The Welding Safety Kit: 8 Things You Should Never Weld Without

Why this list is short

Every item here stops a specific, common injury. Nothing is included to pad the list.

1. Welding helmet

The arc puts out UV strong enough to burn your corneas in seconds — that is "arc eye", and it hits hours later, at night, and it is agony. An auto-darkening helmet lets you position the torch with it already down, which means you stop flipping it up and catching flashes. Get shade 9–13 for arc work. See helmets

2. Leather gloves

Not cotton, not rubber — leather. It resists spatter, radiant heat and sparks. See welding gloves

3. Safety glasses (under the helmet)

The helmet is up when you chip slag — and chipping slag is exactly when a hot chunk flies at your eye. Wear glasses underneath, always. See safety glasses

4. Respirator or mask

Welding fume is not just smoke. Galvanised steel gives off zinc oxide (metal fume fever); stainless gives off hexavalent chromium, which is a carcinogen. Ventilate first, then wear the mask. See masks

5. Flame-resistant clothing

Synthetics melt into skin. Cotton or FR-treated fabric only. Keep collars closed and sleeves down — a spark down an open collar makes people jump, and people jump into things.

6. Safety shoes

Steel toe, and no open laces or gaps for spatter to land in. See safety shoes

7. Ear protection

Grinding and gouging routinely pass 100 dB. Hearing loss is gradual and permanent — you will not notice it until it is done.

8. A sound earth clamp and cable

This is safety equipment, even though it looks like an accessory. A bad earth means arcing at the clamp, heat, and current finding another path. Check clamp and cable insulation before every job. See earth clamps

The three-second habit

Before you strike: Is my skin covered? Is the fume going away from my face? Is there anything flammable within 10 metres? Most workshop fires start with sparks landing on something nobody thought about.