Arc flashes are common for those who use arc welders or work around them. They are not fun at all, as anyone who has experienced it will tell you.
What is a welding arc flash?
Welding arc flash is the burning of the outer layer of the eye due to the intense ultraviolet radiation produced by the welding arc. In addition, it can occur as a result of exposure to any arc, switchboard malfunction. It is the same as a sunburn, but instead of your shoulder or back, it is on the eye. Just like sunburn to other parts of the body, the cells are killed and need to be replaced. The gritty feeling associated with arc flash is usually due to dead cells falling off the surface of the eye (the same skin shedding caused by sunburn) and can irritate the inside of the eyelid. When welders experience the flash, their eyes become puffy, red and watery.
Like sunburns, welding arc flashes cannot be cured. Eye drops can soothe your eyes, but they do nothing to address the underlying problem. Welders must wait until the body's healing process is complete, which in severe cases can take several days.
Once a welder realizes they have suffered a flash, they should receive medical attention. While most are only minor, they can be very serious and permanently damage the eyes and eyesight. Early medical treatment can reduce some of the more serious effects.
How can I avoid welding arc flashes?
Provide protection for welders
- Use engineering controls to guard against hazards. For example, magnetic and clip-on shields can help reduce the amount of particles, sparks, and slag that reach the welder's surface.
-Personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary. Safety glasses or goggles and helmets are needed for adequate protection.
- Wear coated safety goggles to protect the cornea from UV radiation.
- Always wear a welder's face shield when welding. Make sure the goggles completely cover the eyes.
- Use sunglasses to protect your eyes from UVA and UVB radiation. Check the label when purchasing sunglasses.
- Safety glasses and goggles need to be fitted with side shields to protect the eyes from indirect UV radiation. For people who wear corrective lenses, goggles and safety glasses can be fitted with prescription safety lenses.
- As for contact lenses, in many cases it is safe to wear them while welding unless excessive particles, fumes or other regulations prohibit their use. Nonetheless, contact lenses are still not a safety feature; welders should wear glasses or goggles with contact lenses to ensure proper eye protection.
-For efficiency, goggles or safety glasses should fit snugly and comfortably on the helmet. Fire-resistant scutellaria is another desirable piece of protective equipment that helps protect the worker's head and hair from heat and sparks.
- In addition, the lenses in a welder's helmet must have shades appropriate for the work being done. The general rule for selecting filter lenses is to start with shades that are too dark to see the welding area. Then try lighter shades until you have a shade that allows you to see the welding area adequately without going below the minimum protective shade.
- Make your employees aware of the hazards in the work environment. Welder training should point out the hazards and list the proper procedures to follow when welding. It should instruct employees on how to choose the proper shade for their helmets, etc.
- It is important to discuss the proper use and maintenance of personal protective equipment. All items should be inspected prior to use. If lenses are dented, cracked or scratched, they should be replaced. Stretched, twisted, or knotted goggle straps should also be replaced.
- If a checklist or other document is used for training, it must be written in clear language to explain the hazards. In addition, the possible consequences of not following the standards and methods for preventing hazards should be included.
- Welders should learn basic first aid for eye injuries so that they are prepared in the event of any accident.
Protecting welders' assistants
Anyone who regularly works within 2m of a welding arc needs to be protected from eye exposure just as welders are. If they are asked to look at the arc, they should at least wear gloves, handheld or hooded, overalls. In addition, they should be equipped with anti-flash glasses with side pieces to prevent arc-eye hazards. The same advice applies to a welder who works at relatively close distances. Welders are often exposed to the arc of another welder who is 1 or 2 meters away from them.
Protecting others
In addition to protecting welders, employers must be aware of those who may enter the welding area. Signs need to be placed in areas where employees may be exposed to hazardous situations. These signs should be appropriate for the potential hazard and should list any personal protective equipment needed for the area. Non-welders should also be protected by curtains, screens or shields that surround the welding operation and help filter welding light, sparks, particles, and radiation.
Walls or partitions should be painted a matte color to minimize reflections and glare.
Curtains or screens can be permanently fastened or fixed to portable frames that can be welded at different locations in the shop. Plastic or apparently opaque textile materials will help filter out UV glare and other harmful blue-white radiation.
Most rigid polycarbonate or plain glass windows will reflect or absorb enough of the dangerous radiation to avoid eye injury to those observing the arc through the material. Nonetheless, glare can travel, and if the window is too close to the observer-that is, less than 3m from the arc-glare can be blinding. If such materials are to be used to observe the arc for extended periods of time, suppliers should confirm that the material is suitable.
If no windows or screens are available, safety must be ensured by arranging that unprotected observers are not allowed to approach within 10m of the arc. At such a distance, even an intent observer who insists on staring at the car for 10 minutes will be dazzled.
Better understand how welding arc flashes can be avoided through engineering controls, proper personal protective equipment and jobsite arrangements, and optimal training. If these things are handled properly, your employees and anyone who enters the welding site can avoid exposure to this hazard
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