WELDING WORKBOOK Protecting the Eyes and Face When selecting equipment for eye and face protection, keep in mind that all such equipment shall comply with ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices. Arc Welding and Cutting with Open Arcs When arc welding and/or cutting with an open arc, operators and any nearby personnel shall use helmets or hand shields with filter lenses and cover lenses when viewing the arc. They also need to wear protective spectacles with side shields, arc goggles, or other approved eye protection. Welding helmets with filter lenses are intended to protect users from arc rays and from weld sparks and spatter that impinge directly against the helmet. To protect the user from impact hazards when the welding helmet may be raised during use, spectacles with lateral protection or goggles should also be worn. The spectacles or goggles may have either clear or filtered lenses, depending upon the amount of exposure to adjacent welding or cutting radiation. Others in the immediate welding area should wear similar eye protection. Welding helmets will not protect against the severe impact of fragmenting grinding wheels, abrasive discs, or explosive devices. Oxyfuel Gas Welding and Cutting and Submerged Arc Welding Welding goggles, or welding helmet or welding faceshield over spectacles or goggles shall be worn during all oxyfuel gas welding and cutting, and submerged arc welding operations. It is recommended that such eye protection offer lateral (side) coverage. Resistance Welding and Brazing Operators of resistance welding or brazing equipment and their helpers are to wear welding goggles, or welding helmet or welding faceshield over spectacles or goggles for eye and face protection. Large Area Viewing If there’s a large area viewing, such as for training, demonstrations, shows, and certain automatic welding operations, it is permissible to use a large filter window or curtain in lieu of eye and face protection. The radiation transmission of the window or curtain material shall be equivalent to that in ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 for shade number appropriate to the welding or cutting operation. Additionally, suitable arrangements shall be provided to prevent direct viewing of the arc without filter protection and to protect viewers from sparks and chipped slag. Requirements for Eye and Face Protection Filter Lenses. Filter lenses shall be in accordance with ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, and the shade shall be selected in accordance with AWS F2.2, Lens Shade Selector. Filter lenses should be free from any flaws that may distract, block, or otherwise impair vision. People with special eye conditions should consult their physician for specific information on protective equipment. Material Properties. Helmet and hand shield bodies are to be made of material that is thermally and electrically insulating, noncombustible or self-extinguishing, and opaque to visible, ultraviolet, and infrared radiation. They also must comply with the requirements of ANSI/ISEA Z87.1. Welding helmets, hand shields, and goggles that comply with ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 are limited in combustibility. Area of Protection. When there is a possibility of hazardous exposure, helmets and hand shields shall protect the face, forehead, neck, and ears to a vertical line in back of the ears, from direct radiant energy from the arc, and from direct weld spatter. Some low-current processes, such as with micro plasma arcs, may not present a hazardous radiation exposure, but may have a spatter exposure. Therefore, operators should be provided with safety glasses even if there is no radiation hazard. Effect of Materials on Skin. Materials in contact with the body shall not readily irritate or discolor the skin. Goggle Ventilation. Goggles are to be vented to deter fogging of the lenses in accordance with ANSI Z87.1. Outer Cover Lenses. Outer lenses are to be provided to protect the filter lens in goggles, helmets, or hand shields from welding spatter, pitting, or scratching. Outer cover lenses should be made of clear glass or self-extinguishing plastic, but need not be impact resistant. Inner Lenses or Plates. If you are using a “lift front” type of welders’ helmet, there should be a fixed impact-resistant safety lens or plate on the inside of the frame nearest to the eyes to protect the welder against flying particles when the front is lifted. Marking. Filter lenses shall bear some permanent distinctive marking by which the manufacturer may be readily identified. In addition, all filter lenses shall be marked with their shade number and in accordance with the requirements of ANSI Z87.1. Radiation Transmittance Properties. All filter lenses are to meet the “Ultraviolet, Luminous and Infrared Transmittance” requirements of ANSI Z87.1. Maintenance. Helmets, handshields, and goggles shall be well maintained, and should not be transferred from one employee to another without being cleaned. Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions to learn the methods of cleaning these items. Selecting a Lens Shade As a rule of thumb, start with a shade that is too dark to see the weld zone. Then go to a lighter shade that gives sufficient view of the weld zone without going below the minimum. In oxyfuel gas welding, cutting, or brazing where the torch and/or the flux produces a high yellow light, it is desirable to use a filter lens that absorbs the yellow or sodium line of the visible light spectrum.♦ 72 JANUARY 2014 Datasheet 345 Excerpted from ANSI Z49.1: 2012, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes.
Welding Journal | January 2014
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