal fume fever and hexavalent chromium are not beginner problems, they are exposure problems.
Fire Is the Silent Second Arc
Sparks travel 35 feet and smolder for hours. Clear combustibles, keep a charged extinguisher within reach, and post a fire watch for at least 30 minutes after the last weld — 60 on wood structures. Most shop fires start after everyone goes home.
Electricity and Gas Discipline
Dry gloves, insulated mats, and intact leads prevent the shock that damp conditions invite. With torches and bottles, leak-test every connection, chain cylinders upright, and never oil a regulator — oxygen plus hydrocarbons is an explosion waiting for an excuse.
Make It a Ritual, Not a Checklist
The crews with the fewest incidents are not the most fearful — they are the most consistent. Hood down, gloves on, area swept, extinguisher checked: same order, every time, until safe is simply how you weld.
