Welding goggles are designed to shield the eyes from debris and sparks emitted from certain welding and cutting processes. They are meant to shield the eyes from any flying sparks or debris as well as the heat and optical radiation generated by the welding process, such as the intense ultraviolet light generated by an electric arc. In some cases, when arc welding, a full-face mask is necessary for safety reasons.
High levels of ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), and visible light are generated during welding, cutting, and brazing processes. If your eyes are damaged by radiation with wavelengths in the ultraviolet (UV) or infrared (IR) range, you may not even know it. The welder needs special, extremely dark filters in order to see the brightly glowing metal. Filters for optical radiation protection are an added bonus of a face shield or welding helmet that has been approved for use. Primary eye protection consists of UV-blocking glasses or welding goggles with side shields; secondary eye protection consists of a face shield or welding helmet. So even when the helmet or face shield is removed, the eyes remain safe.
Welding presents a number of obvious dangers to one’s health and safety on the job. But many welders don’t know how serious the risk is to their eyes if they don’t wear protective gear. It’s not just the glare that could cause permanent damage to the eyes; flying dust, debris, and particles, as well as irritant gases, also pose a threat. UV and radiation waves are examples of invisible threats that can have devastating long-term effects. To make matters worse, welding helmets don’t provide sufficient safety. Adding a pair of welding safety glasses to your standard welding equipment is the only way to guarantee protection for your eyes.
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What should I know about the fit and care of eyewear?
If the eyewear protects the entire eye and its surrounding soft tissues, then the wearer is safe. A comprehensive eye safety protection programme, including selection, fit testing, training, maintenance, and inspection, should be in place if eye protection is required.
Sizing and Fit
Safety glasses, which protect your eyes from the sides, are an important feature to look for. Keep in mind that harmful particles may come from any direction other than straight ahead. Wraparound frames or side shields provide crucial additional protection.
Of course, you should also think about how the welding glasses feel on your face and how comfortable they are. Considering how frequently and for how long you will be using them, it’s crucial that they don’t hinder your performance or cause you unnecessary discomfort.
- Always wear properly fitting safety glasses. Sunglasses should reach down to the cheekbone and cover the area between the nose and the bony area around the eyes. There is a broad range of dimensions for the human eye, from bridge to temple. Eye protection should be issued and fitted on an individual basis to reduce the amount of space between the frame and the wearer’s face.
- Frames of glasses should rest easily on the ears and temples. The frame should rest comfortably on the bridge of the nose and be as close to the face as possible.
- It is important that users have a clear line of sight in every direction.
Impact Resistance
, is another factor to consider when picking out a pair of welding goggles. Clear polycarbonate lenses are required by Authorities standard for mechanical impact resistance. To avoid sparks, splashes, and flying particles, these are recommended for use indoors.
The use of goggles or safety glasses for a given task varies. They can protect their eyes from flying debris by wearing goggles, which create a seal around the eyes, or by wearing glasses with side shields.
Care
- Equipment used to protect the eyes and face requires upkeep.
- It’s important to regularly clean your electronics. To get the best results, use the product as directed.
- Lenses can be easily scratched, so take care when handling them. Lenses are fragile and susceptible to damage from scratches.
- Keep your electronics out of the way and out of harm’s way by putting them in a dry, clean, and safe location. When not in use, store them in a protective case.
- Immediately swap out any gadgets that have been damaged in any way, including scratches, pits, breaks, bending, or an improper fit. The inability to see clearly and the lack of protection that comes with a damaged device.
- You should only use replacement parts made by the same manufacturer as the originals to maintain the same level of safety.
- Do not alter the safety equipment in any way.
Shade
The shade, which is a number between 2 and 14, is the third most important factor to consider when selecting safety glasses. The higher the rating, the more robust the safety glasses.
Light from most welding processes is so intense that it can blind someone without protection. Of course, in order to make a good weld, it is also necessary to examine the task at hand.
You can safely look straight into the welding arc with the help of a special dark filter. When doing arc welding, where the electric light produced can emit significant amounts of radiation, auto-darkening welding lenses or glasses are a great choice.
Dust Protection
Considering the amount of dust generated by cutting and grinding, as well as on construction sites, it is highly recommended that you wear welding goggles or welding safety glasses with a 360-degree foam liner.
