Welding & Brazing PPE
- Eye, face, hand/arm, head and body protection (leather gloves, leather apron, gauntlets, safety glasses with side shields, welders helmet or welders goggles) are required that are appropriate to the potential hazards encountered during welding, cutting, brazing, soldering, grinding or other spark producing operations.
- The intense light associated with welding operations can cause serious and sometimes permanent eye damage if operators do not wear proper eye protection. The intensity of light or radiant energy produced by welding, cutting or brazing operations varies according to a number of factors including the task producing the light, the electrode size and the arc current. The following table shows the minimum protective shades for a variety of welding, cutting and brazing operations for construction activities:
| Welding Operation | Shade Number |
|---|---|
| Shielded metal-arc welding 1/16-, 3/32-, 1/8-, 5/32-inch diameter electrodes | 10 |
| Gas-shielded arc welding (nonferrous) 1/16-, 3/32-, 1/8-, 5/32- inch diameter electrodes | 11 |
| Gas-shielded arc welding (ferrous) 1/16-, 3/32-, 1/8-, 5/32-inch diameter electrodes | 12 |
| Shielded metal-arc welding 3/16-, 7/32-, 1/4- inch diameter electrodes | 12 |
| 5/16-, 3/8-inch diameter electrodes | 14 |
| Atomic hydrogen welding | 10-14 |
| Carbon-arc welding | 14 |
| Soldering | 2 |
| Torch brazing | 3 or 4 |
| Light cutting, up to 1 inch | 3 or 4 |
| Medium cutting, 1 to 6 inches | 4 or 5 |
| Heavy cutting, more than 6 inches | 5 or 6 |
| Gas welding (light), up to 1/8 inch | 4 or 5 |
| Gas welding (medium), 1/8- to 1/2-inch | 5 or 6 |
| Gas welding (heavy), more than 1/2-inch | 6 or 8 |