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Welding and Fitting Employees - best practices on requiored employee owned tools

Mcgyver

Diamond
Joined
Aug 5, 2005
Location
Toronto
2018 and is the year of getting our stuff together here - time to codify and write it down :) I want to come up with a list of tools someone employed as a Welder or a Welder/Fitters should be required to bring to work. Curious what other shops do.

Anyone have a good list - what do you expect to have to provide yourself? Managers, do have a published list?

Thanks
 
Hello Mcgyver
I don't know what the "law" says, but I'd imagine a guy would want to use his own beanie, helmet, coveralls & leathers. I personally wouldn't want to have to use someone else's.
 
by law, nothing.

employer is required to provide all necessary PPE.

optional, whatever they would like, as long as it meets ANSI specs where applicable.

a smart company policy would specify type and extent of PPE for a given process and parameter, I. E. , "overhead welding ( as defined by AWS) preformed with the SMAW process shall require full leather upper body protection in good condition free from burnthroughs, exterior pockets, etc... etc... failure to comply with the safety policy as stated herein can result in immediate termination... etc etc..

before the haters start piling on, no that is NOT my preference, it is all in there to please the lawyers and insurers, and it is up to management to enforce the rules sensibly. I'm responding to the OP here...
 
thanks guys.....

I was more hoping for something like "all welders/fitters will provide their own.....

chipping hammer,
measuring tape
tri square
level
12" adjustable wrench

and so forth.

Its just easier for new hires to have it all spelled out. I can probably come up with one, but its always good to hear what others are doing
 
Shipyard and heavy fabrication shop here.

Company provides all PPE and equipment except the boots.

Welder and fitters are issued green jackets/leathers/sleeves (depending on the job they do), hard hat, welding hood*, chip hammer, wire brush, soap stone, striker, gloves, safety glasses, ear plugs, tape measure and speed squares.

*Welding hood is a standard hood. many guys bring in their own auto-darkening hood.

When they wear something out, they can get a replacement but have to turn in the old one. Most of the consumables are in vending machines where you enter your employee # and a PIN and it dispenses your stuff - even welding jackets and gloves. If you go over a certain number per month, it will be payroll deducted. The numbers are pretty generous and few people exceed it.

Before the vending machines we had guys getting new glove twice a week because they went home with them, or just lost them. This system has greatly reduced our consumable expenses and the guys have access to what they need even if the tool room attendant isn't there.

Part of supplying all PPE can be a liability issue. We want to make sure they are using the proper equipment for the job, so we provide it. No excuse for them not to have it.
 
nah, sorry. if it is an employee, you gotta tool 'em up. enough to do the job.

there was a time when employers would abuse the trade tool requirements for a job to the point that you got the job, but had to buy the tools, at the extortionist pricing, from the company store (with scrip, or credit against future pay at high interest), and then....

could take months to pay that off, and having signed on, you were the company's slave, legally obliged, until that week's pay for the pickaxe, and the week and a half for the helmet and carbide light, etc. were paid off. look up the Colorado Mine Wars.

many were recent immigrants who couldn't read what they were signing. my best friend's grandfather landed from Italy and went out to work. he survived.
 
by law, nothing.
a smart company policy would specify type and extent of PPE for a given process and parameter,

We have a chart posted - WITH PICTURES OF THE APPROPRIATE PPE - for each of the hot work processes. If you are grinding, you need a minimum of _____. same for welding, grinding, plasma tables, etc.

Our safety department developed it. If you're a smaller company your insurance company may be able to give guidance with that.

We also require that all clothing worn on the shop floor be natural fiber - no nylon windbreakers that will melt and stick to you. FR is not a requirement if not doing hot work.
 
Most shops I've worked at provided corded power tools,extension cords,grinding wheels,saw blades,fall protection ect
But if I want a 4"grinder or a nice slider clamp that's on me
Of course I have to have all my own personal hand tools,welding hood,leathers, precision measuring tools,ect
IMHO the quality and quantity of tools a person has is a big indicator of there ability

Beware the (journeyman) with no tools!
 
Shipyard and heavy fabrication shop here.
.....Most of the consumables are in vending machines where you enter your employee # and a PIN and it dispenses your stuff - even welding jackets and gloves. If you go over a certain number per month, it will be payroll deducted. The numbers are pretty generous and few people exceed it.....
I am very interested in the vending machine solution for consumables. Can you tell us more?

