Auto Darkening Filters were conceived and developed to be serious safety and productivity tools for professional, electric arc production welders. Welding helmets are designed and produced to protect electric arc welders from sparks, spatter and radiation emanating from the arc. Neither device was intended to be used for any other purpose.
But today there are welding helmets equipped with ADF's that advertise they can be used for grinding and Oxy-Fuel welding and cutting. The question is not "can they", it is "should they" and are they the most appropriate PPE for those operations?. Or are those claims just another of the many sales gimmicks that permeate and distort the ADF marketplace.
For many years, standards and common practice dictated that a faceshield, not a welding helmet, be used for grinding. ANSI Z49.1 2005, the welding safety standard, includes the following:
But Z49.1 defers to ANSI Z87.1 2010 for PPE and Z87.1 requires all face and eye products, including welding helmets, to be tested and certified as either "impact" or "non-impact" devices. Some ADF helmet suppliers misinterpret this "impact" rating as confirmation that their product can be used for grinding when, in fact, there are a number of other things that must be taken into consideration.
To begin with, it is highly unlikely that a production welder would complete his weld, extinguish his torch, locate and set up his grinder without taking off his welding helmet. So the argument that using an ADF helmet for grinding saves downtime is specious at best. When the weld is complete, removing the helmet and putting on a faceshield before grinding takes no time at all.
The next consideration is field of vision. Why would a welder want to only be able to see through a 2"X41/4" or 5"X4" opening in a welding helmet with a green tint, when he could look through a clear faceshield, with a full field of vision, to do the hazardous and precise job of cleaning and grinding a weld? Some might argue a welding helmet covers more face area than a faceshield. That all depends on the size and shape of the faceshield selected.
In addition to the risks of grinding with a helmet instead of a faceshield, there are risks inherent in grinding with an ADF lens. In order to grind with an ADF lens in place, the auto darkening function has to be deactivated. If a welder forgets to turn it back on, and strikes an arc, he will only have shade 3 protection from the bright visible light of the arc. Although he will be protected from IR/UV by the permanent interference filter in the lens, being exposed to the bright light of the arc can be painful for some time. A number of the ADF lenses with a "grind mode", have a feature that automatically reactivates the auto darkening function after a period of time. Those lenses are generally super sensitive to extraneous light. A welder could still be grinding, have someone else in the area strike an arc which could trigger his arc putting him in the dark with a dangerous grinder in his hands putting him at high risk of a serious injury.
All standards, past and present, all "application charts", and industry practice since the process was devised show welding goggles, and more recently, faceshields with protective spectacles, are the proper and most appropriate PPE for OxyFuel welding and cutting. So why would anyone want to use a full welding helmet with an ADF for that purpose? Again, it is highly unlikely that a production electric arc welder would have to or want to extinguish his torch, go get his OxyFuel apparatus and begin a new job all with his welding helmet on. And when he does begin his OxyFuel job, he will slip a pair of welding goggles or a lightweight faceshield on rather than his ADF welding helmet for the same reasons mentioned earlier.
The brands and models that offer this option by leaving the helmet in an "off" (usually shade 5) mode, present the same risk as turning the auto darkening function off for grinding. Other brands and models introduce another risk by requiring a welder to select a shade from a much greater range. Some models offer 3 sets of shades: 5 to 8, 8 to 10, and 10 to 13 with the 5 to 8 range for OXyFuel welding and cutting. That presents the risk of a welder selecting the wrong shade by accident, especially with small dials or buttons and big gloves, which could cause exposure to bright light and discomfort.
Going back to the beginning, a welding helmet equipped with an ADF is intended for and designed for enhancing safety and increasing the productivity of professional, production welders. Using them for anything else is not a proper use and could expose the wearer to additional risk while exposing the helmet to damage and a shortened service life. A top quality ADF only needs 3 functions; sensitivity, shade selection, closing delay. There is value in simplicity.
Some brands have so many dials, buttons, and switches they confuse the user. Anything beyond the functions shown above are superfluous, and are either useless gimmicks or warnings for things that go wrong.
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But today there are welding helmets equipped with ADF's that advertise they can be used for grinding and Oxy-Fuel welding and cutting. The question is not "can they", it is "should they" and are they the most appropriate PPE for those operations?. Or are those claims just another of the many sales gimmicks that permeate and distort the ADF marketplace.
For many years, standards and common practice dictated that a faceshield, not a welding helmet, be used for grinding. ANSI Z49.1 2005, the welding safety standard, includes the following:
"E4.2.1.1 Welding helmets with filter lenses are intended to protect users from arc rays and fiom weld sparks and spatter which impinge directly against the helmet. They are not intended to protect against slag chips, grinding fragments, wire wheel blistles, and similar hazards. Spectacles with side shields or goggles should also be wom to protect against these hazards."
