Choosing the Right Welding Safety Equipment

Whether you are a welder or a safety manager, the need for eye and face protection is well known when it comes to welding. But other hazards – like welding fumes – are not so well known and can result in illnesses weeks, months or years later. We can assist you in identifying the proper gear to help keep you safe for your environment.

1. Identify the hazards and assess the risks

Make a list of all the risks in your welding environment (radiation, sparks, fumes, noise, trip hazards, falling objects, etc). 3M can help with hazard monitoring and measurement tools, such as air sampling equipment.

Safety & Hazards
2. Select the right type of equipment
Determine your protection based on relevant factors, such as the following:

Equipment type (e.g., eye, face, head, hearing)

The level of protection needed to work safely

Personal preferences - a key to user acceptance - covers issues including comfort, style, and ease of maintenance.
What do you need? (Graphic) (PDF, 399 KB)
3. Training, motivation & maintenance

- Mobile Online Training and Education Center with 3M Safety Roadshow

- 3M eAcademy Online training for respiratory protection classes

- Webinars and how to videos

Do you have specific needs?

Not sure what you need? Download flowchart to help (PDF, 388 KB)

I need to weld with greater clarity

Truer colors and contrasts with 3M™ Speedglas™ Natural Color Technology.

See 9100XXi

See 9002NC
I want to see around me

We recommend our welding helmets with side windows that widen your field of vision when welding.

See all side window models
I need convenient head protection

Speedglas has designed hard hat rails and loops to work with your 3M hard hat and Speedglas welding helmet.

See all hard top models
I want mobile, filtered air

As one of our most popular respirators, the 3M™ Adflo™ Powered Air Respirator is designed to provide welders a constant nominal airflow rate of 205 liters per minute.

See PAPR systems
I do precise grinding

Check out our welding helmets with flip-up visors; they have a curved, clear protective visor underneath the welding filter.

See 9100FX helmets

See 9100MP helmets

See FlexView
I like very lightweight welding helmets

Great! Try our two lightest weight auto-darkening welding helmet, Speedglas SL and Speedglas 9002NC.

See SL

See 9002NC

There is no one perfect helmet

Based on your needs,we have populated our helmet matrix with carefully considered design blends of protection, features, personal preferences, and performance to help provide quick informal suggestions for the applications needs of most welders. For every helmet system we design, we have four driving factors:

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Reliability

We know harsh welding environments. We build our products to thrive in them. We create reliable arc sensing/shade switching, select highly durable materials and design for long lasting mechanical operation.

See just one one of our tests.
Comfort

Comfort means a helmet that vents stagnant air. It means a headband that avoids scientifically determined pressure points around your head. And it means how a helmet provides eye and face protection while being comfortable for a full shift.

See how to adjust for your comfort.
Protection

UV/IR radiation. High speed grinding particles. Small falling objects. Respirable particles. List your workplace hazards - then find the right Speedglas helmet, accessories, and respiratory protection.

Are you aware of the hazards in Metalworking? Watch this short video to explore some of the common ones.
View

Every helmet design detail can affect your view. That’s why we provide high-performance auto-darkening welding filters, our side windows lenses, and large, protective clear visors. Each of these, and many more, helmet design elements help maximize your ability to see.

Hear why Welder Gordie Blair likes the larger view.

3M™ Speeglas™ Welding Helmets

Before you select a helmet you might get guidance by considering the questions below.

See Full Size Features Table (shown left) (PDF, 1.52 MB)

Not sure what you need? Download this flowchart to help with your selection (PDF, 399 KB).

How much of your time consists of direct welding?
When performing many non-welding tasks, you might like a helmet that combine a protective visor with a flip-up welding filter (9100FX, 9100MP helmets), especially when needing respiratory protection as you don’t need to remove your respiratory protection. When welding is your main task you might benefit from a helmet with external control to switch welding filter mode for different applications, for example grinding mode or your favorite settings when welding (helmets including 9100XXi filter kit).
What other PPE may be needed?
When working in areas with overhead hazards you might benefit from a welding helmet with flexible head protection (QR – Quick Release). There are ear plugs available for most situations, however if there is a need of ear muffs you might need to consider a helmet that has a design that does not interfere when using ear muffs.

As welding processes produce fume, respiratory protection may be needed. 3M offers disposable and reusable particulate respirators that fits with Speedglas welding helmets. However you might find that you need a powered or supplied air system and then you need a helmet with air duct. There are several models to choose from depending on what other needs you might have. Further details in section Welding Respiratory Protection.
How important is the size of ADFs viewing area?
For many welders, the ability to see more of their workpiece without moving their helmet or head is very important. For these big picture people, the 9100XX or 9100XXi models will be most appropriate.
Do you do a lot of tack welding?
Then our tack welding comfort mode may be for you. The comfort mode setting may help reduce eye fatigue caused by your eye constantly adjusting to differing light levels during tack welding. When the tack mode is activated, an intermediate light state (shade 5) is used. If another arc is not struck within two seconds, the welding filter switches back to its normal light state (shade 3). The tack welding comfort mode is available on 9100XX, 9100X and 9100V filters.
Is "grab and go" important to you?
By just picking up a helmet with a 9100XXi or SL welding filter , you’ll automatically turn on your ADF.

See all Welding Helmets

Download 3M Selectíon Guide to Welding Safety! (PDF, 863 KB)

Auto-Darkening Filters

Download Welding Selector Table (PDF, 298 KB)

Your decision tree when selecting welding filter

Would you benefit from seeing more natural colors and contrasts?
The 3M™ Speedglas™ Auto-darkening Filters 9100XXi and 9002NC both allow you to more readily recognize colors. The light state is still shade 3, but the filter appears lighter, more detailed, and better able to view contours.
Do you occasionally change shade numbers?
If yes, you have plenty of models to pick from: all our auto-darkening filters have variable (selectable) dark shades, as shown in the table.
What does your welding process require from your filter?
This is a key decision factor. Using the table below, pick a model that does well in the processes you use frequently. You might want to also consider your needs for specific dark shade levels, light-to-dark switching sensitivity, and dark-to-light delay options which are features that vary from model to model.
How important is the size of welding filter's viewing area?
For many welders, the ability to see more of their workpiece without moving their helmet or head is very important. For these “big picture” people, the 9100XX or 9100XXi models will be most appropriate.
Do you do a lot of tack welding?
Then our tack welding comfort mode may be for you. The comfort mode setting may help reduce eye fatigue caused by your eye constantly adjusting to differing light levels during tack welding. It's available on 9100XX, 9100X and 9100V filters.

Welding Respirator Protection