What can UV cause?

What can UV cause?

• A. Eye burn (welder's flash)
• B. Hair loss
• C. Hearing loss
• D. Skin tan

Answer: (A)

Ultraviolet radiation from a welding arc can injure both eyes and skin, and the most characteristic acute effect in welding is an eye burn known as welder’s flash. UV rays irritate the surface of the eye (the cornea), leading to pain, tearing, a gritty sensation, light sensitivity, and sometimes blurred vision within hours after exposure. This is why eye protection is essential during welding—a proper helmet lens and safety glasses block the UV that would otherwise cause this injury. While UV exposure can also tan or sunburn the skin, and excessive exposure can have other long-term effects, hair loss and hearing loss are not typical or direct consequences of UV.

Ultraviolet radiation from a welding arc can injure both eyes and skin, and the most characteristic acute effect in welding is an eye burn known as welder’s flash. UV rays irritate the surface of the eye (the cornea), leading to pain, tearing, a gritty sensation, light sensitivity, and sometimes blurred vision within hours after exposure. This is why eye protection is essential during welding—a proper helmet lens and safety glasses block the UV that would otherwise cause this injury.

While UV exposure can also tan or sunburn the skin, and excessive exposure can have other long-term effects, hair loss and hearing loss are not typical or direct consequences of UV.