Welder

Welder making boilers for a ship, Combustion Engineering Company. Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 1942.

This article is about welding as a trade. For the machine used to power arc welding procedures see welding power supply.

A welder is a tradesman who specialises in welding materials together. The materials to be joined can be metals (such as steel, aluminium, brass, stainless steel etc.) or varieties of plastic or polymer.

Welders typically have to have good dexterity and attention to detail. Depending upon the type of welding being undertaken, various safety precautions must be taken. Hazards caused by heat and flames are fairly obvious, the intense ultraviolet light produced by arc welding can cause serious eye injury (known as arc eye). The light can also cause burns to skin. Fumes given off by welding can cause respiratory problems, such as welder's lung, or metal fume fever.

Welder

See also