Safe Distance for Arc Flash

[Gritineye]

A young welder were I used to work left for more money, replacing worn out spiral fins inside shiny mixer truck drums, was told don't do it by everyone.

Don't know how he could see to come back for his P45 his eyes looked so terrible.

You can't help some people.

 

[Pete.]

The sun, after all, is 93 million miles away and that's not a safe distance for the eyes

Yeah but it's the output not the distance that's the problem there. You might say that the sun's UV output is 'astronomic'

 

[bourbon]

What paint did you use ? Damn I fell for it

LOL

 

[aesmith]

Get a welding curtain, simple and cheap.

That sounds like the best option, although free would be better than cheap. I expect I can rig something up. I don't think I'll have people approaching and peering around, it's more likely passers by just looking over. I might look at putting a better power outlet in one of the other sheds, somewhere not directly visible from the drive. It needs to be in proportion though, most of the time there's nobody around at all.

 

[highseas]

I weld a lot around livestock and often wonder if they are affected as bad/fast and humans

 

[Pete.]

Most animals' eyes are similar structure to us humans so if it would give us arc eye it will give them arc eye too.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Most animals' eyes are similar structure to us humans so if it would give us arc eye it will give them arc eye too.

True.
Thats is why dogs can get it.

 

[Memmeddu]

20 meters from what I know.
But at work we walk and stand nearby welding areas.
It's strange how I never felt eye fatigue .
Of course when I have to stand close to someone who is welding I put safety glasses on if I cannot put an auto-darkening helmet.
We mainly use mig and Tig around 200A but also stick around 100A

 

[Jonathan Webb]

Not to mention T-shirts, no gloves etc

It's a nightmare trying to get gloves onto a cat though

 

[Cobbler]

When do I stop welding oh Master?
When your eyes look like mine, Grasshopper!


For those younger of us, David Carradine in Kung Fu

 

[jerrytug]

I wouldn't stare at the sun and that's 147 million Kilometers.

Staring at the sun won't damage your eyes. Our eyes have evolved over milions of years to live in sunlight, and creatures which received eye damage from looking at the sun would not exist.
Exceptions might be people with eye conditions, and cave-dwelling or deep sea animals.
I think this recent myth was started at the time of the last eclipse, purely to sell pointless 'eye protection'.

 

[Seadog]

After you Jerry

 

[bricol]

I think we evolved to learn not to stare at the sun . . . bit like learning not to jump off mountain tops until we worked out parachutes, long elastic or flying machines . . .

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

I think we evolved to learn not to stare at the sun . . . bit like learning not to jump off mountain tops until we worked out parachutes, long elastic or flying machines . . .

For most people.
That is why we have the Darwin Awards every year.

 

[jerrytug]

After you Jerry

I've spent hours staring at the sun during my life. My eyesight is normal for my age.
I just can't understand why it is now considered so dangerous (with zero evidence) when it never used to be.

 

[jerrytug]

I think we evolved to learn not to stare at the sun . . . bit like learning not to jump off mountain tops until we worked out parachutes, long elastic or flying machines . . .

We have evolved, for obvious reasons, a deep phobia of heights and precipices, affecting some more than others. (Also, snakes, insects, strangers etc).
We do not have an evolved phobia of staring at the sun. It is a modern invention.
I don't think the widespread ancient religions of sun-worship blinded their followers..

 

[Seadog]

UV rays from the sun can lead to vision loss and cataracts if eyes are not adequately protected.

Even on cloudy days the sun’s rays can penetrate, so good sunglasses are vital, eye experts have advised.

Ultraviolet radiation​

During the hot sunny weather, it is not just our skin that needs protecting from the sun. Experts have warned that sun damage to the eyes can cause a number of issues.

As with the skin, it is the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun that can cause problems. Damage can build up over years and have an effect on eyes and eyesight.

Although much of the UV light is absorbed by the eyes without any damage, over-exposure has been shown to cause both short and long-term eye problems.

Short-term conditions​

Short-term problems that UV rays can cause include photokeratitis, which is inflammation of the cornea. This can be caused by looking directly at the sun, or by UV rays being reflected from snow, water or sand. Photoconjunctivitis where the membranes on the eyeball get inflamed due to UV rays.

Both these conditions usually get better within a couple of days, but they can be painful.

Long-term conditions​

Longer-term eye problems that can be caused by sun damage include cataracts, where small cloudy patches develop on the lens of the eye.

Macular degeneration, where there is a gradual loss of central vision, is also associated with long-term UV exposure.

Sunglasses​

The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) advises that the best way to protect eyes against sun damage is to use a UV filter. Most prescription glasses and contact lenses have a built-in filter.

Sunglasses are the easiest way to protect the eyes. Ones with UV 400 protection can eliminate 97–100% of UV rays. They should have a CE mark, which show the glasses have been made to an agreed European standard. Sunglasses should be warn even on cloudy days, as the sun can penetrate through.

 

[jerrytug]

UV rays from the sun can lead to vision loss and cataracts if eyes are not adequately protected.

Even on cloudy days the sun’s rays can penetrate, so good sunglasses are vital, eye experts have advised.

Ultraviolet radiation​

During the hot sunny weather, it is not just our skin that needs protecting from the sun. Experts have warned that sun damage to the eyes can cause a number of issues.

As with the skin, it is the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun that can cause problems. Damage can build up over years and have an effect on eyes and eyesight.

Although much of the UV light is absorbed by the eyes without any damage, over-exposure has been shown to cause both short and long-term eye problems.

Short-term conditions​

Short-term problems that UV rays can cause include photokeratitis, which is inflammation of the cornea. This can be caused by looking directly at the sun, or by UV rays being reflected from snow, water or sand. Photoconjunctivitis where the membranes on the eyeball get inflamed due to UV rays.

Both these conditions usually get better within a couple of days, but they can be painful.

Long-term conditions​

Longer-term eye problems that can be caused by sun damage include cataracts, where small cloudy patches develop on the lens of the eye.

Macular degeneration, where there is a gradual loss of central vision, is also associated with long-term UV exposure.

Sunglasses​

The Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) advises that the best way to protect eyes against sun damage is to use a UV filter. Most prescription glasses and contact lenses have a built-in filter.

Sunglasses are the easiest way to protect the eyes. Ones with UV 400 protection can eliminate 97–100% of UV rays. They should have a CE mark, which show the glasses have been made to an agreed European standard. Sunglasses should be warn even on cloudy days, as the sun can penetrate through.

How did humans ever manage fine for hundreds of millenia, without being mollycoddled by finger-wagging bureaucrats?
Another mystery.

 

[Seadog]

Because they didn't live long enough to suffer the effects.

 

[bricol]

How did humans ever manage fine for hundreds of millenia, without being mollycoddled by finger-wagging bureaucrats?
Another mystery.

Dunno - that well known, often quoted, but rarely found thing - common sense?

But for all but a few seconds of that time, they didn't write it down, post it on the net, stick it on faceache . . . so they stared at each other with dazzled bits in the centre of their eyes for a few years and dies trying to shove a fire-hardened stick in the side of woolly mammoth thingie . . .

If the sun was so safe, your skin wouldn't burn when exposed to it for too long . . . the back of your eye will burn just as well, probably even better as there is a lens designed to focus light on to it . . . ever play with a magnifying glass and sunlight to try to set paper on fire . . . ?

I'll keep avoiding staring at the sun all the same, thanks very much. Now if you were a world wide recognised, qualified, respected medical professional in the eye world I might listen to you . . . but working on personal experience of trying to see something in sunlight, combines with experience of arc-eye, I'd still avoid staring at the sun . . .