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When working in metal fabrication safety is a top priority. Safety practices help to protect both the shop and employees. When the health and safety of workers is a top priority, productivity and quality increase. 

Creating safeguards for welding tasks can be a challenge because of the smoke and hazardous spatter. Welding different materials like stainless steel, nonferrous chromium alloys and other similar materials can create toxins like hexavalent chromium which is dangerous for the respiratory system. Welders face many risks if safety protocols are not in place. Some of these potential risks include splatter and spark burns, rashes and skin ulcers from exposure to toxic fumes and cutting mishaps caused by poor visibility. Other potential issues include perforations in the nasal septum, asthma or lung cancer. Beyond risks to specific individuals there is the risk of combustible gasses building up and causing an explosion which puts the entire shop at risk. Training and equipment can make a huge difference in preventing these sorts of mishaps and potentially dangerous situations. 

Every welding shop should have safety first welding practices implemented. Education is the best way to prevent material handling and equipment operation mistakes.Metal fabricators need to have safety training programs. Training should include a variety of different topics including the use of PPE with a special focus on welders hoods. PPE should be well maintained and inspected to ensure it is up to standards. Protective clothing like welding aprons and gloves should be inspected to ensure there are no holes or tears. Goggles and face shields should be inspected for scratching which may impact visibility. Falling objects are hard to see when using welding PPE and welders need to be in a safe spot when welding. 

Hot Spatter is a big safety hazard for welders. When welding spatter can be generated when the incorrect welding settings are used or the metals of different thicknesses are being worked on. Hot spatter can spread as far as 35 feet and can cause eye injuries, burns and other spark-fire hazards. Some ways to protect your team from spatter is to use a welding hood and shield to protect the face and eyes. Leather gloves should be worn to protect the hands from spatter and the heat of the spatter. Leather aprons or vests can be used or a welding suit. Proper training and examples can help prevent spatter. 

Air quality is another big risk for welders. Fumes can be deadly and proper ventilation and fume extraction should be part of any welding facility. When working with materials like lead, stainless steel, copper and zinc welders need to be conscious of the toxic fumes that are being produced. There are lots of options for removing and protecting against air hazards. Fresh air goods are a great way to protect welders from fumes. Ventilation systems can also help keep the air quality safe. PPE plays a huge role in air quality. 

A properly trained welder is a safe welder. Jack’s metal works prides themselves on being a safe place to work and offers high quality metal works for customers. As metal fabricators we know that safety and quality work go hand in hand and believe the work provided by Jack’s Metal Works speaks volumes about both. If you are looking to work with a quality custom metal fabricator Jack’s Metal Works is a great option. Our team of experienced welders can handle any project no matter how big or small. 

Protecting Grain and Feed with Steel Storage

Water is one of the most necessary elements on earth but moisture and grain storage are not a good combination. Moisture intrusion can destroy all the grain in a hopper, silo or other storage system. The moisture levels in the storage system have to be properly maintained, 12% moisture can lead to condensation and caking in your storage container. Moisture also causes metal to rust and can cause severe damage to a steel storage system. Chipped mail is one of the most common spots for rust to begin and then seep into the structure of the storage unit. Rust is a huge issue for steel structures. While these issues may be big they are steel detailing techniques that can help protect the steel from water and fluctuating temperatures. 

A great way to protect your silos, hopper or feed storage system is through hot-dip galvanizing. This method is one of the most cost-effective options for steel detailing. The hot-dip galvanizing method coats the metal in a corrosion-resistant zinc. This method is also called batch or after-fabrication galvanizing. This method taxes a few intricate steps to properly protect the steel. The fabricated surface first needs to be cleaned to remove mill scale, grease and oil from the surface. The metal is then dipped in a vat of molten zinc with additives that are designed to protect the surface, this dipping process ensures every edge and crevice is coated. The zinc bath reacts with the steel to create the corrosive protective layer. 

After the coating process areas of the hopper or silo may need to be welded to allow them to continue to function without grinding on the coating. The working parts can be subjected to friction if not welded after the coating. Welders need to consider the HDG when welding. The welds may not hold up to the dipping process.When steel detailing a spot or metal arc welding system may be needed during the fabrication process. The zinc can penetrate the weld spots if precautions are not taken and this can lead to cracking. Push welding is recommended over pulling welding to ensure spots stay intact. 

If any welding is needed after the HDG it will need to use materials that work with the zinc coating. If the welder needs to use metal fasteners that should have the same corrosion resistance at the zinc coating to ensure they don’t cause premature failure. Welding zinc coatings can cause toxic fumes and ventilation and air filtration is required. 

Proper design is a huge factor in how well a silo performs. When a steel storage system is properly designed structural problems are greatly reduced and the hot-dip galvanizing process further reduces the risk. Metal thickness is another factor to consider. Overlapping areas can cause coatings to wear quicker. Full service metal fabricators will take all the aspects into consideration and create a structurally sound feed storage system that will protect your investment. 

While the steel structures detailing is a huge factor in protecting grain and feed there are other things to consider as well. Proper venting and draining are also vital factors to consider. The foundation is an additional element to consider. 

Jack’s metal works can assist with welding and other aspects of your steel feed storage system. Jack’s welders have experience welding galvanized metals and have the tools and experience to get the project done properly.