Try this page

http://www.aws.org/wj/amwelder/7-00/contact.html

Regards

Where did this other person get their information from? I am curious to know where such an urban myth originated.

Unfortunately as this urban myth seems to stretch back to at least 1967 I am not sure you will ever find where that individual heard the story first.

Just to add to the myth busters who have already posted this comes from the "Snopes-rumor has it" site (American of course which is where it seems the myth first saw the light of day). It gives some possible indication of where the story first cropped up.

"For many, their first contact with the 'hapless welder' version of the scare came from a badly blurred photocopied memo warning against the dangers of engaging in welding while wearing contact lenses. Often this memo began with the headline "TWO RECENT INCIDENTS HAVE UNCOVERED A PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN PHENOMENON OF SERIOUS GRAVITY." (Modern versions have replaced welding with barbecuing as the activity fraught with danger for contact wearers.)

There were no such incidents demonstrating a "previously unknown phenomenon of serious gravity" affecting those who welded or barbecued while wearing contact lenses, but the memo was often taken at face value, even by respected news outlets. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has traced those rumors back as far as 1967, when a worker for Bethlehem Steel and a welder for United Parcel Service were said to be the victims. Not only haven't such accidents happened, nearly every reputable medical and industrial source in the field says they couldn't happen.

Dr. Barry M. Weiner, a physician at the University of Maryland Hospital, responded to a local variant of the rumor: "It is a physical impossibility to dry up the fluid in your eyes. You'd have to stick your head in a blast furnace to do that. And removing your cornea would be like pulling off your ear."

Yet there may be a grain of truth in the welder story anyway, even if it has been distorted almost beyond recognition. According to the sci.chem FAQ:
[A] Bethlehem Steel welder in Baltimore who, on the 26 July 1967, accidentally caused an arc flash that hit his hard contact lens. He waited until the next day to report eyesight problems, and an ophthalmologist found severe ulcerations on his cornea, but attributed the damage to the wearing of the hard lenses for 17-18 hours after the incident. The cornea healed completely in a few days, with no permanent vision loss, and investigators found no link between the damage and the arc flash, but the myth of the welder removing parts of the cornea with the lens, and consequently being permanently blinded, continues.
Unlike the legend, the worst of the man's injury came from his not seeking treatment in a timely manner, not the horrific run-in with the arc. The fellow also made a complete recovery — a far cry from the "blinded for life!" element of the legend".

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/ho....asp#VEPscM0cKCuH4RHH.99

There used to be an HSE FOD info note about this (668-21) It no longer appears; presumably because this myth was thought to be totally dispelled at long last.

As an aside, one of the things about being old is that you can remember apparently useless stuff. I am sure at one time (late 60's early 70's) there were reports of an eye injury accident on the railway involving a technician where it was alleged that a 3rd rail arc had caused an issue with his contact lens. Discounted in the investigation of course but I also recall a precautionary note being circulated before the final report was made. I heard about it second hand via my network of contacts (no pun intended). That may explain why it still resonates in some parts of the railway?
There are several railway sector contributors here, perhaps they can add their opinions?

If a COSS decides there's a rule that people with red hair are not allowed to work on or near the line, nothing your staff can say on the night can over-rule him. The COSS has absolute authority to refuse to accept any person into his site.

In the past, we've had access refused to people for the wrong shade of blue hardhat (actually it complied with the rules), and the wrong symbol on their PTS card (actually it meant 'not valid working alone', but the COSS decided it meant 'not valid'), and now because the person was wearing contact lenses. Luckily the member of staff in question had spare glasses in their car, so could take their lenses out and still see where they were going, but otherwise we'd have had a case of not being able to complete the work and needing to wait another six months (or whatever) to get onto the line.

Achrn
I’d love to know what a COSS is and what is the origin of their amazing super powers ie ‘my word is the law’ no questions asked?... something I dream about. Do they need to be qualified or do they find them growing on trees?

Controller of Site Safety. In any rail possession worksite the COSS's word is law. The COSS is in charge of a worksite, no matter what. All you can do when a COSS says something stupid at 2am is get him re-educated some days later when his employer is awake, but by then the possession is over and you've potentially got months to wait for the next one.

They aren't so stupid most of the time - the three examples I gave are all I directly know of in getting on for 25 years in the industry - but when they are, there's nothing you can do.

Us mere mortals can just stand in the glow of their radiance

You are right that welders were often provided with free milk. This was in the mistaken belief that it would protect them against the effects of inhaling fume.

Whilst now they recommend flu vaccinations for welders.

No this does not protect against metal fume fevor.

At the risk of starting a myth of my own: I thought this was something to do with Calcium replacement? I'm aware its now discredited.

Zimmy

Electric arcs, including those which occur in arc welding, produce significant quantities of ultraviolet emission. This will burn your skin and your eyeballs.

I have seen horrendous UV burns from someone standing close to arc welding without having taken the precaution of covering their skin with clothing. It was sunburn with avengance.

The arc in arc welding is a true electric arc. Low voltage (less than 20V, once self-sustaining) but could be up to a 1000A (current will depend on process, among other things).

You will no doubt be pleased to know that from September I'll not be renewing my subs to IOSH. I shall let you float about in the myth that H&S people actually know what the are talking about.

I have mentioned my worries to IOSH about rubbish advice dished out in this forum with regards to electrical knowledge and the powers that be are indifferent to this. It follows then that the forum is rather pointless and, at times, dangerous. Take the posting at #24! Yes electric arc burns for gods sake. I'm an electrician as well as H&S and in fact teach the subject. i.e. qualified in electrical disciplines/H&S etc. but the case in hand was about wielding a contact lens to the eye ball. Ultra violet arc eye is NOT a high temperature burn it is something slightly different otherwise the skin would melt.. If it does the person will be blind ... the eyes will melt.. think about the temperature?

As do I. I wrote quite a bit of the advice on the TWI website when I worked there.


True, but we did not say that was the mechanism of damage.


You can give me a break as well. There is such a thing as using 'low' as an adjective rather than a strict technical term. This is a topic about the potential for welding to damage the eyes.



I find that offensive, as I was posting as a welding person.

There is nothing dangerous about the posting at no. 24.

Welding (note the spelling) is not synonymous with melting.

The only person talking about arc eye is you. As you say, it is something else entirely. However, I never mentioned it as it is not relevant to the topic in hand. I am not sure why you brought it up at all.

Probably because of:
"Electric arcs, including those which occur in arc welding, produce significant quantities of ultraviolet emission. This will burn your skin and your eyeballs"

Photokeratitis=arc-eye. Cause:ultraviolet radiation.
I like splitting hairs.
Personally, since the "lower than 20V when struck" can be about 80V when not struck, I think there are loads of hairs that can be split here!
Since even the "low" voltage of 80VAC can cause harm....I doubt it qualifies as "low"....on a pedants scale....
Having recently been on the wrong side of a modern welding plants 27V at several kilohertz, I doubt that even 27V OC qualifies as "low"

Sorry about being a bit late with this but was serving yet another ban... such is life. However I have learned something from this. Since you guys make up you own definitions of low voltage as opposed to the definitions found in the wiring regs (BS7671) are no electricians, I have decided to follow you in the logic. No longer will I worry about low concentrations of asbestos in the breathable air as I can now make my own definition of 'low'. Same for vibration and noise. Come to think of it, why bother with definitions at all? Nice !

Anyway... contact lenses being welded to the eyeball? Not going to happen unless the temperature at the point of contact is hot enough to melt the plastic and the eye together. An arc flash will damage the retinae but the temp at the contact point of eye and lens...