When working with such complex and dangerous equipment as a welding machine, a person can easily get injured at work due to negligence. The profession of a welder requires not only theoretical knowledge about metal alloys, but also great accuracy, precision, good coordination and coherence of actions. To increase work efficiency and reduce the risk of injury at work, there is special equipment for welders. This includes specialized UV glasses.
Standards
Too bright light, which has an unfavorable spectral distribution, is observed during conventional and laser welding. Therefore, protective equipment must comply not only with all safety requirements, but also with certain standards. For example, welding glasses should be light in weight and fit tightly to the skin to eliminate the possibility of sparks getting into the eyes. The lack of influence on visual acuity is also important. Requirements include ensuring a wide field of view and ventilation. In addition, glasses for welding glasses should not fog up or cause eye irritation.
About glasses
Working with a mask is often accompanied by a large load on the cervical spine, and when working in hard-to-reach areas, the mask is not always convenient, because to check the quality of the sutures you have to remove it, and this takes both effort and time. What can not be said about glasses. Due to their smaller size, they do not always need to be removed; you can simply slide them onto your forehead, and the unique feature of the device allows you to clearly distinguish even small details.
Welding goggles have a number of advantages over a mask:
- small dimensions and weight;
- reliable attachment to the head;
- wide view;
- Additional clear lenses are possible.
Therefore, using such glasses, if they are chosen correctly, is a pleasure.
Lens types
Lenses that are used for welding helmets and glasses differ in degrees of protection and in their properties. The materials from which the lenses are made also differ. Thus, glasses for gas welders are usually equipped with glasses of varying degrees of darkness. There are glasses for high-power welding work, for welding and cutting medium-power metals, and for work in open areas. Lenses are made from acetate, polycarbonate, and high-strength plastic. Their minimum thickness should be 3 millimeters. However, there are exceptions, for example, lenses with increased impact resistance can be two millimeters.
Please note: lenses for glasses for an electric welder should be much darker than for a gas welder. That is, glasses for gas welding cannot be used for electric welding, but on the contrary, they can. Failure to comply with this rule may result in burns to the cornea and retina!
Specifics and purpose of attributes
When welding, the worker is exposed to a number of harmful factors, among which the contact of hot drops of metal or sparks with the organs of vision is especially dangerous. Therefore, welding glasses are not a prerogative, but a mandatory requirement for the welding process. In addition to exposure to mechanical elements, they protect the user from glare and dust.
The most common type of glasses are the so-called “chameleons”. Their light filter automatically darkens when a welding arc occurs. Their main element is glass, which is made from high-strength plastic, polycarbonate or acetate.
A light filter is the main device for protecting the eyes. They can be activated (lowered over the glass) during operation and raised during a pause. There are several types of light filters according to their purpose:
- periodic work of support staff;
- welding in an open, well-ventilated area;
- work with medium power equipment;
- work with high power equipment.
The main criterion for classifying glasses for a welder—the degree of darkness—depends on the characteristics of the working conditions. A low indicator (up to 3-4 DIN) is typical for the first type of filters, a high one (10-12 DIN) is used when using high-power equipment.
Chameleon type welding glasses are considered the most popular. Now - about the advantages of the equipment.
Benefits of glasses
Previously, it was almost impossible to see a welder wearing glasses. Just a few years ago, bulky masks were widely used. The glasses, which replaced inconvenient equipment, instantly won the recognition of welders. After all, they differ in a number of advantages, including:
- simplicity of design;
- maximum comfort - glasses do not squeeze the face;
- ease;
- wide view;
- It’s easy to turn your head with glasses;
- It is possible to lift the folding light filter to check the quality of the seam - this is much easier than lifting the entire mask.
Welding glasses are multifunctional. The same model can be used for different types of work.
Recommendations for selection
How can you determine which glasses are right for your welding work? First of all, the choice is dictated by working conditions. In second place is the amount you have. The most budget option is the Chameleon welding glasses. Prices for models of this brand start from 400 rubles.
Products with a significantly higher degree of darkness and improved functionality will cost 1.5-2 thousand rubles. Welders who work outdoors or in well-ventilated areas should opt for inexpensive, open-type goggles with a slight degree of darkness. For specialists working inside industrial premises, closed welding glasses are suitable. They should fit snugly to your face. In both the first and second cases, you should choose glasses with a folding mechanism.
