Michigan Administrative Code
Department - Labor and Economic Opportunity
MIOSHA
General Industry and Construction Safety and Occupational Health Standards
General Industry Safety Standards
Part 12 - WELDING AND CUTTING
ARC WELDING AND CUTTING
Section R. 408.11274 - Installation

(1) The frame or case of a welding machine shall be grounded unless the manufacturer does not recommend it.

(2) The work on which the operator welds shall be grounded by a grounded metal floor, platen, connection to a grounded building frame, or by a direct ground to the machine. A wire used for grounding a work piece shall be capable of carrying the full welding current.

(3) A conduit containing an electrical conductor shall not be used for completing a work-lead circuit.

(4) A pipeline in service shall not be used as a permanent part of a work-lead circuit, but may be used during construction, extension, or repair if current is not carried through threaded joints, flanged bolted joints, or caulked joints and if special precautions are used to avoid sparking at connection of the work-lead cable.

(5) Chains, wire ropes, cranes, hoists, and elevators used for carrying loads shall not be used to carry a welding current.

(6) A welding cable shall be protected against damage, entanglement, or contact with power supply or high tension wires.

(7) A welding machine not provided with a controller or disconnect switch as an integral part shall have a controller or disconnect switch with overload protection provided. A disconnect switch with overload protection or overload disconnect protection or equivalent shall be provided for each outlet used by a portable welding machine.

(8) The rated current carrying capacity of the supply conductors for individual machines shall be not less than the rated primary current for the welding machine. The rated current carrying capacity of conductors for a group of welding machines may be less than the sum of the rated primary currents of the welding machines supplied. The conductor rating shall be determined in each case according to the machine loading based on the use to be made of each welding machine and the allowance permissible if all the machines supplied by the conductor will not be in use at the same time.

(9) Where a welding machine is working sufficiently close to another machine so that a welding operator is likely to touch the exposed parts of more than 1 electrode holder simultaneously, the machine shall be connected so as to minimize shock hazard as follows: