Do your welding curtains and screens conform?

13 October 2020

Welding curtains and screens are used primarily, to protect workers in the vicinity from the harmful effects of the UV generated from the weld, which can cause the painful condition, arc-eye.

While the range of welding curtains varies in the level of visibility they offer, health and safety in fabrication facilities often requires a degree of visibility.  This is common where there is a requirement that those external to the weld area can observe the weld while in progress. This means that many screens are made of semi-transparent PVC material, with varying levels of transparency.  PVC welding screens contain filters which block the harmful UV light and it is a requirement that these materials conform to the standard BS ISO 25980/2014.

The standard does not specify any specific colour requirements – but the standard to which welding PVC curtains must be tested to the standard, in order to reach adequate levels of filtration.  Blue, white or clear curtains do not conform to this standard.

In Europe, all welding curtains, strips and other products for the protection of welding areas, must meet the standard.

The standard requires the following to be met:

Filtration

Filtration of harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays and barely visible blue light:

• Elimination of UV rays between 210 en 313 nm
• Almost entirely filter UV rays between 313 and 400 nm
• Filter out blue light on a gradual scale (between 400 and 600 nm)
• Restricted filtration of visible light (600 to 1400 nm).

Other UV projection

Welding light projected onto a welding curtain can be reflected to a maximum of 10%. This prevents the welder from being exposed UV rays reflected via the welding curtain.

UV stability

The discolouration of a welding curtain due to exposure to sunlight directly influences its filtering capability. The ISO EN25980/2014 outlines the minimum requirements for protection.

Flame retardancy

Should a welding curtain catch fire it is required to self-extinguish when the material has been removed from the heat source.

All Tusker PVC welding curtains, screens and strip curtains, which are available in a range of amber, green and bronze, conform to EN25980/2014.  For advice on conformity in welding safety products, please get in touch with our team here.

Written By Sharon Shaw