Stick / MMA Welders

Just out of interest I painted the house wall white one summer day years ago in full sun.
I couldn't see properly for about three days, I thought I'd done permanent damage but luckily it cleared up.
I'd be very wary about welding.

 

Funny story. When I was training, we had a TV crew come along to do a piece for the news about the local training centre giving us youths a leg up in society by giving us practical, industry grade training. Our instructor did a thorough safety brief and gave particular emphasis to the risk of welding flashes, including the graphic horror story of what they do and how they make you feel. The entire TV crew paid full attention. They stayed in their designated safe area, asked permission before moving etc. We were all taught that before arcing up, we yell 'eyes' loudly, so everyone knows to protect their eyes.

So there we were, getting on with our work, trying to pretend the TV crew wasn't there. I was at the anvil fettling a wrought iron ornamental wheel barrow I was making for our shop. Another guy was about to do some welding. Camera man was behind his camera, safe because the ultraviolet light is impeded to safe levels by the glass of his view finder. The rest of his crew turned away. My mate yelled 'eyes' to warn he was arcing up, and right at that moment the camera man looked up from his camera to watch first hand. I saw it. From where I was stood, in a recess, I was shielded but he wasn't. He flung his head back as though he'd just been punched in the face. Instructor yelled all stop, so our accident drill kicked in and we all immediately downed tools, and the instructor burst into action, grabbing the sterile water from the first aid and got the poor camera man to rinse his eyes. That doesn't prevent the damage, but the logic is if you cool it and hydrate it fast enough you can at least reduce the severity. For the rest of the time they were there, the poor camera man kept rubbing his eyes and grunting. Poor lad. I suspect he called in sick the next day.

 

May be the same as snow blindness

If you get to much flashing you can go blind, my dad done a lot of welding and one day he forgot the dog in the kennel, sad to say dog went blind


You have to be carefull with everything you do, their more of a chance i can get ran over by a bullock then a bus where i live, oh yes, i did didn't i

 

Yes mine was snow blindness @Jiffy , probably reflected U/V, not the same as welding but worrying at the time.