Welding arc flashed, now what to do?

[Rutterbush]

I'm repeating what several eye doctors have told me over the past millennium.

Potatoes have the possibility of bacteria. Why would you put this in your eyes? However, cool potatoes help remove heat. A cool wet cloth does the same.

Visine is advertised to "get the red out". It does this by making the blood vessels contract. The reason the blood vessels expanded was to allow the blood to carry more oxygen to your eyes. Oxygen helps the healing process.

Tears are one way the eye attempts to wash away something that's not supposed to be there. Tears also carry chemicals, minerals and help lubricate the eye. NOT Visine, but Man Made Tears do help. This is packaged in the same type bottle as Visine, but is clearly marked as Man made tears or something that identifies it.

I agree about the gold lens. If it's polycarbonate it's usually marked with a statement such as "Discard if scratched". Unless you buy the $100.00 gold plated glass dark lens with the permanently attached clear cover lens the gold scratches way too easy.

Going to the doctor is the best thing to do. I've worked with several welders who got Ponacaine (spp) to numb their eyes. It works, but if you don't cover your numb eyes you'll never know if something gets in them and cuts them up. Don't self medicate. Doctors paid a lot of money to learn how to put those drops in your eyes. They also pay huge malpractice insurance saying they won't intentionally hurt you. At least that's the way it's supposed to work.

[jdustu]

I always carry industrial eye drops with me. Anytime I think I've been flashed I go put some in. And to this point I've never had the dreaded "sand in the eye" feeling.

I agree with Dodge about the reality "build" shows. I always laugh at the guys wearing short sleeve shirts and no helmets welding up a gas tank or whatever. I'm sure they aren't doing that all day long, and it really doean't send the right message to wanna be welders watching the show.

FWI the Jackson Nexgen helmets are well under $300 now.

-Josh

[aametalmaster]

I have had a real bad flash only twice in 30+ years. Use a used tea bag on your eyes to ease the pain and have a hot cup of tea in the meantime...Bob

[squire]

When I was in the trade we used cold tea bags over each eye and wraped a tea towel tightly around the head to ease acr eye.I never heard of using spuds which is funny as Im Irish.
Hopefully I wont have to try it.

[KCfabricator]

I wish I had $1 for every time I flashed or set myself on fire.

[ertwdan]

I had a kid working for me a few years ago that got a new MIG for his birthday. He watched way too much American Chopper and he spent the afternoon tacking a new floor into his pickup. He decided that the helmet wasn't needed. No flash, but talk about being a little red-faced...ha ha ha

Luckily he was smart enough to learn from this mistake.

[Hillbillysmith]

Put up a welding curtain around someone that is welding near you i the shop. It does help. As for the tapping the stinger before you get the helmet down, that's just mistiming. Wen you get welding alot, the lift up and flipping down messes with the side screw adjustment and it sometimes gets tighter. Tight enough that you don't nod your head hard enough and it doesn't come down all the way. Thus, getting a little extra sun tanning on your face. LOL Most of the time, it's either accidental or jut plain not paying any attention. But sometime, just sometimes, it's our own fault and we are dead to rights guilty just as JWB has said. We have all been there and we all will most likely be there again. And again, and again... It's just our natural reaction to cut corners to pick up some time so we just "Hillbilly" the job.........


-Hillbilly

[KCfabricator]

Don't flash yourself. I've found that to be the best remedy.

[IronFist]

In my years of welding I've had countless flash burn from either repair in a tank, boiler system, TIG welding in a superheater system alongside 4 others doing the same to just welding in the fabrication area on night shift. Thank the gods I do not have to do any of that any more. Anyway, the potato trick does work although I've never used it. I've also heard from a fellow weldor that one can put a thin layer of vapor rub over your eyelids. Havent used this one either. But I will say with any sunburn you can run hot water over it to take away the sting. Close your eyes in the shower and run the hottest water that you can stand over it but be careful, the eyes are sensitive to aftershock of this( pain in the eyes due to heat, which is what your trying to get rid of).

OR..... you can find a pretty cool doctor that will "turn his back" while the ponicaine is on the table.

Or just think about what the xxxx you are doing before you do it! Once you get in a rush, that is when you can screw something up bad.

[j@j metal works]

I have been welding for about 8 years. A auto darkening lens helps alot when others are welding around you, but sometimes you have to keep your hood up when you have to put things together. Sometimes I wear dark safety glasses to help with the flashes. If you have a white wall, consider putting up a dark fire blanket. When I burn my eyes I use a lubricating eye drop that is like a gel to sooth the burn in my eyes. You can buy these eye drops over the counter.