UV from welding ??

[steve.h]

Hi all, I was thinking about the UV from welding, I have been caught out a few times, while forging something I just want to weld this bit or that bit on, so I zap it without thinking. I have had a couple of occasions that I have burnt my arns and have had a rash and its been SOOOOO itchy. The other problem is while I have the forge going in my workshop it is rather warm so wearing a welding jacket or sleeves is too much while forging.
So my question is would using the kids factor 50 sunscreen with total UV block stop me burning my arms rather than having to wear sleeves ?? It is just so hot in the workshop, I have been putting my jumper on when welding but I am getting stupidly hot while welding.
What are your thoughts on the sunscreen ?? surely it should work, after all the sun kicks out a fair bit of UV....

 

[rich r]

I was a bit doubtful whether it would be sufficient, so I went and did some research

According to an article I found in the Medical Journal of Australia and a couple USA based medical articles, it would seem that sunblock is acceptable for UV protection from welding. However you must ensure that the sunblock is rated for protection against UVA, UVB and UVC - a lot only protect against UVA as this is what 98% of the UV from the sun is. The others are absorbed by air, but there's not much air between your arc and your skin when welding, and welding produces a wide range of frequencies of light.

Sunblock won't protect against sparks and blobs of molten metal, so you might still want to consider a lightweight fire and UV proof jacket/shirt for when you're welding certain positions and there's a risk of setting yourself on fire...

 

[Jim_gsxr1000]

The big welding companys (where i work) not sure if its a site thing, normaly have industrial size bottles of factor 50 when they are welding on stainless vessels for the back of neck and ears etc!

 

[madkayaker]

I tend to use welding sleeve which will also protect from sparks but if its just a weld nut to end of threaded rod I don't bother

 

[hotrodder]

As said sunscreen won't do much for spatter/sparks and the rash bit suggests to me that maybe it was as much irritation from that or grinding dust as UV burns? If anything sunscreen is gonna make irritation from dust/swarf worse and if it's hot enough to get sweaty it's gonna need to be constantly reapplied

 

[Lawnmowerboy]

Grinding dust is a ****** as it is like fibreglass and gets into all the pores of your skin and is really itchy!

 

[steve.h]

Cheers guys, I guess most of the itching is from grindin dust, I had a glass on the workbench the other day, it wasnt until the mrs was washing it up that we noticed that it is now a non slip glassdue to the tiny metal particles embeded into the glass, so I guess that is happening to me as well, so maybe the factor 50 is ok for welding but its the grinding that is causing me the biggest problem as it itches like mad, I woke up the other morning with arms so red, the mrs said I was scratching them in my sleep all night, really roughly too, she said she expected to see blood ! ! ! so welding jacket it is especially for grinding.
I did buy one of the bright orange fireproof jackets a while back but it is also quite itchy, I must just be a sensative person, that will be a first them ! ! ! I will just have to get a bit hot, the forge kicks out a fair bit of heat, its hot enough in there this time of year, summer is a nightmare, I did think about this and the one wall of my workshop is actually a big pair of wooden gates to I can open them which is quite good, feels like I am working outside with them open. It built it so I could open them in the heat but also so I can get anything big I build out of the workshop without having to take the wall apart....

 

[rich r]

Could you add some fans to keep the heat from the forge away from your work area?

 

[pedrobedro]

A lot of cheap flameproof clothing is treated with an ammonia compound and will irritate if in direct contact with your skin. Wear sleeves under it, when I worked in foundries we were issued with pure wool suits which only smouldered and never flamed and the saying was that what keeps heat in keeps it out as well.