Anti-Fog Coating
Welding safety glasses with an anti-fog coating are a good investment if you do a lot of work in humid environments.
Bifocal Safety Glasses
Bi-focal safety glasses are available for those who require further assistance with reading or viewing close work.
How do I recognize safety eyewear?
Lenses: CSA-approved eye and face protection must adhere to the standard’s requirements for impact resistance. There should be no exceptions for devices made from permitted materials.
Markings: Approved safety glasses, goggles, and helmets must have the manufacturer’s or supplier’s certification mark on all lenses, frames (front and temple), and removable side shields.
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Eyewear frames Safety frames are typically more durable and heat resistant than standard frames. They’re not only attractive, but they also protect your eyes from having lenses pushed into them.
What should you know about eye protection?
- Choose a helmet that fits snugly to reduce light reflection into the helmet from the space between the shell and the head.
- Wear the helmet properly. It should not be used as a hand shield.
- Keep the shade lens safe from impact and sudden temperature changes, which could cause it to crack.
- To protect the filter shade lens, use a cover lens. If the cover lens becomes scratched or hazy, it should be replaced.
- If your helmet has a gasket, make sure to replace it on a regular basis.
- To protect your eyes from broken pieces, replace the clear retaining lens.
- Clean your lenses on a regular basis.
- Lenses that are pitted, cracked, or damaged should be discarded.
What are the best welding goggles?
Choose welding glasses with a level of coverage appropriate for your work from among the many available fixed shade options. When picking out a pair of welding glasses, keep in mind that authorities have specified minimum and maximum levels of protection.
Without the right gear, welding poses serious health and safety risks. There are a few different types of eye protection that could come in handy, but which one is ideal? In this article, we’ll take a close look at the top welding goggles currently available:
Bollé Safety 253-SL-40084 Slam Safety Eyewear with Matte Black Rimless Frame and Welding Shade 5 Anti-Scratch Lens
The polycarbonate used in the construction of these goggles makes them both durable and lightweight, two qualities that make them ideal for use in hazardous environments. There are no metal components in the frames, so there is no risk of accidental burns. The lenses are 2.3 millimetres thick, making them robust and long-lasting as well as protective thanks to the scratch-resistant coating and the filter that blocks over 99.9 percent of UVA and UVB rays. Because they are 100% recyclable, you can feel good about doing your part for the environment when (or if) the time comes to replace your current pair of glasses.
The only drawback is that they aren’t sufficiently dark for welding processes that use arcs of light, such as MIG and TIG. These welding safety glasses are a great buy if you don’t mind the fact that they can only be used with torches or plasma cutters.
Green Shade 14 Solar Eclipse Glasses
The #14 shade of lenses is the darkest available and is comparable to the darkness of the lenses in high-quality welding helmets. These glasses are so effective at blocking out light that you can use them for MIG and TIG welding, as well as viewing solar eclipses. High-quality glass lenses almost completely shield your eyes from harmful radiation by reflecting 97% of visible light and 100% of infrared. Furthermore, these welding safety glasses are the only ones on this list that feature removable side shields for added protection.
Still, the side panels have a bad habit of falling off easily; however, this is not a deal breaker because they are not mandatory. Wearing them with glasses or a welding helmet made them more likely to fall off, but the extra protection offered by the helmet more than made up for the loss of the side panels.
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Hobart Safety Glasses for Welding
Hobart’s 770726 safety glasses have polycarbonate lenses that are both scratch- and shatter-resistant, and are a shade five.
These goggles seem to be sized for men, as they are quite large. They don’t block out much light even though they aren’t particularly light, but they let in even more if your head is on the smaller side. Without ventilation, they fog up just as quickly.
Jackson Safety 3004761 Nemesis Cutting Safety Glasses Black Frame / IRUV 5.0 Shade Green Lens (19860)
The sporty design of these Jackson safety glasses makes them stand out from the typical pair of safety goggles. Their single, spherical lens and wraparound design provide excellent forwards and side vision. They have a sturdy neck cord and a generous fit, even when worn over prescription eyewear. Not only do these glasses have a chic design and a snug fit, but they also provide adequate protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays by blocking out 99.9% of them.
These, like all other shade 5 welding safety glasses, can’t be used for MIG or TIG welding. Because of this, they are not quite as adaptable as auto-darkening welding glasses.
