Are You Protecting Your Eyes As You Weld?

Nov 20, 2018
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Welding is a risky occupation. But your worksite should be as safe as possible. The general contractor and site manager should have a long list of safety measures in place, including providing the appropriate welding mask, marking off safe welding areas, and making everyone wear the right protective equipment for the environment. Welding is precision work, and that means having the safest environment possible.

Protect yourself from radiation.

Whether you’re a welder or you have worked on a construction site next to active welding equipment, there are a lot of hazards. Some of the most common incidents involve the skin and eyes. Ultraviolet and infrared light are dangerous even in low, consistent doses. If your skin was exposed to this radiation, it may have developed burns and varying degrees of tissue damage. That’s why the appropriate protective clothing is so important, even if you weren’t operating the equipment yourself.

Eyes are also vulnerable to radiation. According to Occupational Health & Safety, twenty-five percent of welding injuries damage people’s eyes. Without the right safety goggles and work environment, your eyes can be injured by radiation, flying particles or slag, and chemical burns from the fumes. Sometimes the damage sets in quickly, like with arc flash, and can be temporary.

What other injuries can you receive without protection?

Other eye injuries build up slowly over time and can impact your vision for the rest of your life. Whether your vision is impaired by a single accident or through long-term exposure to welding in unsafe conditions, the cost of inadequate protection is high.

Welding also produces fumes that cause respiratory illnesses, poisoning, and more. Manganese poisoning, in particular, can hurt your long-term motor skills, balance, and speech. It can even impact your mental health and nervous system. Serious manganism shares many of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Because it has a wide range of varying symptoms, it can be difficult to trace to manganese poisoning, especially long after a job has been completed.

Go to VS Eyewear to search for eyewear that matches a wide variety of work-based and recreational activities.

Need help? VS Eyewear customer service is here for you. Give us a call at 877-872-5780 or send us an email at [email protected]

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