Welders and Hardhats

[retired nuke]

MSA (and I'm sure there are others) have welding faceshields that attach to hardhats, which provides more head protection that just a faceshield - anybody out there use them? Or are welders getting exceptions for wearing hardhats in the plant when welding? Any experience would be helpful. 

[TENN-1]

At our site the welders use their personal welding hoods without a hardhat. The hardhat gets worn to the job, exchanged for the hood during the weld, and then replaced for the balance of the work.

[Already Gone]

It is really a matter of selecting the correct equipment.  If head protection is necessary - not just required by a procedure or policy, but actually required to protect against a hazard - you can use a welding helmet which provides full head coverage.  The newest technology is a helmet that looks a lot like a motorcycle helmet.  It has auto-darkening lenses, and a PAPR blower.  The thing is pretty versatile and covers a lot of bases.  It provides UV/IR protection, head impact protection, and respiratory protection.  They are worth their weight in gold if you are doing a lot of stainless work or in a HCA.

The welding helmets that fit on a hardhat wont fit just any hardhat.  It has to have attachment lugs factory-installed.  Sometimes these are known as a "fitters' hardhat" although it is worn just as often my ironworkers and other welding trades.  They are a lot more expensive than the ten-dollar hardhat that everyone else wears.

Of course, you live in the nuclear world, where the tail wags the dog.  Out on Planet Earth, we look at the hazards and provide the PPE for those that actually exist.  That is why there is no such thing as  PPE "exemption" or "waiver" out here.  There is no need to exempt what is not needed.  Unfortunately, once you start writing those things, you end up writing them when you probably shouldn't, and exempt PPE that is needed just because someone convinced you that "inconvenient", "uncomfortable", "expensive", "time-consuming", or "not-in-stock at the tool crib" are legitimate reasons to write a different set of safety rules.  Don't get caught in that trap.  Make them bring the proper equipment to the job.

[retired nuke]

Of course, you live in the nuclear world, where the tail wags the dog.  Out on Planet Earth, we look at the hazards and provide the PPE for those that actually exist.  That is why there is no such thing as  PPE "exemption" or "waiver" out here.  There is no need to exempt what is not needed.  Unfortunately, once you start writing those things, you end up writing them when you probably shouldn't, and exempt PPE that is needed just because someone convinced you that "inconvenient", "uncomfortable", "expensive", "time-consuming", or "not-in-stock at the tool crib" are legitimate reasons to write a different set of safety rules.  Don't get caught in that trap.  Make them bring the proper equipment to the job.

That's exactly the hole I am trying to dig this place out of - sorry, but I consider working on scaffolding with pipes all around your head area as a need for hardhats....but our history is not good in this area....
MSA makes a welding shield that goes on a normal MSA hardhat (the ones we are issued normally) Now I admit, it may not be as comfortable as the fancy one you described, but the site ain't buying expensive stuff for 20 minute welds....wish they were, my experience has been that the more comfortable the PPE, the more likely the work crew is to go along with it.

[Already Gone]

I feel your pain, brother.  Sometimes, you just have to remind the workforce that following the PPE requirements is part of their job, even if it is uncomfortable.  If the job is that short, the period of discomfort will be brief, and real men just gotta suck it up.

Seriously though, hold your ground.  Don't let the crybabies talk you out of what you know is right.  If they insist on an "exemption" refer them to the procedure - which will be a whole lot more work than what they thought.  My experience with PPE exemptions is that I can avoid issuing them simply by explaining to the crew what they have to do to eliminate the hazard in lieu of PPE.  Once they realize that they are required to do one or the other, the hardhat doesn't seem like such a big deal any more.