Miller Electric Welding Safety Glasses, Shade 5.0 Lens
Miller Electric has a long history of producing high-quality welding equipment, and this pair of welding safety glasses is no exception. Rubber pads at the ears add comfort and ensure that the polycarbonate lenses and frame won’t leave marks, even after a long day of welding. Lenses with a scratch-resistant, reflective coating that also blocks 99.9 percent of UV rays are both practical and fashionable. These protective eyewear are not only designed to prevent fogging, but also to provide unimpeded vision and a wide field of view.
The only drawback is that these welding glasses are only appropriate for light processes like torch work and cutting because they are shade 5. You’d need a different, darker pair if you plan on doing any MIG welding, as these won’t provide adequate protection from the bright arcs typically used in this process.
NOVEL Welder’s Protective Glasses
The NOVEL Sunglasses, Number Ten The lenses in these safety glasses are made of special green lens glass (shade ten) that is highly resistant to radiation. Until you start welding and get some additional light, you won’t be able to see much. Since the glasses don’t completely enclose your eyes, light can enter through the top and bottom.
They’re made of cheap plastic that cracks with very little pressure. The lenses also scratch easily, but you can easily afford to buy new ones given how cheap they are.
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SAFETY GLASSES PROTECTIVE GLASSES SHADE 10 GOGGLES FOR MELTING & SOLDERING (E 5)
It’s not easy to find a pair of welding glasses in shade 10; most pairs come in either darker or lighter tints tailored to specific welding procedures. This pair is not too light and not too dark, making it an excellent choice for a wide variety of welding applications (some of which are described below). Lenses made of scratch-resistant and easily replaceable polycarbonate provide exceptional clarity and visibility. You can replace just the broken lens without having to buy a new pair of glasses, making them a great value. The frame is lightweight and remarkably comfortable to wear, and it comes with earpieces that can be adjusted to fit your ears perfectly.
Of course, these eyeglasses aren’t perfect. While this snug fit may be ideal for many welders, it does mean that you can’t wear prescription glasses with them. The plastic construction of the frame further reduces its resistance to normal use.
Servore Auto Shade Darkening Welding Goggle Arc-513 Arc513 World’s First Tig
In spite of their potential usefulness, auto-darkening welding glasses are still relatively uncommon. However, they have far greater adaptability than mandatory safety requirements. These safety glasses, the first of their kind, automatically adjust from a light shade (#5) to a very dark shade (#13). The #4 tint is specifically designed for use with grinding, so you can use these glasses with confidence.
So, these are the last welding gloves you’ll ever need to buy because they’re suitable for all welding processes, including MIG. These glasses are well-ventilated and secured with an elastic strap, making them not only cool and comfortable to wear but also secure. These glasses are extremely well-made, and their resistance to heat and shock means that they can withstand significant amounts of abuse without breaking. These safety glasses have everything you need, including a sturdy carrying case.
Despite being excellent safety glasses, their high price is a major drawback. These welding glasses are much more expensive than the industry standard. Although they are more cutting-edge, they are still prohibitively expensive for most welders. The main reason we didn’t rank it higher was because of this. They aren’t designed to be worn under a helmet, as they need to be turned on manually rather than having an automatic power on function, and they’re too tight to wear with prescription glasses. Unfortunately, the included instructions for these glasses are only in Korean, but they are easily accessible online in both written and video form in English.
Check out these welding masks if you’re thinking about getting an auto-darkening lens but also want some face protection.
TITUS Welding Safety Goggles
Several interchangeable lenses on the TITUS Welding Safety Goggles provide varying degrees of eye protection. To alter them is a simple matter. Simply unscrew the ring, swap out the lens, and screw it back on.
The strap of these goggles can be adjusted to fit any head size. The nasal bridge can also be modified. Together with the extra cushioning around the lenses, this means you can wear them for longer without experiencing any discomfort.
The hard plastic bridge of the nose is still uncomfortable despite being adjustable, in our testing. The additional cushioning doesn’t make much of a difference. Even the darkest lenses let a little light in through the tiny slots at the nose bridge’s connection to the eyepieces, so the goggles aren’t completely opaque. Together, they let in more light to your eyes than you might prefer. They are functional, though not quite as effective as others.
