The welding machine must always be turned off when a thorough inspection of the machine is to be made.

The welding machine must always be turned off when a thorough inspection of the machine is to be made.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only if the machine is hot
• D. It is optional

Answer: (A)

Safety during inspection means removing all sources of energy before you touch or open the machine. Welding power supplies can store electrical energy in components like capacitors, and even after you switch the machine off, residual voltage can remain. If you reach inside or test circuitry while it’s energized, you risk electric shock or an accidental arc. Turning the machine off reduces that risk, and for thorough inspection you should also unplug or use lockout/tagout to prevent any restarting and to ensure stored energy is discharged. That’s why the statement is true. It is not safe to assume you can inspect a live machine, nor is it sufficient to rely on the machine being hot or to treat it as optional.

Safety during inspection means removing all sources of energy before you touch or open the machine. Welding power supplies can store electrical energy in components like capacitors, and even after you switch the machine off, residual voltage can remain. If you reach inside or test circuitry while it’s energized, you risk electric shock or an accidental arc. Turning the machine off reduces that risk, and for thorough inspection you should also unplug or use lockout/tagout to prevent any restarting and to ensure stored energy is discharged.

That’s why the statement is true. It is not safe to assume you can inspect a live machine, nor is it sufficient to rely on the machine being hot or to treat it as optional.