Welding Injury: Listen Up!

Messages
2,369
I have got welding flash before, BUT NEVER LIKE THIS. I got arc struck on Friday welding up a critical tug part. Normally my eyes just water, burn and hurt for a night or so and then get better. Not this time. I fried my left eye good! I even went to the ER and was never so thankful in my life. I would say the pain in my eye was an 8 in a 1-10 situation. Thankfully the pain killing drops worked wonders.

The stupid part is, I know the secret to stopping this silly injury...safety glasses. Even clear safety glasses have enough UV inhibitors in them to stop the damaging light from getting under your hood. So do regular glasses...anything but bare eyes under a welding helmet.

So if you weld, use glasses or safety glasses under your hood. I only welded for a mere 45 minutes and its caused me 3 days worth of pain.
 
For my own good, I'm trying to understand. Were you wearing a full face helmet? Traditional or auto-dark? Is this from light reflected back off surfaces behind you or ???? Just trying to figure out how it happened.

Now I only MIG weld, and very little at that. I'm assuming you were using something bigger and for much longer in one session than I'd ever do. I use an auto dark helmet, and since I wear glasses, I'm always wearing those anyway.
 
You could try attaching a leather flap around the edge. I was getting burned until I did that. If you use a Speedglass brand, they have a kit for doing this. I did my eyes good one time welding inside the weathershield for the 5" gun on destroyers. I ended up having them taped shut for the weekend. I have heard that potato slices on the eyes help but I haven't tried that one.
Dale
 
Relieving the pain is one thing, but the harm that those flashes do to the retin is another one and as far as I know it builds up, but I'm sure the optician already told you.

So Travis in your own interest do as much as you can to protect your eyes, one can walk with a wooden leg but one can't see with a wooden eye.

Take care
 
Actually the weld was for only 45 minutes and yes it was an auto darkening hood. As Dale said, I think a flap of leather works well. I did have a white sweatshit on that reflected the light under my hood. I did notice it was bright under there, but hey it was for only a ½ hour more.

I'll be darned if it still does not hurt 4 days later. Stupid Travis.

PS: Never heard of potato slices. Milk in the eye kills the pain though immediately. It just doesn't last long. Something about the Calcium in milk. I know where I can get a few thousand gallons of milk though. :)
 
Ive never welded nor probably ever will, but I always thought those heavy helmets with those dark visers protected the user properly. I had no clue the light could get in under the helmet and do damage
Hope you get better quickly.
 
Travis,

That happen to me once, not as bad as you currently have it, but the old timers told me to put liquid vegetable oil in it. Amazingly it worked.

Randy
 
I don't see that clear safety glasses would provide any UV protection. Being in a weird position/angle so you weren't straight on must have allowed rays in. The leather covers do work wonders and also keeps a beard from melting!:rofl: Since using an auto darkening, most are adjustable on the tint, if you were welding "hotter" than normal, without adjusting your tint darker, you allowed more rays in that way. Good luck on the healing. Not taking a couple days off from welding will greatly lengthen your healing time.
 
Top