Summer’s almost here, and for many welders that means one thing — heat. Heat from the arc. Heat from the base metal. Heat from the safety apparel. These three factors combine to make welding an unusually dangerous occupation when the ambient temperatures reach into the 80’s and hotter. In addition to heat exhaustion and other heat-induced illnesses, heat stress can also reduce a welder’s ability to recognize and respond to other physical dangers in the workplace.

To call greater attention to this issue, Miller will be presenting a free, one-hour Webinar that will discuss the dangers of heat stress, national regulations pertaining to heat stress in the workplace, options for reducing heat stress and ways to monitor employees’ heat stress exposure. The Webinar will take place at noon (Central time) on Wednesday, June 23, and will be hosted by Industrial Safety and Hygiene News (ISHN). You can read more about the Webinar and sign up on

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According to a recent news article, the Navy has ordered the re-inspection of thousands of potentially faulty pipe welds on three classes of ships after an oil lubrication problem on one ship required an emergency docking in Bahrain. Investigators believe that up to 10-15 percent of the welds do not meet specifications.

Unfortunate as the problem is for the Navy and the company responsible for inspecting and repairing the welds, the situation calls to light the importance of welding—highly skilled welding, specifically—to our national security.

Welding literally holds together the ships, airplanes, tanks and other vehicles that protect our country and its people on a daily basis, and the problems encountered in these ships is evidence of the skill and knowledge required to successfully perform a weld that will endure extreme stress and pressure.

It’s also sadly ironic that this news story emerged just about a week after welding was listed as the fifth worst out of 200 selected careers. The welding industry needs people with the ability and desire to perform the welds critical to our national security, yet surveys like these could discourage those people from considering a career in welding.

On a positive note, the company that builds these ships for the Navy said that it has recertified its welders and inspectors and stepped up its pipe weld inspection system. Hopefully their efforts will result in improved weld integrity and very little downtime for these ships.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Have you noticed a lack of skill at the highest level of safety-critical welding? Do you believe that companies are not enforcing their welding specifications as strictly as they should? What can be done to show our best and brightest the potential for rewarding and important work within the welding industry? Share your thoughts by posting a comment below.

The temptation, when stuck in the middle of a job site with unbearable heat and a tight deadline, may be just to throw a quick weld on a piece of twisted metal and hope for the best. Hope it gets you through the day. But maybe you didn’t properly prepare the joint? Did you cut out the failed material or did you just pile on filler metal, hoping for the best? Do you have the right equipment?

As with most things in life, taking the time to address the situation properly, right now, will prevent future problems/failures.

We’ve put together a number of resources for you over the years on the topic of field welding repair. Bookmark this and come back to it next time you’ve got a repair to make on a crucial piece of equipment.

1. Comprehensive article focusing on field repair for construction equipment

2. Five tips for field repair

3. Selecting an engine-driven welder generator for your service truck

4. Selecting portable welding and plasma cutting equipment for maintenance and repair

5. Evaluating gas engine drives for generator power

Have any field repair horror stories or successes to share? As always, we’d love to hear about it in the comments section.