During the operation of the welding machine, various negative consequences are possible. To avoid them, special welding suits were invented that help to minimize the effect of chemical dust, fumes, explosive gases, splashes, etc. In addition, a worker without a uniform can receive radiation from the working arc of the ultraviolet and infrared ranges.
What are workwear for?
The profession of a welder is considered one of the most dangerous, because during work you can get burns and injuries from open flames, sparks and splashes of liquid metal and slag, and high temperature of the melt bath. Also, the activity is accompanied by constant noise during the processing of materials, and the probability of getting under the negative effect of electric current is quite high.
Often, workers find themselves in uncomfortable conditions, in confined spaces or at a very decent height, where there is a threat of falling of the person himself or working mechanisms, various objects, etc. Welding suits that must be worn during implementationany of the above works.
Set content
In terms of protection, first of all, the focus is on the face, eyes, which need to be protected from strong radiation and light, hot splashes and slags. To do this, put on glasses equipped with filters, a helmet or shield, caps (otherwise they are called balaclavas), made of fire-resistant material. To protect the respiratory organs from exposure to fumes, oxides, waste, welding suits include special respirators.
The basis of the set is a jacket and trousers made of proven, fire-resistant materials. These elements of overalls protect the entire body from minor burns of a local nature. Uniform trousers are sewn without cuffs, and the jacket contains only such pockets that have Velcro or flap fasteners. This prevents sparks or hot slag particles from entering the pocket during operation.
Work Suit Requirements
Welding suit according to the requirements is made exclusively from natural fabrics with a special impregnation that protects the worker from radiation, molten metal, fiery sparks, etc. Before work, the owner must pay attention to the fact that the robe does not have spots on its surfaces from greases, oils, fuel. Also, you can not wear a suit with torn edges, scuffs, fabric tears. Why? All these seemingly minor injuries can contribute to injury, burns. A dark-colored shirt with long sleeves is usually worn under the jacket. On the sleeves shouldthere are cuffs with fasteners and a collar to additionally protect exposed skin on the neck and wrists.
It is excluded to use synthetic fabric for the manufacture of overalls. Such material ignites faster, which means it carries a danger.
How to wear
Welders are protected not only by high-quality welding suits, but also by the correct way of wearing them. For example, trousers should be worn over shoes (whether boots or boots) so that the tops are completely covered. In addition, special leather linings are made on the sleeves of the jacket in the area of the elbows. The same pieces of leather are sewn on the knees to increase the strength of the clothing. As for the buttons, they are covered with a placket to hide them from exposure to high temperatures.
What is not recommended to take with you? It is strictly forbidden to carry lighters, matches, paper in pockets, as these all represent an additional fire hazard.
Types of Welding Suits
Among the main types of welding suits, the following should be highlighted:
- tarpaulin,
- suede,
- leather,
- cloth,
- split.
Each of these types has its pros and cons. So, a leather suit protects well from scale, but is inconvenient in the summer, as the skin heats up quickly, and the worker is very hot in it. A tarpaulin suit has high strength due to the density of the material and has excellent ventilation. His disadvantageis that the tarpaulin ignites faster under the influence of high temperature. Suede overalls are waterproof, but this material can also catch fire when working with fire for a long time.
If we classify overalls based on the climatic conditions in which the welder must work, then the overalls can be divided into summer and winter ones. In addition, costumes are combined and selective. What is the difference? As a rule, the combined version includes a jumpsuit, and the selective one implies the presence of a separate jacket and pants. One of the striking examples of selection options is the Zeus welding suit, made using the Proban fire-resistant technology. It consists of trousers with an elastic band at the waist, a jacket with a turn-down collar. There are pockets for cushioning inserts around the knees.
Split welding suit
Today, split welding suits are especially popular, which have a high degree of protection and are perfect for dangerous work. Such clothes are lined with split leather, a substance obtained as a result of a special treatment of the skin.
Previously, ordinary batting acted as a heater. A modern robe is sewn using a multilayer synthetic winterizer. This material is good because it has practically no weight, "breathes", that is, it passes air well and repels moisture. For guaranteed protection of the worker, such insulation, split fabric and dense tarpaulin are combined.
Insulated suits
Because the gas-welding work is carried out all year round, manufacturing companies produce both winter and summer welding suits. Photos of various types of overalls are presented on the pages of online stores. So, insulated suits are made for winter, for which they take several layers of the base material and various kinds of insulation.
A separate series are suits for work in the Far North, where there are very severe frosts. In such conditions, especially warm clothing is necessary, as work can take a long time. Here, the front of the jacket is covered with split leather, and in some cases, the back and yoke are covered with split fabric. Pants are also equipped with split overlays. Hidden fasteners are required. A hood and wind flaps may also be present in the robe.
Additional workwear items
While working in a sitting or standing position, a leather apron will additionally protect, which well covers almost the entire body (starting from the chest and ending with the ankles). Hot particles of slag and metal falling on this apron will not damage the welding suit. The winter version of overalls also includes warm mittens or gloves with leggings. It is worth noting that special ventilation holes are made in the robe, as the material is very dense.
Separate requirements are put forward for shoes. These can be shoes or boots, which have a special non-stick rubber for the sole, which provides protection from electricity and flames.
Shields and masks
Welding suits protect the body, but how to protect the eyes from burns and radiation? For this, shields were used for a long time, and then cardboard masks and chameleon masks. It is also allowed to wear special glasses.
Recently, shields have already lost their relevance, since in practice they are inconvenient to use. The welder is forced to hold the shield with one hand and do the work with the other. More practical in this regard is a mask made of thick cardboard, equipped with a viewing window with a light filter. Its drawback is that at first a person must see the place of work, and then lower the mask with a nod of the head or simply with a hand. Those few seconds are enough to damage your eyesight.
The chameleon mask does not need to be lifted before work. Instead of a traditional light filter, glass is built into it, which acquires a dark color during the ignition of the arc. At the same time, it is possible to customize such a mask for yourself.
