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Welding in a T-Shirt: What You Should Know

welding in a t-shirt

Some folks spend a lot of money getting a booth tan after work. You can get a tan while working as a welder. A great deal, indeed! At least until you have third-degree sunburns or skin cancer. Using bare skin while welding will help you prevent those unattractive tan lines (ouch).

 

In actuality, sunburns from welding are nothing to joke about. The majority of us are aware of the risks that UV radiation and our eyes pose. Additionally, since eye-related injuries are among the most frequent accidents, it is unquestionably a crucial topic. But frequently, we just discuss how those rays influence our eyes, omitting to mention how they also affect the rest of our body.

 

So, can you really weld in a T-shirt? Let’s talk about it. 

person standing beside gray bench grinder

Welding in a T-Shirt, What you Should Know

When welding, we almost never consider how powerful the UV rays are. This is so because most safety gear is built to withstand more ultraviolet light than the average welder could possibly expose it to. However, each light wave has a strength, or more precisely, a range of wavelengths. Essentially the shorter the wavelength, the more that type of light will mess you up.

 

The majority of the time when welding, heat causes the light waves to shorten. It gets quite hot when you start welding when you strike an arc. Wavelengths become shorter as temperatures rise. Technically, you could burn hot enough to emit x-rays in addition to UV rays (but you’d need a very strong welder for this).

 

Obviously, by that time, you would have already burned to death before the x-rays could do any harm. So why is this important? It truly doesn’t for welding protection equipment. As we’ve already mentioned, the majority of equipment is UV-protective enough. What if we’re not referring to safety equipment? Would you consider anything like, say, a t-shirt?

 

Can you really weld in just a T-Shirt? No. Here’s Why.

Sunburns

If you don’t have the proper safety equipment, there are several dangers during welding that are worse than sunburns. But there are a lot of different viewpoints on UV protection. Some welders will claim that wearing a t-shirt to work every day for the past three decades hasn’t caused them any problems. Some welders will also tell you about a person who used a t-shirt to weld just once and passed away two months later.

 

Factors that can produce a Sunburn

 

Instensity of the beam

Let’s examine what actually produces a sunburn to resolve this debate. The intensity of the beams comes first, as we have covered. This basically refers to how hot you are welding and how near your arc you are. 

 

Duration of Exposure

The duration of your exposure to the UV light source is another factor. Except when exposed to an atomic blast, most sunburns don’t develop right away. Sunburn develops over time as a result of your body’s ongoing exposure to UV rays reacting with an increasing number of its atoms.

 

UV rays must pass through your t-shirt for a long enough period of time to inflict enough damage for you to recognize it as a sunburn. Therefore, you might avoid being burnt if you just weld for a short time or use procedures that create less powerful UV radiation.

 

This explains in part why some welders can “get away” with wearing only a t-shirt while others suffer from excruciating sunburns (or even worse). 

man welding two rectangular gray metal frames

Thickness of T-Shirt and Color

Other elements include the thickness of the t-shirt and even its color. One of those paper-thin t-shirts you get for free at concerts is not the same as a hefty synthetic-fiber t-shirt. Finally, some individuals simply have skin that burns more quickly.

 

A t-shirt provides some protection, but it doesn’t offer much coverage. Your neckline and the exposed portions of your arms will still suffer sunburns.

 

Even worse than death can be skin cancer. Protective apparel is far less expensive than medical expenses.

 

Protective apparel, as we mentioned at the beginning, blocks more than just UV rays. Additionally, it protects against sparks and hot slag, which a t-shirt can’t withstand.

 

What Not to Do When Wearing FR Clothing

welder working

It’s not enough that you wear Flame Retardant (FR) clothing. It pays to know the right way to wear them and know what not to do when wearing them. Remember, wearing FR clothing correctly can give maximum protection, but if worn improperly or out of the industry standards, they become less effective. Here we give you the common mistakes welders do in wearing FR clothing. 

What not to do in wearing FR Clothing

Do not wear FR clothing without a Non-FR outer layer

While you have your FR clothing on, you need to make sure that you are wearing an FR outer layer. It can be tempting to wear a non-FR jacket most especially during the cold weather. But chances are, that outer layer can still ignite and burn putting you at risk. 

Do not wear a Non-FR synthetic underlayer

One other thing you need to remember is that when you wear FR clothing, make sure you are wearing an FR underlayer as well. T-shirts that are made out of polyester or synthetic materials can help with moisture management but these are not flame resistant and can even melt to the skin. 

 

two welders working
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Do not roll up your sleeves

While this can be a challenge most especially if you are beating the heat, rolling up your sleeves exposes your arms to welding spatter. The best thing to do is to look for FR clothing that is lightweight so you get maximum comfort and maximum protection. 

 

Do not unbutton your FR clothing

It’s important to know that unbuttoning your FR clothing can expose your skin to heat and welding spatter. If you’re wearing non FR clothing underneath, for example, heat can easily ignite and burn which leaves you unprotected. 

 

welder working
Photo via unsplash.com

Do not leave your shirt untucked

In wearing welding clothing, you should always check if your shirt is tucked in properly. If not, heat and flame can go under and lead to greater injury. Make sure that when you buy FR clothing, get one that is purposefully made with long shirttails. 

 

These are just some of the things a welder needs to remember when wearing FR clothing to get that maximum protection that it is made to provide. 

How to Wash FR Clothing

welder working wearing FR clothing

As welders, Flame-Retardant FR clothing is a standard PPE. Every layer of welding protection is a must since fire and heat is a thing we deal with on a daily basis. By this time, you may already have invested in FR welding jackets, FR welding shirts, or FR welding pants. With daily use, they may now have seen a bit of wear and tear. The question is, have you been washing them the right way? Remember, for FR clothing to work properly, they need to be well maintained. Here’s how to properly wash FR clothing. 

 

Before we move on, you should know the difference between flame retardant welding clothing and flame resistant welding clothing. Flame retardant clothing only has a coat of fire-resistant material while fire-resistant clothing is literally made of resistant material. Whichever type you have, you could use this process for proper upkeep. 

 

welder working wearing FR clothing

How to Wash FR Clothing

Wash FR clothing separately in a Cotton or Normal cycle at any water temperature (maximum of 140ºF or 60ºC) and tumble dry on low. Use a liquid detergent and make sure you turn the FR clothing inside out before you wash to reduce streaking from abrasion. Also, make sure that all soils or stains are removed from the garments before the wash process. 

 

Here are the things that you need to take note of in washing FR clothing:

  • Do not use soap (tallow soap with animal fats) and fabric softeners. These can leave a flammable coating which can be dangerous.
  • Do not use chlorine bleach or liquid non-chlorine bleach. This can reduce the level of flame resistance.
  • Do not use starches, peroxides, or vinegar 
  • Do not use hard water. This can deposit small packets of magnesium and calcium which are flammable.

 

FR clothing usually lasts for 5 years. Some rare FR gear would even last 20 years. Most lose their effectiveness after 25-50 wash cycles. FR clothing have specific laundering instruction and requirements and it’s important you check the label and follow manufacturer recommendations. This will guarantee a longer lifespan. Remember, FR clothing cannot wear out its FR properties easily unless the fabric is mishandled in some way. 

 

welder working wearing FR Clothing