Having the right welding safety gear is critical to handling the job well. You should make every effort to maximize the value of your kit, so here are four recommendations.
Welding Headgear
The primary fear of most welders is that the bright electrical arc from their tools will burn their eyes. This is from a process called flashing that can harm nearly every part of the eye if you look directly at the arc during welding. Common welding hoods include darkly tinted viewports that allow welders to see their work while the machine is active. They also usually have hinges that attach to the welding helmets so welders can tip them back when they're not using the machine.
Room for Respirators
Some welding materials emit gases, and many people overlook this problem. Even if you're working in a well-ventilated space, it's a wise idea to wear a respirator. However, this means your welding hoods need to have room enough to fit your breathing gear. Bear in mind that you need enough room between the hood and the respirator to allow some airflow so you can get enough oxygen, too. A hood that stands off a bit from the front of your face is ideal, so don't be afraid to try welding helmets out with your preferred respirator on.
Fit
Your welding safety helmet should include cross bands for the back and top of your head. These bands secure the helmet to your head and they should be relatively tight. It is also a good idea to test the tightness of the fit with the hood in both the up and down positions. Deliberately try to shake the helmet off in order to see what would happen in an emergency. You don't want to risk the assembly falling off your head while you're welding.
You should also wear the helmet for several minutes before settling on it. You don't want the helmet to feel unduly heavy after a long day of wearing it. If it already feels heavy after a few minutes, it's going to feel awful after eight hours. This will affect the quality of your work and how safely you do it.
Check Ratings
Welding headgear should include ratings for different use cases. If the welding hoods you're looking at don't explicitly state they're certified for your applications, keep shopping. It is better to take a few extra days to find the right helmet and hood than to risk damaging your eyes.
Reach out to a company like CMR Fabrications to learn more.
