Welding lenses are an essential safety feature in the welding industry, where sudden flares and intense light can cause eye damage and irritation. It is important for any welder to learn how to select, maintain and equip welding lenses. Depending on your job, you may need to know how to use a welding lens or you may be tasked with selecting and maintaining welding lenses.

You can learn this information in a variety of ways, including classes, an internship or apprenticeship or online. Some welding jobs also offer on-the-job training on the selection and cleaning of welding lenses. If you're considering welding lenses education and training, consider the following:

1. Enroll in a welding class to learn more about welding lens basics.
2. Learn welding lens safety guidelines and requirements.
3. Go to industry events to continue your welding lens training.
   

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Take a welding certification class to learn more about welding lenses

Basic welding classes will go over the different types of safety equipment, including welding lenses, that you will be expected to use and maintain. Most welding classes offer information on how to choose the correct type and strength of welding lens, as well as other useful information. Generally, a welding class also will explain how to correctly install and maintain a welding lens.

I recommend: Enroll in Resistance Welding School classes offered by the Resistance Welding Manufacturing Alliance, or take a WeldAcademy class sponsored by the American Welding Society.

Learn more about welding lens safety and other welding lens information online

You can find current government guidelines, step by step instructions, lens cleaning, selection suggestions and other information about welding lenses online. Online sources include welding lens manufacturers, work safety organizations and welding associations. These sources can help you learn more about a specific type of welding lens or get general training and information on the subject.

I recommend: Check out this educational safety article on welding lenses from WorkSafely, or learn specific safety welding lenses tactics from the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Attend welding industry events to learn more about lenses for welding

You can learn about the latest and greatest welding lenses from welding lens distributors at industry events like trade shows, conferences and workshops. Events like these allow you to brush up on old skills and develop new ones, as well as educate yourself on emerging technology and upcoming products. Welding lens suppliers often offer demonstrations and information as part of their participation in these events.

I recommend: For hands-on training, attend the FABTECH International & AWS Welding Show, which is the largest welding trade show in North America. Learn about the most current welding technologies at the AMS Weldmex exposition.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  A welding apprenticeship or internship can be a great way to learn about how welding lenses are used in a professional environment. You can find more information on apprenticeships through a local welding association or welding lens distributor.

In any welding operation, the safety of your employees is of utmost importance, and welding lenses are an essential piece of safety equipment. You rely on safety welding lenses to protect the eyes of your workers and allow them to do their job as comfortably as possible. Whether you're looking for new welding helmets fitted with lenses or a welding lens supplier to sell you replacement lenses, you can find an online distributor offering the products you need.

Find lenses for welding online from welding lens distributors. Know the options to help you get the best deals and products you need, including:

1. Find welding lens suppliers that specialize in all types of welding equipment, so you can make a one-stop shopping expedition for all the welding equipment you need.
2. Easily compare prices and products by utilizing online catalogs.
3. Buy from wholesale welding lens suppliers for the best deal.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Find welding lens distributors specializing in welding equipment

When you're buying new welding lenses, it's often useful to make other welding equipment purchases at the same time and stock your inventory with any other parts and accessories your business may need. To make your online shopping more efficient, look to suppliers of welding lenses that offer a wide variety of other welding supplies as well.

I recommend: WeldingDepot sells a wide variety of welding products from multiple manufacturers. Check out their selection of welding lenses, including auto-darkening lenses and magnifying plates, or look through their inventory for other supplies your business requires. WeldingSupply.com is a vendor selling every kind of welding product you might need. Check out their selection of helmets, welding lenses, and other eye protection accessories, or browse for other welding equipment you need.

Browse online catalogs to narrow down your welding lens search

Online catalogs are a useful way to find exactly the product you need, as they allow you to define search parameters to look for lenses from specific certain welding lens manufacturers or in a particular price range.

I recommend: First choose between passive or auto-darkening welding lenses from Airgas, then continue to narrow down your selection by size, manufacturer, magnifying power, product type and shade to find the lens that fits your needs perfectly. J & L Industrial Supply carries a large selection of lenses for welding and other eye protection equipment like helmets and glasses. Narrow your search by manufacturer.

Get a deal on welding lenses from wholesale providers

If you're comparing prices and want to find the cheapest welding lenses, go with a wholesale supplier of welding lenses.

I recommend: Northern Tool + Equipment supplies welding lenses and other industrial equipment at wholesale prices. Find good deals on welding lenses, helmets, and glasses at NexTag.com. Find products from multiple welding lens manufacturers and narrow down your search for the best deal by specifying your price range.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Expect welding lens suppliers to offer information about welding lenses they sell you, including differences between types of lens materials and products. If you don't see specifications on their website, contact a service representative before you buy, or look to another supplier so you can be sure of the technical specifications of your product before you place an order.

A cardinal rule for welders is to avoid looking at an arc or flame without adequate protection for their eyes. Welding lenses provide requisite protection to welding operators against infrared and ultraviolet light emissions that are generated during any welding process.

If you want to buy or use welding lenses, you must be conversant with various technical terms. This guide will familiarize you with technical terms, such as welding helmets, lens shade, flash burn and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Lens shade

Welding lenses are available in different shades. A welding operator must select welding lenses according to the intensity of light generated during the welding operation. If the arc temperature is high, you will need shades of a higher number.

I recommend: You can refer to the lens shade guide at Metal Web News, an online newsletter for the professionals in the metalworking industry.

Polarized lens

Polarized lenses are a type of welding lense that reduces glare from reflective surfaces. Usually polarized lenses are part of sunglasses, but you can integrate special lenses with welding helmets.

I recommend: wiseGEEK, an online resource, offers basic information about polarized lenses.

Welding helmets

Welding lenses are often part of welding helmets. Helmets can contain filter lenses of different shades and visors for protection of eyes from sparks and flames. Impact free, anti-fog lenses in helmets are best for welding purposes.

I recommend: For basic information on welding helmets, read through an informative article at WorkSafely, a website providing safety guidelines for workers.

Auto-darkening welding helmets

An auto-darkening welding helmet uses polarized lenses that let only a certain amount of light pass through them. When the welder strikes the arc, these helmets darken automatically and clear up on shutting the arc. These helmets can get power through batteries or solar energy.

I recommend: If you want to learn more about auto-darkening helmets and lenses, you can read through the information at Streetdirectory.com, a useful online portal.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

OSHA is a federal agency that works to ensure the safety of employees at workplaces. It issues guidelines regarding the safety gear and tools that an employee must make use of while working on complex tasks. Under its standard 29-CFR, OSHA has published specific precautions for eye protection, including use of lenses while performing welding operations.

I recommend: You can browse through different 29-CFR standards at Occupational Safety & Health Administration.

ANSI Z87.1, American National Standards Institute

All welding lenses and helmets have to conform to the standard Z87.1 by American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This standard includes the requirements for design, construction and testing of eye-protection devices.

I recommend: You can read through the description for ANSI Z87.1 standards at VisionRx LLC, a vision testing software company.

Flash burns

Welding without any eye protection may result in inflammation of the cornea, an important tissue in the eyes. This injury is also known as flash burns, welder's flash, and arc eye. Flash burns occur when eyes are exposed to bright ultraviolet rays that come from welding torches. To avoid this, the welding operator must wear welding lenses of the requisite shade.

I recommend: The Better Health Channel, a website that provides consumer health information, provides description for flash burns, their causes and treatments.