Walter
 
Most shops I've worked at provided corded power tools,extension cords,grinding wheels,saw blades,fall protection ect
But if I want a 4"grinder or a nice slider clamp that's on me
Of course I have to have all my own personal hand tools,welding hood,leathers, precision measuring tools,ect
IMHO the quality and quantity of tools a person has is a big indicator of there ability

Beware the (journeyman) with no tools!

agreed, around here the norm is the welder fitter brings a limited kit of tools and we supply the rest. For PPE We supply work gloves safety glass and ear plugs, they supply the rest with safety boots mandatory. We don't wear hard hats in the shop, but when doing field work and installs most of the guys have their own, or we'll provide. Beanies and shields supplied by the welder.

Doesn't look there is a any norm on it, so I'll post whatever list we come up with.
 
From my experience:

1) 10lb sledge. No other hammers.

2) Tape measure with the hook end broken off. Numbers worn of the first 12".

3) Soap stone holders. No soap stone over 1/4" long.

4) Torch strikers. No flints. Use matches.

5) 4 Cartons of cigarettes, preferably unfiltered. Renew weekly.

6) Leather gloves with the thumb and first finger either worn through or so stiff they make a permanent claw.

Bonus items:

5 lb pile of misc chuck keys that don't fit any drills in the shop. Lots of cut off disks with about 1/8" of abrasive left. Huge pile of chisels with the ends mushroomed out to at least 3X the shank diameter.

Sharp drill bits are strictly forbidden.

I'm sure I missed a few.
 
#7 Vise grips with broken or missing spring
#8 grinding wheels so hard they won’t cut at all, boss said they are cheaper cause they last so long.
 
chipping hammer,
measuring tape
tri square
level
12" adjustable wrench

If those are the sort of tools they need, why not provide them? Looks like < $100. If they lose or break them, buy them more. Otherwise they are going to mess around for 20 minutes doing the job with the wrong tool or the broken tool.

That's the reality I see. For the majority of the moderately qualified sort of of people you can hire.

-Jim
 
If those are the sort of tools they need, why not provide them? Looks like < $100. If they lose or break them, buy them more. Otherwise they are going to mess around for 20 minutes doing the job with the wrong tool or the broken tool.

There is merit to that. It would be a longer list than that, that was just for instance. We do replace tools that break on the job. I guess the thinking is ownership instills a greater sense of responsibility for them, but I have open mind on it....was asking to get ideas and hear what others were doing.

Getting control of the shop tools is another thing to tackle. The nature of fabrication, the shops tend to be larger than machining. We're 40,000 sf so someone walking around looking for tools can burn up time quickly
 
I one of the more high end and organized shops I worked at tools basically went like this

trigger puller ie a certified welder had enough of there own tools to change wire and gas and lay out skip welds

Fitter/welder usually an older experienced fitter able to weld but not necessarily certified someone who can read blueprints and layout parts run a touch,punch,rotobroach ect usually they have a rollaway tool box

Lead man all of the above plus specialist stuff like pipe,stair, H beam tools ect
And would run the jobs

Foreman one tool a axe to cut the jerks with no tools

Or something like that
 
Would a "Tool Allowance" (paid to employee based on job description/expectations) be a good idea in shops where employee is expected to supply the common kit? I'm talking about a documented company policy, not subject to arbitrary influences.

The idea just popped into my head (no historical examples).

I agree with the position that craftsmen prefer to work with their own tools (and take better care of them) but the employer is getting benefit. An allowance would help the user replace/expand the kit or extra $$ in pocket?

Is an allowance "assumed" in the wage?

Is an allowance more trouble than it's worth?

Anybody get/give a tool allowance?

No intent to derail Mcgyver's thread but it seems germane.
 
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From my experience:

1) 10lb sledge. No other hammers.

2) Tape measure with the hook end broken off. Numbers worn of the first 12".

3) Soap stone holders. No soap stone over 1/4" long.

4) Torch strikers. No flints. Use matches.

5) 4 Cartons of cigarettes, preferably unfiltered. Renew weekly.

6) Leather gloves with the thumb and first finger either worn through or so stiff they make a permanent claw.

Bonus items:

5 lb pile of misc chuck keys that don't fit any drills in the shop. Lots of cut off disks with about 1/8" of abrasive left. Huge pile of chisels with the ends mushroomed out to at least 3X the shank diameter.

Sharp drill bits are strictly forbidden.

I'm sure I missed a few.


Cable Jack with worn frayed cable so that you can drop something on the concrete.
 








 
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