Before you select a welding helmet, it’s important to ask what you need it to do.
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This answer may seem obvious. You need it to protect your eyes, right? Of course! However, there’s a variety of other factors to consider.
In this article, we’ll help you find the answers to these questions and ultimately select the perfect welding helmet for your needs.
The first welding helmet was invented by Fibre-Metal founder Frederick M. Bowers in . His early design looked more at home on a medieval knight than the modern welder. It took him 10 years to receive a patent, and 12 more to begin selling his invention commercially.
For many years, welders’ choices in eye protection were limited and welders didn’t pay much attention to the harmful effects of radiation. There was no standard related to safe practices for welding prior to when War Standard ASA Z49.1- was developed under the auspices of the American Standards Association. This standard has been updated over the years to its current version, ANSI Z49.1:, which is also the basis for OSHA Standard .153.
According to the selection guide in ANSI Z49.1: (AWS F2.2), the shade you should use depends upon the welding process being performed and the arc current amperage.
Soldering and brazing may only require a shade 2-4, while high amperage arc welding may require a shade 11-14. For the most common welding practices, a shade 8-10 lens is appropriate.
A lens shade that is too light will not provide adequate protection from the welding arc and may cause the wearer to squint to block some of the intensity of the arc. A lens shade that is too dark will not allow the wearer a sufficient view of the weld zone.
This is one reason why adjustable auto-darkening filters have become so popular for welders who perform a variety of processes.
This is largely a matter of personal preference. Welders who perform a variety of processes typically prefer a helmet with an auto-darkening filter that is adjustable on the fly.
Welders who work in dynamic light conditions (partially shaded areas or areas with competing bright light sources) may find that the sensors in their ADF helmets do not perform correctly under these conditions.
It is also possible for dirt, debris, or other objects to block light sensors, leading to inconsistent and dangerous functioning of the helmet.
This is why most premium auto-darkening helmets will have multiple light sensors. Pancake and Pipeliner-style helmets are popular with welders who regularly perform welding processes that generate a high amount of spatter, such as stick welding (SMAW) and flux-core welding (FCAW).
At a minimum, a welding helmet should cover your eyes and face, from your chin to the top of your forehead and your ears. Ideally, your entire head and neck would be protected.
Realistically, you’ll have to balance the level of protection with the level of comfort and practicality.
If you are welding at waist level at low amperage, a beanie or cap may be sufficient protection for the top of your head. If you are welding overhead in the 4F or 4G position, you will most likely find that a beanie offers poor protection from the shower of hot sparks raining upon your head.
Alternatively, if you have a beard, you will most definitely want to tuck it into your shirt or wear a helmet with a fire-resistant bib.
If your work environment requires you to wear a hard hat, you will need an adapter or bracket to allow your welding helmet to attach to your hard hat.
In confined spaces, a traditional welding helmet may not work and a welding mask, such as those available from Miller Welding and Jackson Safety, may be needed.
Although this may seem like an odd question to ask when considering welding helmets, it is one of the most important.
Inhalation hazards are ever-present in the welding world and respiratory equipment should be worn which is compatible with your welding helmet. At a minimum, welders should be wearing a NIOSH N-95 rated mask under their helmets to reduce the amount of dust and particulates they inhale.
Many welders have chosen to upgrade to powered air-purifying respirator (PAPR) units which are made specifically for welding and attach to the welding helmet.
These systems provide a consistent flow of cool, filtered air to the welder and are highly effective in preventing welding-related illnesses such as metal fume fever.
If you opt to go without respiratory protection, you should at least make sure that your workspace is well-ventilated or that you have some sort of fume extraction equipment available to draw contaminated air away from your face.
The short answer to that question is “a lot less than the medical expenses related to not using one”. The long answer is that it depends on what features you want.
Basic helmets can be had for less than $40.00 while premium PAPR equipped units can run in excess of $2,000.00. If you’re unsure what to buy, go see your local welding supplier.
They will be more than happy to point you in the right direction and keep you safe.
When it comes to welding, safety is paramount no matter what type of project you’re working on.
If safety measures are ignored then you could face a number of life-threatening hazards including on-site explosions, harmful fumes, and gases, as well as electric shocks from equipment.
It’s near enough impossible to carry out your job properly without a welding helmet. It’s also one of the most important pieces of personal protective equipment you can have.
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A fully functioning welding helmet will help protect your eyes and skin from severe sparks, burns, flashes and the bright light of the torch fire. So what should you be looking for when choosing your next helmet?
Engweld’s team of welding experts have put together a number of key points to help you choose the right welding helmet.
There’s a number of safety standard tests which help to ensure that all welding helmets have the required level of safety capabilities.
