Protecting the Face while Welding

Although damage to your face and eyes is not generally lethal – and you should always bear in mind that incautious use of welding equipment can result in your death without too much difficulty – losing an eye, or being blinded in both eyes, is a fate almost as bad as being killed outright. For this reason, the wise welder will make certain to have a number of different protection systems available for their face and eyes, so that their vision and countenance can be protected in every circumstance.

Welding helmets are the only effective way of dealing with the primary risk that welding threatens the eyes with – that of permanent blindness caused by the actinic glare of the arc searing the delicate inner portions of your eyes.

No matter what other face protection equipment you do or not have, a welding helmet is an absolute necessity for every welder. Do not even attempt to weld unless you have a good-quality helmet whose visor will protect your vision and whose solid frontal plates will shield your face from painful, possibly scarring sparks or splashes of molten metal that occasionally spray out of a welding site. Your choice is between standard helmets – which are cheaper – and auto-darkening helmets – which are more versatile.

The standard helmet has been in use for decades, and is a metal helmet or face mask with a tinted window in its front. The tint is fixed – that is, it is suitable for only one type and temperature of welding – so you will need to find one that matches your particular welding needs. The advantage to this type of helmet is that it is effective in the role it is designed for, its cost is low (relatively speaking), and it will not suffer mechanical breakdown since its functions are purely passive.

An auto-darkening helmet is an intriguing device which can power itself from the fierce glow of the welding arc, using a solar panel to capture the intense light and convert it to energy, while running on batteries when the arc is off. The helmet includes a range of different settings, which allow you to adjust the amount of darkening – known as “shade.” At a minimum, your helmet should offers shades from Shade 9 through Shade 11, and preferably all the way to Shade 13.

The auto-darkening helmet allows you to see normally through the glass until the arc is actually kindled, at which point the helmet senses the arc’s presence and darkens the helmet for use. Auto-darkening helmets are costly, and there is some risk of eventual mechanical failure, but they are extremely useful and more flexible than the fixed-shade glass of a standard helmet. A larger window is generally preferred, although some like the lack of reflection in a small window.

Wherever possible, you should buy a helmet with a glass window rather than a plastic one. Glass windows are less likely to scratch in the rather rough and ready environment of the welding room.

Several other items of face protection are also useful for moments when you are not using an arc welder. Safety glasses should be worn in general while working with metal, while face shields in both clear and tinted versions will always come in handy. A tinted face shield will help with oxy-acetylene torch use, without being as heavy as a welding helmet – a Shade 5 face shield is best.