Why you can not look at welding: were we deceived in childhood?
Even as a child, passing a working welder on the street, we could hear from mom: “Do not look, you will go blind!”. Is it true that welding can be blinded? Or is it just a myth? Doctors and experienced welders will help us figure this out.
Is it dangerous to watch welding
It is hard not to notice that all welders have faces hidden under a dense mask. Does this mean that a simple passer-by is in danger from a glimpse of the welding? Yes, that means. Moreover, the danger lies in the invisible spectrum for us - ultraviolet radiation.
The human eye does not recognize the entire spectrum of light, and ultraviolet is simply not visible to us. However, it has a real impact on our bodies, and on any other objects in the world.
The presence of strong ultraviolet radiation during welding is not difficult to prove - take any unnecessary black fabric and hang it next to the welder at work so that there are no obstacles between the sparks and the fabric. After 15 minutes of work, you will see that the fabric has turned pale and faded - this is the effect of ultraviolet radiation.
What happens to our eyes if you look at welding for a long time? The so-called electrophthalmia develops - a burn of the cornea. In mild cases, it is not particularly dangerous and goes away by itself (although it is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms). The more severe can cause vision problems up to blindness. Doctors distinguish four degrees of electrophthalmia with various symptoms:
- the first degree is accompanied by eye irritation, a feeling of "sand", moderate reddening of proteins. At the victim, bright glare begins to flicker before the eyes. In the professional jargon of welders, this phenomenon is called "catching a bunny";
- in the second degree, the cornea becomes noticeably cloudy, blisters may appear on the skin around the eyes. The thin moist membrane that the eye (conjunctiva) is covered in begins to separate like a film;
- the third degree is determined by a very cloudy and opaque cornea. In the presence of this symptom, you must immediately contact an ophthalmologist;
- fourth degree - necrosis of the eye tissue, temporary loss of vision. If you do not consult a doctor on time, blindness can remain for life.
How much time can I look at welding without goggles? Experts recommend limiting themselves to a couple of seconds at a distance of about two meters from the work.
If you look at the bright glow of welding for a long time, you can be left without vision
What about sparks? Some believe that danger to the eyes lies in them. But in fact, sparks from welding (as well as from a fire, for example) are relatively safe and in small quantities do not pose a threat to vision - you can look at the flying lights as much as you like. And they simply won’t get into your eyes until you come close to the welder, forgetting to wear glasses. Sparks during welding usually do not fly further than 30 cm.
However, it is worth noting that if you still take a chance and stand behind the welder while he is working, and the spark gets into your eye, the consequences will be unpleasant. The ingress of small abrasives (namely, these are usually sparks during welding) threatens with a thermal burn, irritation, redness of the eyes, damage to the cornea.
Welding is certainly a beautiful and interesting sight, but you should not look at it without special safety glasses. No wonder welders wear masks while working.
