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Straight answers to the questions people ask most when choosing and using face shields and visors.
A face shield or visor is a clear or tinted screen that protects the whole face from flying particles, sparks, splashes and, depending on the lens, heat or glare. It is used for grinding, cutting-off, chipping, wire brushing, machining and similar tasks, and with a suitable tinted lens for jobs such as plasma cutting or working near hot furnaces.Choose a visor when the hazard threatens your face as well as your eyes. It is normally worn with other eye protection, and it is not for arc welding.
No. A clear or lightly tinted visor does not filter the intense ultraviolet and infrared radiation and bright light from a welding arc, which can burn your eyes and the skin of your face. Only a welding helmet or hand shield with a filter of the right shade is suitable for arc welding.Some visors have tinted lenses for particular jobs such as plasma cutting or gas work, but check that the lens is made and marked for that purpose, and that the shade suits the current and process you will use.
In most cases, yes. A visor is usually treated as secondary protection, because there are gaps at the sides, top and bottom where particles can get round the screen. Safety glasses or goggles underneath protect your eyes if something gets past the visor, or when you lift it.Follow the markings on the product, the maker's instructions and your own risk assessment. For grinding and cutting-off, wearing safety eyewear under a visor is a sound general rule.
The material affects how the visor behaves. Polycarbonate is very tough and resists impact well, which makes it a common choice for grinding, chipping and other jobs where particles fly at the face. Other materials such as acetate may suit different hazards, and their resistance to impact and to particular chemicals varies between products.Choose according to the main hazard in your risk assessment. Check the markings on the visor and the maker's information for what it is designed to resist, and do not assume a visor made for one hazard protects against another.
A clear visor is right for most grinding, chipping and cutting-off tasks where you need to see clearly. A tinted visor reduces glare or radiant heat and is used for jobs such as plasma cutting, gas cutting or working close to hot furnaces, where the shade must suit the job.The correct shade depends on the process and the current, so follow the maker's guidance and published shade tables. Choosing a tint that is too light leaves your eyes exposed, and one that is too dark makes it hard to see what you are doing.
A browguard is a visor that attaches to a headband or helmet and covers the face from the brow down, with a chin guard in some designs. A full face shield is a larger one-piece screen with a headband that covers the whole face and often wraps round the sides. A grinding helmet is a shell with a large clear viewing window that gives a more complete cover over face and head, and some can be used with a respiratory unit.Choose by the risk: light work may only need a browguard, while heavy grinding calls for a full shield or a grinding helmet.