What are the materials of goggles lenses?
Polycarbonate:
Lightweight and UV-protective polycarbonate glasses sacrifice clarity for these benefits.
NXT Polyurethane (Trivex):
Trivex is extremely lightweight and has excellent visibility, but it is also quite costly.
Acrylic:
Although it is cheaper, more lightweight, and more scratch-resistant than glass, acrylic does not provide crystal-clear vision and does not last very long.
Optical glass:
Unlike plastic or metal lenses, glass lenses don’t distort your view and can be coated to prevent scratches; however, they’re cumbersome and break easily if they take a tumble.
What are the types of Safety Goggles?
Direct vent:
Direct vent goggles are designed with numerous openings to allow air to circulate behind the lenses and keep them from fogging up. Protecting yourself from blows is where these shine.
Indirect vent:
These indirect vent goggles also feature multiple slits, but the coverings increase the frequency with which they fog.
Non-vented:
There are also goggles that don’t have any kind of ventilation system. They’re not perforated but rather made of a single piece. They provide excellent defence against splashes and other impacts, but fog up rapidly.
Here are seven of the many types of safety glasses we researched and found to be the best for various purposes. Your ability to select suitable eye protection for your welding work should now be much improved.
Conclusion
The purpose of welding goggles is to protect the wearer’s eyes from flying debris and sparks produced by various types of welding and cutting. Welding, cutting, and brazing generate significant amounts of ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), and visible light; if your eyes are damaged by radiation with wavelengths in the UV or IR range, you might not even be aware of it. Wraparound frames or side shields provide essential extra protection for your eyes when searching for safety glasses, so keep that in mind. If eye protection is necessary, a thorough eye safety protection programme must be in place.
Welding glasses should be chosen with the wearer’s comfort in mind. Sunglasses should cover the bridge of the nose and the bony ridge that surrounds the eyes, all the way down to the cheekbone. If you wear glasses, choose a frame that sits snugly but comfortably around your ears and temples. Thirdly, when looking for safety glasses, you should think about the impact resistance, which is a number between 2 and 14. Electronics require regular maintenance, including cleaning and storage in a dry, clean, and secure place to prevent damage.
To ensure the same level of security, only use replacement parts produced by the same manufacturer as the originals. Welding requires special protective eyewear because the light produced by most welding processes is strong enough to cause permanent eye damage or even blindness if not shielded. Bi-focal safety glasses are available for those who need extra help reading or viewing close work, and auto-darkening welding lenses or glasses are an excellent option for arc welding. Choose a helmet that fits snugly, wear it correctly, protect the shade lens from impact and sudden temperature changes, use a cover lens, replace the cover lens if it becomes scratched or hazy, replace the clear retaining lens, clean lenses regularly, and select welding goggles with a level of coverage appropriate for your work from among the many available fixed shade options.
Eye protection is a must when welding due to the serious health and safety risks involved. A Bollé Safety 253-SL-40084 Slam The best welding goggles are the safety eyewear with a matte black rimless frame and a welding shade 5 anti-scratch lens. The lenses of the Hobart Welding Safety Glasses are a tint of five and made of scratch- and shatter-resistant polycarbonate. The darkest glasses on the market, Green Shade 14 Solar Eclipse Glasses are perfect for solar eclipse viewing and other applications where high light protection is required, such as MIG and TIG welding. If you’re okay with using torches and plasma cutters exclusively, these welding safety glasses are a steal.
Black Frame / IRUV 5.0 Shade Green Lens (19860) Jackson Safety 3004761 Nemesis Cutting Safety Glasses NOVEL Welder’s Protective Glasses, No. 10 (19860). The single round lens and wraparound frame of these safety glasses give them a sporty, oversized look. They fit comfortably, have a thick cord around the neck, and block 99.9 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays. They can’t be used for MIG or TIG welding, and they aren’t as versatile as auto-darkening welding glasses. Protective Eyewear for Welding, Lens Color: Shade 5.0 by Miller Electric Miller Electric is known for making durable welding equipment, and these glasses are no exception.
