More welding safety options...

Really, it can be inexpensive to make your welding operation safer, whether or not you're a home hobbyist, running a fabrication shop, doing outdoor pipe welding, or in an auto body shop. Some of them are the simple things -- common sense stuff you'll find in the welding safety area. Others are things you can easily buy, wear, or install around your welding area.

Screens can filter harmful light and eliminate the risks of flying sparks. I like Goff's curtain wall screens, myself.

In September 2001, ­ The American Welding Society published safety standards including Lens Shade Selector, Specification for Use and Performance of Transparent Welding Curtains and Screens, and Ventilation Guide for Weld Fume. That is available for a nominal fee from the AWS website, so you might want to check it out before you purchase.

These ANSI-approved documents are for welding professionals to let us know about risks and hazards (and safety measures) for the welding workplace. Its lens shade chart uses electrode sizes, arc currents and more to prescribe comfort lens shades for welding and cutting processes. The specification for welding curtains and screens suggests safety equipment for outside viewing of the welding floor. The weld fume guide recommends ventilation systems to control welding fumes and cut energy costs in different weld shops.