Eye and Face Protection for Welding and Similar Operations

This document outlines the required safety measures, including appropriate eye and face protection, to prevent injury when performing tasks that may expose the eyes to intense light or sparks, such as during welding or similar operations. It emphasizes the importance of protecting against even minimal or indirect exposure to radiation, flying particles, and hot debris.

Importance of Eye Protection

Eye injury can result from the intense light and radiation produced by a welding arc, as well as from hot slag and metal debris that can be ejected during cooling, chipping, or grinding processes. Proper eye protection is crucial to prevent injuries such as arc eye (conjunctivitis), cataracts, and burns. [1]

Types of Eye and Face Protection

Various types of eye protection are available, each designed for specific uses. The CSA standard Z94.3-20 classifies these protectors. Eye and face protectors should have distinctive markings to identify the manufacturer and their class. [1]

Class 2C — direct / non-ventilated goggles with non-ionizing radiation protection
Class 3 - welding helmets
Class 4 - welding hand shields
Class 6 - face shields for non-ionizing radiation protection
Class 7 - respirator facepiece for non-ionizing radiation protection

Full face protection, using either a welding helmet or a hand shield, is required for:

Arc welding
Plasma arc cutting, gouging, or welding
Air carbon arc cutting

For gas cutting, welding, or brazing, lighter shade filter lenses can be used with goggles instead of a helmet due to the lower light intensity. [1]

Components of Welding Hand Shields and Helmets

Hand shields and helmets provide eye protection through an assembly of components:

Helmet shell: Opaque to light and resistant to impact, heat, and electricity.
Outer cover plate: Made of polycarbonate plastic to protect from radiation, impact, and scratches.
Filter lens: Made of glass containing a filler to reduce the amount of light passing through to the eyes. Available in different shade numbers (2 to 14), with higher numbers indicating darker filters.
Clear retainer lens: Made of plastic to prevent broken pieces of the filter lens from reaching the eye.
Gasket: Made of heat-insulating material between the cover lens and the filter lens to protect the lens from sudden heat changes.

Selection of Filter Lenses

The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses equipment with filter lenses that have a shade number appropriate for the work being performed for protection from injurious light radiation. Appropriate shade numbers for various operations are listed in the table below. [2]

OPERATIONS	ELECTRODE SIZE 1/32 IN.	ARC CURRENT	MINIMUM* PROTECTIVE SHADE
Shield metal Arc welding	Less than 3	Less than 60	7
Shield metal Arc welding	3 - 5	60 160	8
Shield metal Arc welding	5 - 8	160 250	10
Shield metal Arc welding	more than 8	250 550	11
Gas metal arc welding and flux cored arc welding		Less than 60	7
Gas metal arc welding and flux cored arc welding		60 160	10
Gas metal arc welding and flux cored arc welding		160 250	10
Gas metal arc welding and flux cored arc welding		250 500	10
Gas tungsten arc welding		Less than 50	8
Gas tungsten arc welding		50 150	8
Gas tungsten arc welding		150 500	10
Air carbon	(Light)	Less than 500	10
Arc cutting	(Heavy)	500 1000	11
Plasma arc welding		Less than 20	6
Plasma arc welding		20 100	8
Plasma arc welding		100 400	10
Plasma arc welding		400 800	11
Plasma arc cutting	(Light) (Medium) (Heavy)**	Less than 300	8
Plasma arc cutting	(Light) (Medium) (Heavy)**	300 400	9
Plasma arc cutting	(Light) (Medium) (Heavy)**	400 - 800	10
Torch brazing			3
Torch soldering			2
Carbon arc welding			14

As a rule of thumb, start with a shade that is too dark to see the weld zone. Then go to a lighter shade which gives sufficient view of the weld zone without going below the minimum. In oxyfuel gas welding or cutting where the torch produces a high yellow light, it is desirable to use a filter lens that absorbs the yellow or sodium line in the visible light of the (spectrum) operation. [3]

** These values apply where the actual arc is clearly seen. Experience has shown that lighter filters may be used when the arc is hidden by the workpiece. [3]

Additional Eye Protection Measures

Choose a tight-fitting helmet to reduce light reflection into the helmet.
Wear the helmet correctly; do not use it as a hand shield.
Protect the shade lens from impact and sudden temperature changes.
Use a cover lens to protect the filter shade lens and replace it when scratched or hazy.
Replace the gasket periodically if the helmet uses one.
Replace the clear retaining lens to protect eyes from broken pieces.
Clean lenses periodically and discard pitted, cracked, or damaged lenses.

Contact Lenses

CSA Standard W117.2 states that contact lenses should not be worn by welders and welding personnel because foreign bodies in the eye can cause excessive irritation. Contact lenses do not provide protection from ultraviolet radiation and flying objects. All workers in proximity to welding procedures must wear appropriate eye protection according to the circumstances. [4]

Skin Protection

In addition to eye protection, it is important to protect the skin from welding radiation:

Wear tightly woven work-weight fabrics to keep UV radiation from reaching your skin.
Button up your shirt to protect the skin on the throat and neck.
Wear long sleeves and pant legs.
Cover your head with a fabric cap to protect the scalp from UV radiation.
Protect the back of your head by using a hood.
Protect your face from UV radiation by wearing a tight-fitting, opaque welder's helmet.
Ensure all fabric garments are resistant to spark, heat, and flame. Keep the fabrics clean and free of combustible materials.

General Requirements

The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses appropriate eye or face protection when exposed to eye or face hazards from flying particles, molten metal, liquid chemicals, acids or caustic liquids, chemical gases or vapors, or potentially injurious light radiation.
The employer shall ensure that each affected employee uses eye protection that provides side protection when there is a hazard from flying objects. Detachable side protectors (e.g. clip-on or slide-on side shields) meeting the pertinent requirements of this section are acceptable.
The employer shall ensure that each affected employee who wears prescription lenses while engaged in operations that involve eye hazards wears eye protection that incorporates the prescription in its design, or wears eye protection that can be worn over the prescription lenses without disturbing the proper position of the prescription lenses or the protective lenses.
Eye and face PPE shall be distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer.

Maintenance and Cleanliness

A face or eye protector shall be kept clean and in good repair.
Cleaning facilities for protectors shall be provided away from the hazard, but readily accessible to the wearer.
A slack, worn out, sweat-soaked, knotted, or twisted headband shall be replaced.
A face or eye protector is a personal item and shall be for the individual and exclusive use of the person to whom it is issued. If circumstances require reissue, the protector shall be thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and in good condition.