While these goggles are constructed from green lens glass (shade ten), which is highly resistant to radiation, they should only be used for light processes such as torch work and cutting. GLASSES FOR PROTECTION AND SAFETY The scratch-resistant and easily replaceable polycarbonate lenses of the SHADE 10 GOGGLES FOR MELTING & SOLDERING (E 5) make them an excellent choice for welding applications. The included earpieces can be adjusted to provide a custom fit for your ears, and the headphones themselves are lightweight and comfortable to wear. Welding Goggles with Auto-Darkening Shades from Servore Model 513 The first of its kind, World’s First Tig can change from a very light shade (#5) to a very dark shade (#13) with the click of a button. Well-ventilated and held in place with an elastic strap, they can be used for any welding process, including MIG.
These goggles come with everything you need, including a hard case, to keep them safe on the go. The high cost of the TITUS Welding Safety Goggles is a major drawback of what are otherwise excellent safety glasses. They’re not snug enough for use with eyeglasses, and they’re not made to fit under a helmet. However, the frames are flexible to accommodate a variety of head sizes, and the lenses are padded for comfort. The extra padding doesn’t do much to alleviate the pain caused by the nose bridge’s hard plastic.
The information in this piece is primarily focused on the various kinds of safety goggles that can be used while welding. Direct vent goggles, indirect vent goggles, non-vented goggles, and optical glass goggles are all examples. In contrast to indirect vent goggles, which also have multiple slits but are more prone to fogging due to their coverings, direct vent goggles are built with numerous openings to allow air to circulate behind the lenses and keep them from fogging up. Optical glass goggles can be coated to prevent scratches and distort your vision in no way, but they are bulky and easily broken. These goggles are great for protecting your eyes from splashes and other impacts, but they fog up very quickly. Seven distinct styles of protective eyewear have been evaluated and found to be superior for a range of scenarios.
Content Summary
- Primary eye protection consists of UV-blocking glasses or welding goggles with side shields; secondary eye protection consists of a face shield or welding helmet.
- Adding a pair of welding safety glasses to your standard welding equipment is the only way to guarantee protection for your eyes.
- Of course, you should also think about how the welding glasses feel on your face and how comfortable they are.
- Always wear properly fitting safety glasses.
- Impact Resistance, is another factor to consider when picking out a pair of welding goggles.
- The use of goggles or safety glasses for a given task varies.
- Choose a helmet that fits snugly to reduce light reflection into the helmet from the space between the shell and the head.
- Wear the helmet properly.
- To protect the filter shade lens, use a cover lens.
- Without the right gear, welding poses serious health and safety risks.
- There are a few different types of eye protection that could come in handy, but which one is ideal?
- Furthermore, these welding safety glasses are the only ones on this list that feature removable side shields for added protection.
- Wearing them with glasses or a welding helmet made them more likely to fall off, but the extra protection offered by the helmet more than made up for the loss of the side panels.
- Jackson Safety 3004761 Nemesis Cutting Safety Glasses Black Frame / IRUV 5.0 Shade Green Lens (19860)The sporty design of these Jackson safety glasses makes them stand out from the typical pair of safety goggles.
- These, like all other shade 5 welding safety glasses, can’t be used for MIG or TIG welding.
- Because of this, they are not quite as adaptable as auto-darkening welding glasses.
- Miller Electric has a long history of producing high-quality welding equipment, and this pair of welding safety glasses is no exception.
- You can replace just the broken lens without having to buy a new pair of glasses, making them a great value.
- Servore Auto Shade Darkening Welding Goggle Arc-513 Arc513 World’s First TigIn spite of their potential usefulness, auto-darkening welding glasses are still relatively uncommon.
- These safety glasses, the first of their kind, automatically adjust from a light shade (#5) to a very dark shade (#13).
- These safety glasses have everything you need, including a sturdy carrying case.
- Despite being excellent safety glasses, their high price is a major drawback.
- These welding glasses are much more expensive than the industry standard.
- Although they are more cutting-edge, they are still prohibitively expensive for most welders.
- Check out these welding masks if you’re thinking about getting an auto-darkening lens but also want some face protection.
- Several interchangeable lenses on the TITUS Welding Safety Goggles provide varying degrees of eye protection.
- The strap of these goggles can be adjusted to fit any head size.
- Together, they let in more light to your eyes than you might prefer.
- Here are seven of the many types of safety glasses we researched and found to be the best for various purposes.
- Your ability to select suitable eye protection for your welding work should now be much improved.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
