Choosing PPE for Welding

Learn what to consider when picking the right safety equipment and garments

By Kevin Beckerdite, global product manager for PPE, ESAB Corp., Annapolis Junction, Md.

Reprinted with permission: The AWS Welding Journal

Whether you’re a seasoned welder or just starting your career, selecting the right safety equipment and garments is essential. Finding gear that protects you, keeps you comfortable, and does not restrict your dexterity and ability to weld well is the challenge. There are a lot of choices. This article will list the critical factors to consider when choosing personal protective equipment necessities — gloves, jackets, boots, neck protection, headgear, and eye protection.

Gloves

All gloves should be heat resistant; be long enough to cover your hand, wrist, and lower forearm; fit over or under your jacket sleeve; and fit comfortably. Choosing the right gloves that meet these criteria largely depends upon the type of welding you are doing.

For gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) or low-amperage applications, a glove that is tight fitting and made from goat, deer, or sheep skin is best. A snug glove made from flexible materials will afford the dexterity required for intricate GTA welds. And because you’re using low amperages, thick leather is unnecessary and may inhibit your skill.

For higher-amperage gas metal arc welding (GMAW), shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), and air carbon arc cutting, a more robust glove is required. Look for thick leather-insulated gloves with melt-through and cut resistance. Manufacturers have created some smartly designed gloves that provide both the protection you need and the comfort you want in a glove you’ll be wearing all day. A split-grain leather on the top hand and cuff provides a great barrier against sparks and molten metal. A softer, smoother grain leather on the palms and fingers provides much-needed comfort. Grain leather sheds molten metal better than a split-grain but costs considerably more. Finding a glove that provides plenty of cushion and heat resistance where your GMAW gun rests but is ergonomic to allow for easy movement is key. Heavy insulation is normally on the back of the hand for heat protection from the weld zone. Curved GMAW and GTAW gloves that fit the natural curl of the hand are also available from a select few manufacturers.

You get what you pay for. Gloves are not the best place to save money when you consider your hands are probably the most valuable tool you own. The average cost of a hand injury in the United States is $6000. Shopping at welding distributor stores may provide the most selection; however, you can find high-quality gloves online and at commercial tool stores as well.

Jackets

Referred to as jackets, coats, or leathers, these garments are necessary, but what you need wholly depends on your welding process and environment. Jackets provide protection from sparks and hot slag but are also important for protecting your skin from UV and infrared rays (IR) radiation from the welding arc. Again, the type of welding process, amperage, and position will dictate the degree of shoulder and body protection you require. In addition, the temperature of your environment also makes a big difference in choosing your jacket.

Choosing a cowhide leather is best because it is durable and won’t crack, unlike some leather options. However, it can be hot and heavy — up to five times heavier. Wearing thick leathers outside in 100-plus temperatures will be miserable. Fortunately, manufacturers have designed some lightweight options that provide similar protection. However, the flame-retardant (FR) materials that breathe have a limited life span.

Also, look for jackets that have no exposed pockets — sparks and hot slag have a way of finding these spots to land and fester. This is also true of cuffs on pants. Never have a place for sparks to sit. Zipper pockets or pockets with flaps are best. Looser-fitting jackets that cover your back when bending are also a consideration. Look for jackets with reinforced Kevlar® stitching. However, cotton stitching is the norm unless it is sewn to a standard. If a spark sneaks in, metal snaps are better because they don’t melt and are easier to undo when you need to remove the garment quickly. But FR buttons are common. A metal zipper to close the coat with a snap overlay is a good option.

Boots

Safety toe shoes may not be required, but you can’t beat a good pair of leather boots for protection against molten metal slag. Your shoes or boots should be rubber soled with a steel plate above the sole. Boots should also come above the ankle so your pants leg can prevent sparks from entering your shoes. Boots are also an investment, so it’s important to find a good quality pair that is comfortable.

Neck and Head Protection

Protection from sparks as well as UV and IR radiation on your head and neck is essential. Some welders prefer a FR cotton bandana or skull cap. This provides breathability for comfort. Balaclava sock hoods provide full protection and comfort with seamless stitching and an ergonomic fit and are made from either FR synthetic materials (Nomex®, PBI, Kevlar, etc.) or lightweight cotton materials. These are inexpensive and fit well under a hard hat or welding helmet, and many balaclavas are inherently FR.