Welder personal protective equipment
Welding arc radiation protection
The welding arc can be considered the main damaging factor not only for welders, but also for everyone around them. It is no secret that representatives of other professions often work next to the welder, who also receive a share of the radiation from the welding arc. The welding arc is considered to have harmful effects up to 20 meters away.
Radiation from a welding arc, in a certain sense, can be called noise, since it covers the infrared, visible and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum. If the visible and infrared part of the spectrum does not cause any particular inconvenience, then ultraviolet, according to the decision of the World Health Organization, is classified as carcinogenic.
It is necessary to protect the entire skin (face, arms, legs, neck) and especially the eyes from this radiation. When the skin is irradiated, a burn occurs that is very similar to a sunburn. Its degree depends on the radiation intensity and exposure time. But the worst thing is eye irradiation.
With short-term exposure to welding radiation on the eyes, discomfort appears in the form of a feeling of “sand in the eyes.” Long-term, periodic exposure to ultraviolet radiation causes eye cataracts and skin melanoma. The voices of doctors are sounding more and more often and louder with warnings about a variety of cancer diseases caused by exposure to welding radiation.
Welding suit
protects the welder from the harmful effects of radiation on the body.
To protect hands and feet, use welding gloves with gauntlets
and
special shoes
.
But the main focus is on protecting the face and eyes. For these purposes, a shield with a light filter
for electric arc welding and welding glasses for gas welding.
Choosing a protective shield, safety glasses, light filters
must be entrusted to professionals. Not everyone knows that different types of welding correspond to filters with different glasses. An incorrectly selected filter cannot provide complete protection. Light filters made of dark green glass are inserted into the protective shields. Currently, the entire range of welding currents from 13 to 900 amperes is divided into 13 classes of filters.
On the website of the manufacturer KEDR you can find comprehensive information about the technical characteristics of protective equipment and choose a suitable welding helmet.
Molten metal splash protection
Even the most skilled and careful welder is periodically exposed to splashes of molten metal. The best protection against them is properly selected protective clothing:
- the trouser legs must cover the tops of the boots from sparks and not have cuffs that could get caught by sparks;
- the suit must be made of 100% natural wool or cotton and have sufficient fire resistance. For obvious reasons, synthetic fibers have no place in welding clothing;
- Under the helmet, which protects the head from impacts, it is necessary to wear a fire-retardant cap.
It is advisable to use special boots
, which have a shape that maximally prevents metal splashes from getting inside, a metal layer in the sole to protect against punctures, and a toe reinforced with a metal insert. The absence of nails in the sole of the shoe protects the welder from electric shock in the event of a malfunction in the open circuit voltage disconnection.
Good workwear
should not have external seams in which a spark could get stuck.
The same applies to welding gloves
. On our website you can purchase welding gloves without seams with an insert for reinforcement between the thumb and forefinger.
Protection from noise and ultrasonic influence
Ultrasound is dangerous because it is not audible to humans, so its effects are difficult to determine without special instruments. The fight against it is possible only with the help of sound-absorbing and sound-insulating casings and screens. Another effective method of combating ultrasonic radiation is available at the design stage of welding installations and consists of shifting the vibration frequency to a safer range
.
Means of combating noise pollution are divided into collective and individual. Collective means are similar to means of combating ultrasound, and individual ones are put on the ears, preventing the passage of noise. The ability for the welder to communicate with other team members is provided by special intercoms
.
Protection against air pollution
Welding work, especially manual arc welding with a stick electrode, is accompanied by the release of large amounts of smoke. The metal boiling in the weld pool partially evaporates and is released into the air along with smoke from the combustion of the coating. This hellish mixture condenses into fine aerosols that can hang in the air for several days. The World Health Organization classifies welding gases as carcinogenic, and it is necessary to wage a merciless fight against them.
The main method of removing smoke is active exhaust ventilation
both general and directly from the welding zone.
Enterprises pay great attention to these issues. After all, smoke affects the respiratory system not only of welders, but also of all workers in nearby areas. A good air pollution control job involves monitoring air conditions
in the workplace.
To do this, the factory laboratory periodically takes air samples from various production areas with subsequent analysis of these samples using laboratory equipment. The test results are recorded in a special journal. Based on the results, conclusions are drawn and measures are outlined to improve working conditions in accordance with the norms of current legislation.
In cases where welding work is carried out in places not equipped with sufficient ventilation, welders are protected by personal protective equipment. There are two types of such products: filtering and isolating. The decision to use one or another type of protection is made depending on the percentage of oxygen in the room.
