Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00419:body:0:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2016L00419
Segment Type: other
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Character Range: 2537–5464

a hazard, risk or control and may rely on the code in determining what is reasonably practicable in the circumstances to which the code relates.
Compliance with the WHS Act and Regulations may be achieved by following another method, such as a technical or an industry standard, if it provides an equivalent or higher standard of work health and safety than the code.
An inspector may refer to an approved code of practice when issuing an improvement or prohibition notice.
This Code of Practice has been developed by Safe Work Australia as a model code of practice under the Council of Australian Governments' Inter-Governmental Agreement for Regulatory and Operational Reform in Occupational Health and Safety for adoption by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

Scope and application
This Code of Practice provides practical guidance for persons conducting a business or undertaking on how to manage health and safety risks associated with welding. This Code applies to all workplaces covered by the WHS Act where welding processes are carried out and to all persons involved in these activities.
Although this Code focuses on welding processes, it may also be relevant to manage the risks associated with allied processes. Welding and allied processes involve similar hazards and in some cases the same risk control measures can be implemented. There are many different types of allied processes including metal preparation, metal cutting, gouging, brazing and soldering that need specific control measures. For more guidance on allied process control measures refer to Health and Safety in Welding WTIA Technical Note No.7.

How to use this code of practice
In providing guidance, the word 'should' is used in this Code to indicate a recommended course
of action, while 'may' is used to indicate an optional course of action.
This Code also includes various references to provisions of the WHS Act and Regulations which set out the legal requirements. These references are not exhaustive. The words 'must', 'requires' or 'mandatory' indicate that a legal requirement exists and must be complied with.

1.             INTRODUCTION

1.1 What is welding?
Welding is the process of permanently joining two or more materials together, usually metals,
by heat or pressure or both. When heated, the material reaches molten state and may be joined together with or without additional filler materials being added. Thermoplastics, for example can
be welded together using a suitable heat source to form permanent joins.
Many different energy sources can be used for welding including gas flames, electric arcs, electric resistance, lasers, electron beams, friction, molten metal baths and ultrasound. Welding includes joining methods as diverse as fusion welding, forge welding, friction welding, braze welding, brazing, soldering and explosion welding. Welding is a potentially hazardous activity and precautions