What is the Risk of Getting SHOCKED While Welding?

Thank you for taking on the task of sharing this information. While I am only as green as green can be with welding, this was great information as I dig deeper and grow in what I know.

I am a welding newbie and this video has cleared a lot of things out for me. I was deadly afraid to touch anything, even with the appropriate ppe, gloves and all. I have always wondered, watching people weld on youtube, how are they all still alive)) Now it all makes more sense. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much for this. This is one of my main anxiety factors in being a beginner

This I think is the most overlooked hazard in welding! Thanks for the good info. My only serious shock was when I was in weld school. We had big 240 amp breakers in the back of every booth that the welders plugged into. One day I was crouched down on the floor, chatting with a friend while clearing a birds nest. The machine was off, but I had neglected to turn the breaker off. I started pulling the wire out of the liner and piling it on the floor behind me, When all of a sudden ZAP! The wire found it’s way into a tiny gap between the plug and the socket, and shocked the hell outta me. Thankfully it was so hot that it instantly cut the little .035 wire, but my arm was numb for the rest of the day. Needless to say, I never forgot to turn off the breakers after that!

Should have been said that the reason you can weld with a lethal amount of amperage but not get electrocuted is because the voltage is too low to push that current through your body. Your bodies resistance is too high. Theres really minimal risk until you get above 50 volts. However there are circumstances that reduce your bodies resistance like being really sweaty or working in wet conditions or having grinding dust stuck to your sweaty arms. So just because most welders run a voltage low enough to be considered safe, you can get yourself into higher risk situations depending on the circumstance.

One of the first questions I asked when getting into welding. Until now I have NEVER gotten a good answer. Great video!

As a past millwright I can attest to the "fun" of welding on equipment out in the rain on your wet knees. Some guys can "feel" the shock more than others. I remember once welding on a wet floor while holding a piece on the steel on the sawhorses. I felt a zap every time I struck an arc. I had my shift partner do it and he felt nothing. We grabbed a multimeter and went from the wet floor to the sawhorse proving my point. Being the guys to finish the job we swapped the electrode and ground leads and ordered new leads for replacement.

Yep....You answered the exact question I had and the demonstration was perfect!! Thank you. Going to practice my first weld this weekend!!!

Thanks so much for this, i started Big a while back and had several Zaps... I thought it was just me. I put it down to beginners bad habits. This cleared up all the mystic.

Electrocution actually means to get killed with electricity. This is a common thing for people to use the word electrocute when they mean shocked. I got “corrected” my first day at the electric utility I worked for 36 years, so that was a big deal for me. I hope I didn’t offend you it’s just one of my “things”. You did a very good job explaining why the current doesn’t go through you. Thanks for educating.

Very timely. Thank you. Just bought my first welder this past week and full gear. But always thought in the back of my mind how hard it would be to shock myself. I do appreciate you taking one for the team!

When I was a kid my Dad was stick welding on a piece that was grounded through the table. It is often hot as crap in Alabama. My Dad had on a white t-shirt that was soaked in sweat. I was also quite sweaty. I came up beside him and leaned/propped on the vise that was on the table and then put my arm around my Dad in a hug. The sky crashed, we hollered, I think I saw his bones like in a cartoon. Dad has a thing about being shocked. We finally got loose and I started running thinking he was going to kill me. Me as a 14 or so year old boy and him at 44 or so ran out of the back of the shop across the field behind. When I finally gave out I turned and grabbed my side...Dad ran right by me. He wasn't after me...he was just trying to get away!! HAHA

Great video! I just wanted to mention about being cautious when standing in a damp or wet area when welding, because you can get shocked very easily.

This instructional video is worth watching twice or more times. Well done and thanks for sharing. Ring of Fire…

Probably the best explanation ever! Excellent!!

I got shocked so bad on a stick welder it burnt a divot in the back of my hand. I’m not sure what polarity I was set up as, or how I completed the circuit, but I sure as hell got seriously shocked, that experience keeps me watching videos on this subject.

Yes your video is helpful. I got plenty of questions answered by watching it. Thanks

Thanks Chris. Really appreciate you taking the time to demonstrate this, cheers Jake.

Brilliant - finally a video that answers all my questions regarding shock risks without all the theory! Theory is important but some simple examples are priceless! Thanks.

This is great. I’m just always "afraid" of the electricity, which means I’m thinking about what is turned on/off and where my hands are, ppe, etc. People have still been electrocuted when sweat/water gets involved. Glad you mentioned sweat because it can be a real problem.