Class Code 3365
Welding Or Cutting
Class Code 3365 applies to workers who perform welding or cutting as their primary job function. This includes arc welding, oxy-fuel and plasma cutting, brazing and related hot-work operations; the WCIRB pure premium rate for California effective September 1, 2026 is $5.289 per $100 of payroll. Knowing when to use 3365 and how the rate is applied helps California employers control premiums and meet regulatory safety requirements.
What Class Code 3365 Covers
This classification covers employees whose job duties are primarily welding or cutting of metal, whether in a shop, mobile fabrication truck, or on a construction site. Common operations included are shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW/MIG), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW/TIG), oxy-fuel cutting and welding, plasma arc cutting, brazing, soldering when performed as part of hot-work, and thermal cutting of structural components or piping. Work performed during maintenance and repair when the worker's main duty is welding or cutting also falls in 3365, including field pipe welding, structural steel erection welding, and on-site fabrication at refineries, plants, and shipyards. Incidental or occasional welding performed by workers whose primary trade is another craft may be classified differently and should be allocated separately on payroll records to avoid misclassification at audit.
Who It Applies To
- Shop-based metal fabricators and production welders
- Field/mobile welders (pipeline, structural steel, HVAC duct installers performing welds)
- Industrial maintenance welders in manufacturing, refineries, and plants
- Pipe welders and pipefitters whose primary duty is welding/cutting
- Welding apprentices and certified journeyman welders employed primarily for welding
Common Job Duties
- Setting up and calibrating welding and cutting equipment (power sources, gas regulators, torches)
- Preparing joints: cleaning, grinding, beveling, and fitting metal components
- Performing arc, MIG, TIG, oxy-fuel, or plasma welding and thermal cutting
- Applying filler metals and fluxes, controlling weld quality, and welding inspection
- Operating local exhaust ventilation, fume extraction, and welding booths
- Performing hot work permits, fire watches, and post-weld cleanup including grinding and slag removal
- Maintaining welding PPE (helmets, lenses, gloves), and small equipment maintenance
Common Injury Risks
Understanding the $5.289 Rate
The WCIRB pure premium rate of $5.289 per $100 of payroll represents the expected cost of workers' compensation losses for this classification before insurer expense loads and adjustments. To estimate premium, multiply payroll for employees in 3365 by the rate (payroll/100 x 5.289), then apply your insurer's expense constant, loss cost multipliers, experience modification (XMOD), and any policy-level credits or debits. Final premium is affected by your claims history, safety program effectiveness, payroll accuracy at audit, and participation in retrospective rating or deductible programs.
Cal/OSHA Compliance Requirements
Cal/OSHA requires employers to control welding hazards through written procedures, hazard assessment, and training specific to hot work operations. Key controls include engineering (local exhaust and general ventilation), administrative (hot work permits, fire watch, confined space entry controls), a respiratory protection program when fume exposures exceed limits, PPE (welding helmets with appropriate filter lenses, gloves, leathers), and medical surveillance for exposures to respirable metals like hexavalent chromium. Employers must also maintain training records, injury logs, and follow lockout/tagout and electrical safety rules when servicing welding equipment.
How Key HR Helps Employers Under Class Code 3365
A PEO like Key HR helps employers in class 3365 by centralizing claims handling, providing access to vetted occupational medical panels, and implementing tailored loss-control plans such as hot-work permit systems, fume-extraction solutions, and respirator programs. Key HR can also track payroll allocation for accurate classification, help reduce experience modification through return-to-work and light-duty programs, and negotiate competitive workers' comp placements and managed care solutions to lower total cost of risk.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
If my mechanic does occasional welding, do I use class code 3365?
Not necessarily. Use 3365 for employees whose primary, regular duty is welding or cutting. If welding is incidental to another trade (for example, a mechanic who welds occasionally), payroll should be allocated to the employee's primary classification and the incidental welding payroll reported separately. Confirm allocation with your insurer or WCIRB guidance to avoid audit adjustments.
What practical safety steps lower injury risk and help control my mod and premiums?
Implement a formal hot-work permit program, install local exhaust/fume extraction at weld stations, require welding helmets with correct shade filters and face/arm protection, run a respirator program when needed, conduct pre-work hazard assessments and fire watches, and maintain prompt reporting and return-to-work practices. These actions reduce claim frequency and severity and can improve your experience modification over time.
How will Key HR handle a welding-related workers' comp claim?
Key HR provides immediate triage and claim reporting, coordinates medical care with occupational providers, manages temporary modified-duty placements to speed recovery, investigates root causes to prevent recurrence, and works with insurers to contain claim costs. Our safety consultants can also implement corrective actions and training to reduce future losses.
Quick Facts
- Class Code
- 3365
- Classification
- Welding Or Cutting
- Pure Premium Rate
- $5.289 / $100 payroll
- Effective Date
- September 1, 2026
- Source
- WCIRB Approved Filing
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