Why do you need to wear glasses when welding?

Electromagnetic energy given off by an arc or flame can injure workers' eyes and is commonly referred to as radiant energy or light radiation. To protect from radiant energy, workers must use personal protective equipment, such as safety glasses, goggles, welding helmets, or welding face shields.

What happens if you weld without glasses?

Welding without adequate eye protection may cause photokeratitis, conjunctivitis, cataracts, skin cancer, burns to the retina and burns to the dermis.

Why do welders lose their eyesight?

Exposure to infrared light can heat the lens of the eye and produce cataracts over the long term. Visible light from welding processes is very bright and can overwhelm the ability of the iris of the eye to close sufficiently and rapidly enough to limit the brightness of the light reaching the retina.

Do safety glasses prevent welders from flashing?

Tinted safety glasses are useful when working outside or to help minimize the effects of arc flash if you accidentally touch a torch to a workpiece without your helmet down when welding. For mechanical work inside the shop, clear lenses are the best.

Does arc eye happen straight away?

The symptoms of arc-eye typically appear several hours after exposure, when the eyes become red, watering and painful, often with a gritty feeling. They may become sensitive to light.