Head Protection and Helmets

Welding helmets protect the wearer against UV and IR radiation, sparks, and flying particles, which are common factors when welding. Always wear a type of primary or secondary eye protection, whether it is goggles or eyewear, when standing near or performing welding. Also, any spectator or inspector should always wear welding-specific eye protection when viewing.

Some helmets have hard hat attachments, which are necessary at construction site environments. It’s a good idea to find out the requirements of the job before purchasing. The options for helmets are almost endless. But, here are some considerations:

Lens technology (fixed passive shade filter or adjustable automatic-darkening filter [ADF])

Optical quality and perception

Shade and/or shade range

Viewing area

Comfort and fit

ADF control functions

Powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) compatibility

Lens Technology

Helmets use three different types of lens technology: passive, flip up, and automatic. A passive welding helmet features a piece of shaded mineral glass assigned with a shade number. A flip-up helmet combines two different lenses — one that’s fixed and one that flips up – to offer a combination of shade possibilities and has a high-level UV/IR filter. Automatic helmets feature a battery, usually with a backup solar-power-equipped ADF, which is actually a type of liquid crystal display (LCD) that changes shade when it senses light from the welding arc.

Optical Quality

While there is no production standard for optical quality, helmet manufacturers worldwide have adopted a European standard that covers four factors: optical class, diffusion of light, luminous transmittance, and angle dependence. The highest rating is 1/1/1/1.

Shade

The AWS F2.2, Lens Shade Selector; ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices; and ANSI Z49.1:2021, Safety in Welding, Cutting, and Allied Processes, govern the standards for filter shade. A free guideline for shade numbers is provided at aws.org/library/doclib/AWS-Z49-2021.pdf. For those who want a fixed shade helmet, shade 10 is a happy medium. That said, an auto-darkening helmet with an adjustable filter shade will enable operators to better read the weld pool in a wider variety of applications.

Viewing Area

Most welders, especially those who have less experience, prefer a larger viewing area that maximizes spatial awareness. The caveat to an oversized viewing area is that the ADF is a relatively heavy component compared to the lightweight shell. While oversized viewing areas are popular, many operators say that a viewing area around 50  100 mm works just fine for seeing the joint while helping reduce weight. It also keeps the helmet more affordable because the ADF typically accounts for 60 to 70% of a helmet’s cost.

Comfort and Fit

All helmets have an adjustable ratchet strap and a headband going over the top of the head. Depending on the grade of helmet, manufacturers can make the helmet more comfortable by adding padding to the front and back of the strap. A sweat-absorbent, terrycloth-type material on the front of the head helps in hot environments. A standard three-point contact helmet (front, back, and over the top) has some adjustment combinations, but a five-point contact helmet (with two additional straps over the top) will better distribute the perceived weight and make the helmet more comfortable, even if it weighs a few grams more. It also provides greater adjustability.

ADF Controls

In addition to controls for adjusting shade level, ADF cartridges often come with a range of control functions. Standard functions include sensitivity, which adjusts how much light it takes for the ADF to darken. Setting a lower sensitivity level particularly helps when welding outdoors, where sunlight can cause the ADF to darken before the operator strikes an arc. A higher level of sensitivity helps ensure the helmet darkens when GTAW at extremely low amperages. For operators who frequently switch between low- and high-amperage applications, memory functions are helpful in eliminating the need to reset settings before welding.

PAPR

Using a PAPR may be part of the solution when welding chromium-bearing metals or working in areas with poor ventilation. However, as anyone who has ever blown their nose after a day of welding knows, breathing fresher air makes for a more comfortable working environment (especially in an era when it’s difficult to attract skilled welders).

The most common solution for breathing easier is adding a belt-worn PAPR unit to a PAPR-ready helmet. The battery-powered blower extracts air through a replaceable filter that removes airborne particles and then blows it through a breathing tube to supply fresh air inside the helmet. An absolute requirement for any welding PAPR system is to look for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) mark and certification. NIOSH is a U.S. federal agency within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and its certification indicates the PAPR system has been thoroughly tested and approved for welding applications. NIOSH only certifies complete systems. Therefore, it is essential to buy complete PAPR welding systems and maintain them with the same brand’s filters and accessories.

Conclusion

Welding can be an unpredictable profession, and any step toward additional safety is a smart choice. Most of the equipment and apparel you purchase will last for years or a lifetime, so consider your environment and applications, weigh all your options, and choose the products that offer you the most advantages. 

Fig 1. — The necessities of a safely dressed welder include a helmet, safety glasses, a jacket made from flame-retardant material, and goat-, deer-, or sheep-skinned gloves for GTAW.