1. Construction Safety Talks
Flash! - Eye Some Things To Know Before You Give Your Talk.
Protection We all know about the physical dangers from foreign particles that
can get in our eyes on job sites. But what about the “burns” that
No. 72 result from electric resistance welding?
Ask the crew what happens when someone takes a flash picture
near where they’re working. We all turn to see what’s going on.
How This Talk The same thing can happen with electric resistance welding, and
Applies To My in particular with arc welding. Most jobs have welders scattered all
Crew:
over the place. When the welder first strikes an arc, a natural
reaction is to turn to see what’s going on. It’s impractical, and
unsafe, to give every worker shaded eye protection when working
near a welder, but not so impractical to follow a few common
sense practices:
• The welder should “protect” the arc from a direct line of
sight using their body or fire resistance screens. This will
reduce the chance of flashing someone nearby.
• When welding is being done, plan your work elsewhere or
work in a manner that the welding is behind you.
• Welders and helpers need to inspect their goggles and
hoods daily. Replace any hoods with cracks that may let
ultra-violet light into the hood which can injure their eyes. A
good time to do this inspection is when they are cleaning
their hood or goggles.
Although not as frequent as welding, lay-out lasers are becoming
common. Everyone needs to know the main rule -
NEVER look directly into a laser!
Even low-powered construction lasers can result in irreversible
damage. These rules should be followed:
• Post signs in the areas adjacent to where the laser is in
use.
• Turn off or shutter the laser when not needed.
• Do not use in rain, snow, or fog.
• Don’t fool around by “targeting” someone with the laser.
© 2003 Liberty Mutual Group – All Rights Reserved 1

2. Shaded Lens(es) Are Available For:
• safety glasses
• safety goggles
• face shields
• prescription glasses with safety lenses
Each has a different use depending on the conditions that exist for your particular job
site. It is very important to make sure that your eye wear fits correctly. Remember that
proper ventilation and sprays can help reduce fogging.
Try This For Show And Tell!
Ask a representative from the trade using a laser to show them how it’s set up and how
they use it.
Questions You Can Use To Get Them Talking:
• Where can you get eye protection?
• Has anyone been flashed by a welding arc? What did it feel like?
• Has anyone heard of a serious accident involving a construction laser?
Attended By:
The illustrations, instructions and principles contained in the material are general in scope and, to the best of our knowledge, current at
the time of publication. No attempt has been made to interpret any referenced codes, standards or regulations. Please refer to the
appropriate code, standard or regulation making authority for interpretation or clarification.
© 2003 Liberty Mutual Group – All Rights Reserved 2