Brazing & Soldering: Safety Measure you Need to Follow
- SkillCat Team
- Sep 16
- 3 min read
Brazing and Soldering: Chapter 6
Safety
In this module, we will identify the dangers of brazing and soldering.We will also look at the safety precautions to follow to avoid them.
Fire Damage
Recall that brazing soldering process is carried out using flame that produces high heat. There is always a threat that during these operations, a fire may break out. A fire extinguisher is a handy tool used to put off the fire by discharging a jet of water or gas.
Before starting the brazing or soldering operation, we should identify objects that can catch fire due to heat. We should not perform these operations in the presence of a flammable or explosive atmosphere.
We should not carry out brazing and soldering operation near readily ignitable materials. For example, non-metals like nylon inside valve or PVC pipe used for connecting piping of HVAC system can catch fire. So, we should disassemble them while performing brazing and soldering.
Pressurized Risks
Recall that gases used for brazing are stored at high pressure inside cylinders. We need to make sure that no gas is present in the system before brazing otherwise it will show wrong pressure reading. Check the pressure gauges. If they do not show zero, it means that some gas is present in the hoses.
If the gas is present in the hoses or system, we need to drain the system before starting brazing. This will remove any gas that is still present in the system. The video shows the draining procedure.
Recall that gases used for brazing are prone to explosion if not handled properly. If they leak from any part of cylinder, they can cause hazardous explosion. We should always check leaks before using the gas.
Recall that we use nitrogen gas for leak test. We should never use compressed air for checking leakage. Compressed air is highly pressurized gas. This can push an object with a great amount of force if leaks through joint and cause damage to nearby object.
Safety
Recall that valve has rubber bushings inside that can be damaged due to heat. The schrader valve also has rubber bushings inside and on the valve body. To prevent damage, we should always remove schrader fitting from joint before brazing.
While performing brazing, soldering, and welding operation, we should always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect against health and safety hazards.
These includes:
Heat resistant clothing,
Safety glasses,
Face and Respiratory Masks,
Gloves, and
Safety-toed shoes.
The hazards from heat, sparks and molten metal can be minimized by wearing flame resistance clothing. We should always wear flame-resistant cotton or leather clothing. Any other material such as synthetic, nylon or polyester wear is strictly prohibited during the operation as they burn very easily.
It is essential to wear safety glasses when working near hazardous radiation caused by brazing and soldering. Safety glasses are crucial because they provide protection to our eyes and prevent things from causing injury to them.
Gloves are essential because they protect our hands while also allowing us to perform our job. We should wear leather gloves while performing brazing and soldering as they keep sparks and lights away from our hands.
Face and respiratory masks are important to protect our lungs. We may be exposed to hazardous fumes while heating metal. For example, brazing pipes in HVAC systems can cause hazardous fumes.
We wear safety-toed leather shoes or boots to protect our feet from sparks and molten metal. Safety gear is important to wear at work because it protects us from possible injury or death.
Brazing and soldering has fire risk and pressure risk. The following safety gears are important to wear while brazing and soldering to protect ourselves from harm:
Hard hats,
Safety glasses,
Gloves,
Face masks, and
Safety-toed shoes.
Other References:
