Leather gloves are necessary for a welder. There is a huge collection in the market now but be cautious, a few have a “one-size fits-all” design that will feel inconvenient and distressing. Devised by welders for welders, longevities Arc -armor safety equipment comprises of form-fitted gloves, jackets and adornments.

It is sensibly alluring, when you are in a hurry to get a project accomplished, to disregard appropriate safety formalities and ingenuously catch hold of your welding gear to lay down a quick bead. You might get off without any harm at times, but that time when you do not prefer wearing a welding jacket and a fragment of spatter burns a cavity through your shirt or it might as well burn your skin, you will regret your decision of not wearing welding jacket as a precaution.

The basic thing to remember about welding safety is that the suggested clothing and strategies exist for a reason- because welding, if not done properly might be dangerous.  When proper safety policies are pursued, however, arc welding is a very safe and sound method of joining two metals.

The elementary sources of possible misery are: Electric Shock, Fumes and Gases, Arc Rays, Fire and Explosion, Hot Parts, Flying Metal, Noise and others. In the area of Arc rays, the exquisite visible and invisible light along with the glint and spatter can be a vital cause of injuries. The intense infrared and UV rays can burn your eyes and skin which can be more caustic than sunburn. Sparks can even burn your skin, hair and clothes.

The information provided below has important instructions for properly shielding yourself from the hazards of MIG, flux-cored, TIG and stick welding.

From Head:

Welding helmets earlier used to be bulky, fixed-shade traditional passive helmet. Welding helmets now a days, particularly ‘auto-darkening helmets’, bid a vast spectrum of darkening shades, sensitivity controls, reaction speeds and  a variety of other ‘bells and whistles’ to make room for any application and budget.

Auto-darkening technology in latest welding helmets protects the worker from all kinds of harmful rays and sparks with an additional advantage of repositioning hands and work material without the need to flip the helmet up. Various models have diversified arc sensors that assist when welding out of position. It is a good idea to keep the cables on your welder curled up if not in use. This is a precaution so that they do not become trip hazard.

All auto-darkening helmets have a Ultra-violet blocking lens that shields the worker from the impact of UV rays even if you did not turn on the lens before starting to work. Also, these helmets are light weight which ultimately leads to less stress on your neck and shoulders.

Modern auto-darkening helmets increase their safety by permitting you to adjust their settings based on your personal preferences and light sensitivities. Features such as grind mode, multiple arc sensors and delay control further ensure you are maximally protected before, during and after welding.

However, you should select the helmet which meets your requirements. Applications involving frequent tack welds, For example, need helmets with speedy switching speeds to lessen the collective span of time your eyes are exposed to the arc. Since these modern helmets have LCD technology, their switching speeds might get disturbed due to cold weather. Consult your distributor to make sure what suits you best.

While using any helmet, it is necessary to position the bottom of the helmet against your chest in order to avoid light that could resonate off your clothes and damage your face and neck. A piece of leather can also be added at the bottom of the helmet for more safety.

 Also, it is advisable to wear ear plugs and a beanie, welding cap, bandana or other head protector to avoid any mischief. Make sure that not a single part of your skin is left uncovered.

The illustration shows some items that will keep you safe.

To Toes:

Just like head protection, safety garments proved to be extremely comfortable and safe by addition of modern lightweight stuff and user-friendly layout. Modern welding apparel in short, gives you a valid reason to wear safety gear.

For all these safety garments including those used in head protection as mentioned in the aforementioned paragraph, use of synthetic stuff should be avoided because it can melt if hit by a spatter and might burn your skin. Flame-resistant natural fibers, such as Denim and leather can provide the best safety and will be more comfortable.

Pick up the convenient welding jacket and sleeves which best suits your atmosphere and application. If you are MIG or TIG welding passively and in a non- air conditioned garage; you won’t really feel comfortable in a leather jacket because you will probably be too hot. In such conditions you should opt for lightweight, flame-resistant cloth jacket or a typical fiber t-shirt and flame-resistant welding sleeves so that you feel more comfortable and safe. Even if the surrounding temperature is not too high and you are a regular welder, you will definitely select at least half-leather and half-fabric jacket which will provide good resistance against heat and the product will last long.

You also need to protect your hands during welding, from spatter and heat from the arc by wearing gloves. But they also need enough skillfulness and receptiveness so that the worker feels comfortable while working. Thus, modern gloves have all these features to make the user feel complacent.

TIG welding requires a very skilled person and since most of these applications produce less heat, sparks and spatter as compared to other applications so TIG gloves are made comparitively thinner, softer and more precarious leather than gloves used for other processes.

Heavy-duty MIG and stick-welding give out a lot of heat, sparks and spatter and do not require much skillfulness so the gloves made for these applications are made using thicker and stiffer leather that gives more protection to the workers hands. But obviously no one would like to wear a heavy pair of gloves so you should go for gloves with curved fingers to maximize the comfort level and responsiveness.

When choosing apparatus for leg protection go for the attire that will maintain a balance between comfort and safety based on your explicit application. If you TIG weld titanium in hot surroundings, an apron that covers your lap will provide great protection. However, flame-resistant, natural fiber jeans or other pants without cuffs will be preferred. Pant cuffs can catch sparks and ruin you clothing leading to an injury.

Lastly, choose leather footwear that covers your whole feet and does not have even a little space for sparks and spatter to enter. High-top leather shoes and work boots work as the best shield against sparks.

Unfortunately, numberless welders do not realize the need of proper safety attire until they have gone through any mischief. Thankfully, these misfortunes can be avoided by wearing proper safety garments.