While welding, your number one priority should be following the safety instructions to the tee. Only when you are safe can you weld your best. For your own safety you must always wear protective equipment as told by welding equipment manufacturers. In this 2 part blog, let’s see what protective equipment is available in the market for you to use.
Face protection:
Covering your face with a welding helmet is the first step you take to ensure your safety while welding. Welding emits radiation can harm your skin and eyes so any kind of welding helmet or mask is essential while welding. Welding consumables manufacturers and suppliers recommend that you use auto-darkening welding helmets because you don’t have to flip them up and down while welding. This helps you get better welds without straining yourself too much as you do when you use a fixed shade helmet.
Safety glasses are used with the welding helmet for better protection as per welding equipment suppliers.
Sometimes, using a welding helmet is not possible. In such cases, you must use goggles and hand held face shields. Welding goggles are actually very effective when cutting and brazing but don’t provide enough protection from more powerful welding done with welding consumables. You also need more than goggles while welding because goggles won’t do anything about your exposed skin. Welding hoods work exactly like a mask when paired with the goggles.
Gloves:
Gloves are very important while welding because you are dealing with a lot of high temperatures and radiation. Your gloves need to be flame-resistant because of the proximity with the welding arc and comfortable because of how long you will be welding in them. Welding gloves are available in all sizes and preferences. Even women’s gloves.
Heavy duty MIG welding gloves: These gloves have a heavy stitching and several layers of insulation. Heavy duty MIG welding gloves also have silicone patches making it a tougher glove option against heat and flame. Flux cored wire suppliers in India like Diffusion engineers would suggest a pair of these gloves for welding.
Standard duty MIG welding gloves: These are made of leather and offer more dexterity than heavy duty ones. These gloves have relatively less insulation than the heavy duty pair.
TIG welding gloves: These are known to be flexible and they have no lining. They are good if you want dexterity while welding. They are also made out of leather and very durable.
Also, Read - All you need to know about welding consumables
When you are welding, your own safety is important. All types of welding need a certain stage of safety equipment which can also allow them the flexibility to work comfortably and with dexterity, a skill required immensely in the welding profession. So choose the right equipment for your needs. In the next part, we will see a variety of other safety equipment like aprons, respirators, sleeves, jackets, hats, boots, etc used by people while welding that protects them from heat and harmful radiation.