As someone who has worn glasses since the 4th grade one of my greatest fears has always been that I would go blind. So this last week of National Safety Month I wanted to write about Eye Protection.
Fortunately, welding helmets are a lot more comfortable than what’s shown in this Library of Congress photo from 1944!
Protect your Eyes While Welding
It sounds obvious, but eye injuries are one of the most common types of injuries on the welding job. And in the case of arc flash–which you can get even if you turn your head away instead of wearing UV protection–the damage can accumulate over time. And even seemingly innocuous tasks can result in foreign material in your eye, so always use eye protection: goggles, safety glasses, or welding helmets.
At Arc-Zone we developed this Guide to Eye Care for Welders (.pdf), print it out and keep it in your shop. There’s a section on what to do in an emergency that I hope you never use, but keep it in an easily accessible spot if you ever find yourself in an emergency….
Seek immediate medical care if:
• Any caustic chemical got into the eye.
• The eye is painful or red.
• The victim is experiencing headache or nausea.
• There are any vision changes such as blurriness or double vision.
• There is uncontrollable bleeding around or from the eye.
• There is a visible scratch, cut, or penetration of the eyeball.
In all cases:
• Do not press or rub the injured eye.
• Do not attempt to remove embedded foreign objects. Get medical attention immediately.
Protect Your Dignity While Welding
Not too long ago for the first time ever, I had trouble reading the print on the menu at a restaurant (in my defense the lighting was bad and the type size was really small) and I almost ended up in tears….. If you are a “welder of a certain age” you should consider cheater lenses for your welding helmet (installed before you end up in tears on the jobsite!). Arc-Zone carries them for both Miller welding helmets (along with replacement parts from inside lens covers to batteries) and for the Jackson/ Hunstman line of helmets (for which we also offer replacement parts).