This is to show that they can handle a number of key welding tasks including high-velocity impact from flying objects, prove they can provide 100% ultraviolet & infrared filtering – regardless of shade setting and are also able to withstand temperatures as low as -5°C and temperatures as high as 55°C.
Any welding helmet you’re debating the purchase of should meet EN 175 and EN 379 industry safety standards, this is the required European standard for all welding helmets. Air fed welding helmets meet these regulations.
Some PAPR systems can feature a HEPA-quality filter, certified to EN TH-3P to ensure the highest standard of respiratory protection. It's the case of the ESAB EPR-X1.1 PAPR. If you want to find out more, you can check our Guide.
If you are looking for an Air-Fed Welding Mask, you can find our guide of the best air fed welding helmets.
In recent years there’s been a real push throughout the industry to improve the comfort and productivity of welding operators while still maintaining high levels of safety.
As a welding operator, you’ll typically be wearing a helmet for five or six hours a day, which makes the weight of your helmet a key consideration.
A lighter welding helmet will reduce the strain on your neck, which will help reduce fatigue, whilst also increasing comfort whilst you work. One pound in weight doesn’t seem like much to the regular person but you’ll certainly notice the difference between a helmet weighing one pound compared to one weighing two pounds or more.
Welding helmets with auto-darkening options are available at every level within the welding industry, from the at-home hobby welder to the day-in day-out professional.
One option is the more advanced auto-darkening helmets, which will automatically change from an inactive state to an active state when you’re carrying out a job.
These helmets will protect you from harmful emissions whilst darkening in just milliseconds, this is all down to quick-changing LCD technology within the auto-darkening cartridges.
An auto-darkening helmet also has the ability to help you see clearly whilst the helmet is in the down position, this allows for quick setup and positioning ahead of you beginning your welding job.
The auto-darkening functionality will help increase your productivity as it eliminates unnecessary breaks when you’re adjusting your helmet on a job. Two of the best auto darkening welding helmets in stock on our website are the Esab Sentinel A60 and the Esab Savage A41 that we compare in our article
Another key consideration before purchasing a welding helmet is the viewing size. Typical viewing sizes range from 6 square inches for light duty applications to 9 square inches for industrial use. There are two main points you’ll need to take into account when it comes to the viewing size on your helmet of choice.
The majority of purchase costs for any welding helmet typically lie with the viewing size area. The larger the viewing area, the more expensive a helmet will be. Investing a lot of money into a welding helmet with a larger viewing size than required can be an unnecessary expense.
You’ll also need to take into account the amount of overhead welding that you’re likely to be doing. It’s well known within the welding industry that flat or horizontal welding is preferred but there are times when overhead welding becomes a necessity.
With this type of overhead work, your helmet should always be well equipped to protect your neck. During overhead welding you’ll more often than not be working against gravity and the need to keep debris and flames away from both your neck and face is paramount.
A large viewing area will be extremely useful for overhead welding as it will give you better control and help you to make as little moves as possible during a job.
Before committing to making any purchase of a welding helmet there’s a number of personal checks you should be carrying out.
It might sound straightforward but trying a helmet on to ensure that it’s a comfortable fit is something that a lot of people forget to do. Making sure that your welding helmet of choice also adjusts up, down, forward and back is another key check to carry out.
There’s plenty of welding helmets which don’t include an adjustment for the helmet’s distance from the face. This can be an issue for people with large heads or especially large facial features, such as beards, and is something you should always be aware of.
Try on your helmet of choice to determine if the rate of fall and degree of tilt will allow you to lower it in a controlled manner. Some helmets have no damping, so the helmet will quickly fall into position.
Others will allow you to set the resistance and therefore control the rate of fall and the endpoint where the helmet will stop when it’s lowered into your desired welding position.
You should also check how the helmet behaves in the upward position to make sure it softly locks into its detent, which will help it stay in an upward position when you’re at work.
Finally, be sure to check the standard sweatband for your forehead. Is it soft and absorbent enough to increase comfort or not substantial enough to keep perspiration from your eyes?
In the past decade, welding helmets have improved massively and now offer many additional features and benefits that help increase welder protection, comfort and productivity.
It may be tempting to buy the least expensive helmet if you’re on a budget or to go for a helmet you’ve been recommended but taking the time to explore all of your options can have a big impact and help to deliver long-term benefits. In case you want to find the best budget friendly welding helmet in , we've tried to rank what we thought were the best on the market.
Engweld has supplied welding equipment and accessories to welding and engineering companies throughout the UK since and maintained a track record of providing the best products to meet the needs of welding professionals in numerous industries.
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