Ask The Expert: Can Workers Wear Contact Lenses While Welding?

QUESTION

Can workers wear contact lenses while welding’

ANSWER

No

EXPLANATION

One province, PEI, directly bans wearing contact lenses while welding or performing hot work (OHS Act Gen. Regs., Sec. 45.11). The others ban it indirectly by requiring welding operations to comply with CSA Standard W117.2, which says that welders shouldn’t wear contact lenses because they don’t provide adequate protection against:

• Sparks;
• Flying objects; or
• Ultraviolet radiation.

Contact lenses may, however, be worn underneath proper eye and face protection as long as you follow manufacturer’s specifications.