Welding Manganese Plate (safety)

Date 02-23-2015 16:11

New to welding manganese plate 14%. This project comes around 1-2 times per year, but qty's are high. We have been fighting cold crater cracking for years, recently changed from 309L wire to a flux cored stainless
and back filling at end of weld, appears to have solve the problem for now. Wire is customer callout.

1. Thoughts on welding Manganese and fumes. Indoors. Some of our welders don't want to touch the stuff. We do have some smoke eaters.
2. Any recommendations for respirators to fit under a weld hood.
3. Approx. 40" of 3/16 fillets each piece. wire used 309L flux-core .035 (manganese 1/4" thk welded to A36 1/4" thk.
4. Any other precautions to take during welding. Looking out for the guys.....

Thanks

By pipewelder_1999 (****)

Date 02-23-2015 20:28

This one probably would have been best posted in the safety section but no big deal to me.

The majority of the fumes will probably be generated by the filler metal or processing the base metal. Because the situation is infrequent and situations may change, source extraction is a great way to go. Air monitoring by an industrial hygienist would be the most surefire way to verify you are really looking out for your guys. There are also some great PAPR welding hoods available that may also be suitable solutions but in my opinion (which is mine), a safety professional is best consulted for safety issues just as a welding professional is best consulted for welding issues.

I would worry more about the SS wire than the Manganese. Especially if it is used more frequently.

Have a good day.

Gerald Austin

By Superflux (****)

Date 02-23-2015 20:45

Optrel is the most comfortable (expensive?) I've found.
http://www.optrel.com/en/support/breathing-protection-papr.html