Welding screens are protective barriers that reduce the amount of UV light that workers are exposed to when welding operations are being performed. They typically are made of a colored, see-through material that allows welders to work safely while protecting other employees from being temporarily blinded by the light created by the welding arc.
Welding screens come in a variety of colors and sizes. Typically, they are attached to moveable frames that allows them to be set up around any welding worksite, reducing the blinding flashes of light that can come from welding torches.
Burn Protection
They also help keep employees from developing dangerous flash burns. Even if a person isn’t looking directly into the UV light created by a welding torch, catching glimpses from the corner of your eye is often enough to cause dangerous and painful flash burns.
Welding screens that are set up around a welding operation can help reduce this risk. While the welder is protected by use of their welding helmet, the welding screen creates the same type of protection for everybody else working in the vicinity.
Privacy and Protection
But welding screens also help protect the welder as well. They can be used to cordon off the area so that the welder can focus on the job at hand without having to be concerned with other workers approaching or having to watch out for heavy equipment moving in the area.
See-through welding screens help welders see what is coming, as well as allowing other workers to see where welding is taking place.
Adjustable Frames
Many welding screens can be attached to frames that can be set up in various shapes and sizes. This helps welders customize the size and design of the welding screen based on the area where they will be working.
Some welding screens come with grommets that let the cren be attached and stretched within the frame.
Meets OSHA Safety Requirements
Welding screens aren’t just a good idea. In many situations, they also are required by law.
The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration has mandated that welding screens be used in some workplaces in order to protect passersby from being exposed to potentially harmful UV light. The welding screen provides a barrier between the welding operation and other workers so they can’t become temporarily blinded by the light.
Permanent and Temporary Shields
Welding screens can be installed permanently or semi-permanently to create a designated welding area where welders can work without having to worry about endangering others or being disturbed. This type of setup is common on job sites where a lot of welding is required, as well as in manufacturing facilities where welding is a part of the manufacturing process.
Temporary, portable welding screens can be transported and set up in various places within a job site to provide UV light protection while still giving welders the flexibility to work wherever they need to perform a welding operation.