But Z49.1 defers to ANSI Z87.1 2010 for PPE and Z87.1 requires all face and eye products, including welding helmets, to be tested and certified as either "impact" or "non-impact" devices. Some ADF helmet suppliers misinterpret this "impact" rating as confirmation that their product can be used for grinding when, in fact, there are a number of other things that must be taken into consideration.
To begin with, it is highly unlikely that a production welder would complete his weld, extinguish his torch, locate and set up his grinder without taking off his welding helmet. So the argument that using an ADF helmet for grinding saves downtime is specious at best. When the weld is complete, removing the helmet and putting on a faceshield before grinding takes no time at all.
The next consideration is field of vision. Why would a welder want to only be able to see through a 2"X41/4" or 5"X4" opening in a welding helmet with a green tint, when he could look through a clear faceshield, with a full field of vision, to do the hazardous and precise job of cleaning and grinding a weld? Some might argue a welding helmet covers more face area than a faceshield. That all depends on the size and shape of the faceshield selected.
This heavy duty faceshield from Fibre-Metal by Honeywell, has a wide, deep, uniquely shaped window that covers as much face area as most welding helmets while giving the welder a 360 degree view of his work. And the window, unlike a welding helmet, is made from a material specifically formulated to protect from impact and penetration. A faceshield window like the one above may cost between $10.00 and $15.00. A professional grade welding helmet with ADF will cost about $300.00. Windows are consumables. They are intended to be used and replaced as often as needed. Why would you or your company want you to risk damaging your $300 helmet by subjecting it to the debris from grinding and chipping?
In addition to the risks of grinding with a helmet instead of a faceshield, there are risks inherent in grinding with an ADF lens. In order to grind with an ADF lens in place, the auto darkening function has to be deactivated. If a welder forgets to turn it back on, and strikes an arc, he will only have shade 3 protection from the bright visible light of the arc. Although he will be protected from IR/UV by the permanent interference filter in the lens, being exposed to the bright light of the arc can be painful for some time. A number of the ADF lenses with a "grind mode", have a feature that automatically reactivates the auto darkening function after a period of time. Those lenses are generally super sensitive to extraneous light. A welder could still be grinding, have someone else in the area strike an arc which could trigger his arc putting him in the dark with a dangerous grinder in his hands putting him at high risk of a serious injury.
All standards, past and present, all "application charts", and industry practice since the process was devised show welding goggles, and more recently, faceshields with protective spectacles, are the proper and most appropriate PPE for OxyFuel welding and cutting. So why would anyone want to use a full welding helmet with an ADF for that purpose? Again, it is highly unlikely that a production electric arc welder would have to or want to extinguish his torch, go get his OxyFuel apparatus and begin a new job all with his welding helmet on. And when he does begin his OxyFuel job, he will slip a pair of welding goggles or a lightweight faceshield on rather than his ADF welding helmet for the same reasons mentioned earlier.
The brands and models that offer this option by leaving the helmet in an "off" (usually shade 5) mode, present the same risk as turning the auto darkening function off for grinding. Other brands and models introduce another risk by requiring a welder to select a shade from a much greater range. Some models offer 3 sets of shades: 5 to 8, 8 to 10, and 10 to 13 with the 5 to 8 range for OXyFuel welding and cutting. That presents the risk of a welder selecting the wrong shade by accident, especially with small dials or buttons and big gloves, which could cause exposure to bright light and discomfort.
Going back to the beginning, a welding helmet equipped with an ADF is intended for and designed for enhancing safety and increasing the productivity of professional, production welders. Using them for anything else is not a proper use and could expose the wearer to additional risk while exposing the helmet to damage and a shortened service life. A top quality ADF only needs 3 functions; sensitivity, shade selection, closing delay. There is value in simplicity.
Much of the PPE function is determing the best and most appropriate PPE for a specific function and set of hazards. Claiming an ADF helmet can be used for grinding and OxyFuel welding and cutting violates that goal and is usually used as a sales gimmick by those suppliers who cannot compete against the top ADF brands in the electric arc market.
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WARNING: Always read all labels, instruction, warnings, limitations and cautions on any PPE used in grinding. Make sure any PPE used for grinding is marked "ANSI Z87+" or "ANSI Z87.1 High Impact". Even products labeled ANSI "high impact" provide limited protection and do not protect from exploding grinding wheels or other extreme impacts. Always wear ANSI certified "high impact" protective spectacles under faceshields and welding helmets. Products shown are used for illustration and information only. The writer makes no endorsement or suitability claims. The selection of PPE should only be done by responsible safety officials, after a comprehensive hazard analysis and using OSHA selection guidelines.
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