Safe Distance for Arc Flash

[bricol]

I've mentioned this before - some total eclipse of the sun somewhere between 1995 and 2005 (when I worked at the company in question) we were all in the carpark, armed with fixed shade welding masks to observe . . .

As the sun started to reappear, our overalls provider pulled into the car park, with his young lad riding pillion in the van . . .

Both got out, looking slightly surprised at the cheer they got from all these men and women holding welding masks . . .

Overalls providing company?

"Sunlight"

Well, we found it funny

 

[Cobbler]

11th August 1999 according to the the web.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

ever play with a magnifying glass and sunlight to try to set paper on fire . . . ?

As kids we used to dispense with the paper and had a game to see who could stand the pain the longest.
I never won because I stopped before the blisters appeared and I had to go and explain to my Mum what I'd been up to, but I was never among the first either. [note to self: has decent pain threshold . ]

 

[Cobbler]

As kids we used to dispense with the paper and had a game to see who could stand the pain the longest.
I never won because I stopped before the blisters appeared and I had to go and explain to my Mum what I'd been up to, but I was never among the first either. [note to self: has decent pain threshold . ]

My wife left a magnifying mirror on a shelf in our campervan, the focal point was on the woodwork! The sun shon in through the roof light & burnt a streak across the wood. It could have easily set fire to the van & took a bit of tidying up, I managed to repair most of it.

 

[Paul.]

I've mentioned this before - some total eclipse of the sun somewhere between 1995 and 2005 (when I worked at the company in question) we were all in the carpark, armed with fixed shade welding masks to observe . . .

As the sun started to reappear, our overalls provider pulled into the car park, with his young lad riding pillion in the van . . .

Both got out, looking slightly surprised at the cheer they got from all these men and women holding welding masks . . .

Overalls providing company?

"Sunlight"

Well, we found it funny

I remember as a kid at school mid 60s, we smoked a bit of glass over a candle flame and then used it to look at the eclipse, its a wonder we are not all blind, some people are more susceptible to arc eye than others, in over 50 years of welding I've never had it, despite the best efforts of students, apprentices and other trainees, and working in overcrowded fab shops.

Others seem to suffer at the slightest flash, or maybe its a good excuse for a day off with pay as an industrial accident,

Lets not even start on the old wives tale about contact lenses being welded to the eye by arc welding,

 

[bricol]

I remember as a kid at school mid 60s, we smoked a bit of glass over a candle flame and then used it to look at the eclipse, its a wonder we are not all blind, some people are more susceptible to arc eye than others, in over 50 years of welding I've never had it, despite the best efforts of students, apprentices and other trainees, and working in overcrowded fab shops.

Others seem to suffer at the slightest flash, or maybe its a good excuse for a day off with pay as an industrial accident,

Lets not even start on the old wives tale about contact lenses being welded to the eye by arc welding,

I used my dads arc welder to put two sills on a 1977 Lancia Beta coupe over a weekend in 1989 . . . using the well known techniques of closing your eyes, or a borrowed pair of cheap sun-glasses . . .

Sunday evening I drove back to uni in Sheffield . . . monday morning I was in casualty in the Hallamshire complaining of eyes feeling very very sore, full of grit, as well as a good dose of original Fairy liquid mixed with full strength Vosene . . . handed a tube of cream to attempt to smear in as treatment.

I had strobing effects in my vision for a number of years after in low light conditions . . . Having well and truely learnt my lesson, I bought a proper welding hat, followed by an self-darkening one when I could afford a secondhand one.

Never had anything similar, other than occasional slight soreness when using a cheap Chinese auto-darkening hat I was given, despite ten years in a fabrication company, and lots of DIY welding.

I might have exaggerated the duration of the effects that week though, in-order to gain sympathy from the gorgeous Sarah . . . duration of sympathy was about as long as the immediate effects though . . .

 

[Bki26]

Lets not even start on the old wives tale about contact lenses being welded to the eye by arc welding

I find I don't get anything when I'm wearing my lenses at work (shipyard) even if I look right at the weld briefly, almost like they're blocking it lol

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I find I don't get anything when I'm wearing my lenses at work (shipyard) even if I look right at the weld briefly, almost like they're blocking it lol

Are you involved in the building of the new Western Isles ferries for Cal Mac?

 

[Bki26]

Are you involved in the building of the new Western Isles ferries for Cal Mac?

Can neither confirm nor deny my involvement in the rust buckets ferries named internally 801+802..