Welding Curtains and Screens – The When, Where, and Why they are Used and Required

Welding is one of the most hazardous occupations due to the risk of injury from electricity and burns. Not only are welders at risk of injuring themselves, but the equipment they use can also cause injuries to the people around them and damage to surrounding areas. With over half a million welders currently employed throughout America’s workforce, it is essential that the right safety precautions are taken to protect both employees and workspaces alike.

Weld curtains and screens add an additional layer of protection in the welding workspace, ensuring that workers operating in close vicinity of the welding area are not exposed to harmful UV light or the risk of flash burns. In this article, we’ll take a look at the many benefits of welding curtains and screens and how to choose the best solution for your business.

What Are Welding Curtains and Welding Screens?

Welding areas can be dangerous environments when the proper precautions are not put in place. To ensure the safety of employees and those frequenting your facility, welding curtains can create safe, customized and enclosed areas that are designated specifically for welding purposes. Made from laminate opaque vinyl with over 400 pounds of tensile strength, or transparent welding curtains can be conveniently placed in any location where welding operations take place. They often include viewing windows that provide transparency while still effectively blocking out harmful UV rays. Many curtains and screens are fitted with wheels and can be moved from place to place quickly and safely.

When Are Welding Curtains Needed?

Welding curtains are usually required in any facility that does not have an enclosed or separate welding area. Their proper placement can reduce some of the most common workplace injuries for welders including nerve and lung damage from toxic chemicals, flash burns and also arc eye (or welder’s flash).

What Are Welding Curtains Made Of?

Constructed from a strong polyvinyl chloride (PVC), welding curtains and welding screens also contain flame-retardant chemicals that prevent the material from catching fire when it comes into contact with stray sparks and a compound that absorbs ultraviolet rays. A color dye is also added during the production process.

Safe and sturdy welding curtains will have the following characteristics:

• Flame resistance
• High R-Value
• Resistant to harsh chemicals
• Resistant to mildew
• Resistant to heat damage
• High tear and tensile strength
• Cold crack resistance

The Benefits of Welding Screens in the Workplace

As one of the most dangerous occupations, it is essential that all operatives and those around them are protected from the harmful effects of welding. In addition to the safety measures that welding curtains and welding screens address, they also offer a wealth of additional benefits.

Temperature Control

Welding is carried out at very high temperatures. While welders are required to wear protective clothing and masks to protect themselves from the heat produced by their welding equipment, other people using the facility may not have the same requirement or need.

The welding process can produce temperatures so high that they could pose a significant health and fire risk. With welding screens in place around the welding station, these risks are vastly reduced because the temperatures are contained and controlled in one area.

Create a Safe and Clearly Defined Welding Zone

The problem that many facility owners come up against is creating a safe space for welding operations. It is not always feasible to supply a space with permanent walls, and building a dedicated area may cost too much money. Weld screens and curtains solve the problem as they can be erected wherever they are required quickly and can be easily moved to another location within your facility as and when required. They are also available in a range of sizes and colors, allowing you to create highly visible and customizable spaces when and where you need them. See our guide on choosing the right colors for your curtains later in this article.

Noise Reduction

Welding metal and other hard materials can often produce noise levels that can be hazardous to welders and those working around them. For this reason, welders often wear earplugs or similar protection to preserve their hearing. Noise from welding operations can not only be dangerous to those not wearing the necessary protective equipment but can also be a distraction. When positioned properly, sound shield welding curtains and screens can reduce noise levels by creating a barrier between the welding station and the rest of your facility.

Keeps Welding Fumes Contained

Welding can produce fumes and chemicals that are potentially harmful to those not wearing a mask or protective gear. These potentially harmful substances need to be contained in the safest way possible. A welding curtain or screen acts as an enclosure that when combined with ventilation, respirators and cooling fans, creates a safe environment for those working inside and outside of the enclosure.

How to Choose the Right Weld Curtains and Screens

It is essential when choosing your welding safety solutions that you select the right products to suit your business and the hazards that exist throughout your workplace. From the right size to choosing the right color, here are some tips that will help you to select the right welding protection for the welding applications in operations across your business.

Welding colors come in a variety of different colors. Some curtains feature a solid color throughout while others include a transparent section. But the color is designed for much more than aesthetic purposes. Certain colors provide better protection for certain levels of blue light and radiation. Knowing which type of welding you will be doing in each area of your business will help you to choose the right protection for your workforce.

It is good practice to invest in curtains in multiple colors so that you always have the right solutions on hand to protect your crew. You might also want to consider transparent options so that your welders can see their surroundings and their co-workers can see them safely without being exposed to dangerous levels of UV light.

Choosing the Right Welding Screen Color

Yellow – This color is most suited to welding environments that use low to medium amperage. It also makes the work area more visible, especially in a larger facility.

 

Orange and Red – These colors reflect more light and are well-suited to a facility that uses medium amperage welding applications.

 

 

Blue – Blue is ideal for medium to high protection welding situations as the dark color protects eyes by blocking out a lot of UV light.

 

Dark Green – Green is ideal in high protection situations such as facilities where plasma cutting and laser welding are used. Green provides very little in the way of visibility and blocks out almost all UV light.

 

Where Can I Buy Welding Curtains?

Welding curtains and screens are essential in any facility that uses welding applications. Our customized, flexible and durable welding protection solutions are designed with safety, versatility and efficiency you can Buy Welding Curtains or Buy Welding Screens Online or if you have a custom design in mind then we would be delighted to speak to you about your specific requirements. Contact us today to find out more about our range of products and how we can help you to protect your workforce, your premises and your bottom line.

“Welding Gallery”by The Crucible Oakland is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

“WSC2009_10_090902BB_00010”by WorldSkills is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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