At present, welders are divided into two types:
One is traditional welding, aluminum welding, argon arc welding, etc. Welding arcs emit radiation over a wide wavelength range - from 200 nm (nanometers) to 1400 nm (or 0.2 to 1.4 μ m, micrometers). These ranges include ultraviolet (UV) radiation (200 to 400 nm), visible light (400 to 700 nm), and infrared (IR) radiation (700 to 1400 nm).
Another type is modern welding techniques such as laser welding, cutting, and punching. Mainly using infrared 1064nm solid-state YAG laser, this type of welding process also emits radiation within the wavelength range - from 200 nm to 1400 nm. These ranges include ultraviolet, visible, and infrared radiation, with infrared radiation being even stronger.
During the welding process, the eyes are exposed to strong ultraviolet and infrared radiation, which immediately causes intense burns and burning pain, leading to flash hallucinations. Long term exposure may cause infrared cataracts, vision loss, and in severe cases, blindness.