If there is enough oxygen, then filter protection means can provide safe working conditions. If there is a lack of oxygen (less than 18%), it is necessary to provide workers with insulating protective equipment. It must be remembered that the supplied air must be free of dust and have a comfortable breathing temperature of 15 to 20 degrees Celsius.
Review of famous brands: “Chameleon”
Welding glasses "Chameleons" are one of the most popular. They are distinguished from their analogues by the absence of a lifting filter. The fact is that the filter is built directly into the glasses, that is, as soon as a welding arc occurs, the glasses automatically switch to protective mode. Liquid crystals are polarized under the influence of voltage. This mechanism is called “Auto-dimming”. That is, these welding glasses provide maximum darkness, and the welder is protected from glare.
"Chameleons" are universal glasses. They protect against both infrared and ultraviolet radiation. This is possible thanks to the overlapping of protective films. These glasses are suitable for working in an open area. They can also be used if the equipment has low power.
Advantages of "Chameleons" and their disadvantages
Welders love such products for a number of advantages. For example, the body of the Chameleons does not squeeze the face, that is, it is comfortable to work in them. In addition, the glasses are quite light, the neck does not get tired from them. Thanks to the presence of valves, the product has good ventilation and does not water your eyes. “Chameleons” can be used for different types of welding. However, there are also disadvantages. Thus, these protective agents are not recommended for use in the upper position of the weld. Glasses are not able to protect the face and head. If welding work is planned, in which there is a high risk of splashing sparks and drops of hot metal, care should be taken to have shields or helmets.
Respiratory PPE
One of the most dangerous factors when carrying out gas or electric welding is the presence of a special aerosol, which consists of microparticles formed as a result of condensation of vapors of the metal being straightened.
To prevent occupational respiratory diseases, personal protective equipment during welding work should include dust respirators - in cases where ventilation in the room is insufficient, and the concentration of dust and gases exceeds the maximum permissible norm. If the master has to work for a long time in a confined or hard-to-reach room, according to safety regulations, he must be provided with a breathing device with a forced supply of clean air (for example, a hose gas mask or an ASM breathing machine).
WHG100
The most popular Chameleon model is WHG100. They are suitable for air plasma cutting of metal, electric welding and gas welding. They can be used for gas-oxygen welding and for short-term work with a semi-automatic machine.
This model has two sensors, the delay time is only half a second. You can work in such glasses at temperatures of -5 ... +55 °C. They are compact and allow you to work in hard-to-reach places where, due to the small space, it is impossible to use a massive mask. Moreover, such “Chameleons” weigh 440 grams.
Origo Spec 5 DIN
Chameleons also have worthy competitors. For example, Origo Spec 5 DIN glasses, designed for safe performance of various works: they are suitable for gas welding, gas and plasma cutting of various metal parts.
The price of Origo Spec 5 DIN welding glasses is about 800 rubles. For this money you get a convenient personal protective equipment weighing 24 grams. The glasses have built-in lenses that protect the welder’s eyes from IR and UV radiation. The hard coating ensures that your glasses are completely scratch-free. In addition, this model has soft arches.
Buy welder protection equipment from the manufacturer
When making a choice in favor of one or another means of protection, pay attention to the manufacturer. Poor quality products can play a cruel joke on a welder’s health. Respirators and breathing masks must be made from high-quality materials using equipment that guarantees high assembly accuracy and reliability of protection.
Products are manufactured on modern equipment using the latest technologies. The production management system allows for quality control at each stage of production, rejecting damaged parts immediately, without bringing them to the stage of the finished product. In addition to the reliability of the finished products, this guarantees high production profitability and competitive prices. In the catalog you can find a variety of welder protection equipment.
Another very important, but not noticeable feature of our company is our special attitude towards the client. A team of professional managers will help you understand all the intricacies of the products offered and make the right choice. In addition, here you will learn about all the discounts, promotions, payment methods and terms of delivery of goods in Moscow and Russia.
Helmets and shields
Special shields will complement glasses for welding work. They are necessary to protect the welder's face from high temperatures and ultraviolet radiation. Helmets provide maximum protection. They protect not only the eyes and face, but also the respiratory system and even the ears! The helmet protects the welder from splashes falling from above. Today there are a huge number of different models of helmets. They have an adjustable headband, a face seal, and adjustment. There are products with air supply and solar panels.
