PURPOSE    

Welding protective clothing is required for welding work involving welding, surfacing, brazing, welding and thermal cutting of metals and thermoplastics. During welding work, welders are exposed to glare, burns from hot metal splinters, toxic and carcinogenic welding fumes and dust, electromagnetic fields, ultraviolet and thermal radiation, electric shocks, fires, poisoning, skin, eye and lung diseases.

MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS   

Protective clothing for welders is mainly made of flame-retardant, cotton fabrics, non-flammable impregnated fabrics with high surface weight and flame-retardant treated natural leather.

DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

Protective clothing for welders must meet certain design requirements so as to minimise the risk of hot spatter penetrating under the clothing:

• When welding, the welding clothes should cover the wearer's entire body, i.e. cover the top and bottom of the torso, neck, arms, hands and legs.
•  If a garment consisting of a blouse and trousers is used, the blouse of the two-piece garment should overlap the top edge of the trousers, forming an overlap of at least 20 cm. This minimum overlap should be maintained during all work activities and movements.
• Parts of clothing forming additional protective clothing e.g. neck guard, hood, sleeves, apron and foot protectors, gloves should be designed and used to prevent sparks and metal droplets from entering the garment.
• If the trousers have pockets, these should only be side pockets, the openings of which are not angled away from the side seam of the trousers by more than 10°.
• Trousers should not have cuffs. Garments should be made in such a way as to prevent the conduction of electricity from the outside to the inside, e.g. through metal fastenings.