If you are sourcing new helmets for your welders, then you need to find products that allow them to do their jobs effectively while giving them maximum safety benefits. As you start to search for products, think about the following key features. This information will help you choose the best helmets for your needs.

1. Appropriate Safety Standards

Any welding helmets you buy for your workforce should meet appropriate national safety standards. These standards tell you that helmets are safe to use.

For example, you will know that they are suitable for welding work and will keep their wearers protected as long as they are used correctly. If you buy non-standardised products and you have a welding accident because of a helmet failure, then you could be held liable.

You also shouldn't buy products that have passed overseas standard checks but which haven't been given Australian accreditation. To be compliant, you need welding helmets that meet AU/NZ safety standards. These standards cover areas such as head, eye, face, respiratory and hearing protection depending on the helmet type, design and purpose.

2. Lightweight Protection

Your welders might need to wear their helmets for a lot of their working day. If you buy helmets that are too heavy, then long-term daily use can cause some health problems.

Heavy welding helmets can put stress on the head and neck. Your welders might tense up muscles to compensate for the weight. They might get neck strains and headaches.

Plus, heavy helmets often increase work fatigue. If someone has to bear the weight of an over-heavy helmet, then they will get tired more quickly. They might not be able to focus on their job for extended periods. If a welder loses focus, then they might not work as safely as they should. The work they do might not meet your quality standards.

If you source lightweight helmets, then your welders can work much more comfortably for longer periods. They won't have the same physical stresses and they won't get as tired.

3. Auto-Darkening Filters

If a welder wears a helmet with a regular lens or shade, then they have to manually control this viewing area. They'll need to put it up to set up the job and then lower it while they work. They have to do this every time they need to change the way they see.

As an alternative, you can buy welding helmets with auto-darkening filters. These filters use sensors to change the shade of the viewing area. So, when a welder sets up the job, they can see through the filter to work without lifting the screen.

However, once the filter detects a welding arc, its sensors will darken the shade on the helmet to the right working level. At the end of the weld, they will switch back.

Auto-darkening filters help welders work faster. They don't have to constantly adjust their helmets during a job; the helmet automatically adjusts its filter screen. So, your welders can keep their helmets on all the time. You can also buy helmets with variable shades which automatically work on different types of welding jobs, giving you a one-helmet-fits-all solution.

4. The Right Size of Viewing Area

The viewing area on welding helmets is important. Your welders need to be able to see clearly during their work. If they have to move their heads around to get a good view of a working area, then they might not work as efficiently.

Bear in mind that the kind of welding work you do might affect the size of the viewing area you choose. For example, you might need a bigger viewing area with peripheral visibility on overhead welding jobs.

Finally, look to buy helmets from reputable manufacturers with a solid standing in this market. If you buy high-quality products with a tried and tested reputation, such as 3M Speedglas welding helmets, then your helmets will last longer and work better.