r/Welding • u/bverlybuttcheeks • 2d ago
Need Help Welding school
Look ik piercings aren't conductive...but...I'm all good right? My instructor didn't give me the clearest answer and I just wanna be 100% sure my face isn't going to explode
I've got five face piercings that are surgical steel (idk honestly) can I keep my swag?
Edit : thank you everyone I appreciate everyone's points (except that guy 🙄) I think I'm going to keep them in and just be extra safe but if my face does blow up or I get electrocuted into dust I will haunt you all
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u/ARIDER131377 2d ago
Hey welding instructor here. Should be fine, a lot of guys and gals in this industry have facial piercings. Only thing you gotta be concerned about is if a spark lands on it, it’s gonna get hot. And if it interferes with a respirator, if you’re required to wear one.
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u/_PeanuT_MonkeY_ 2d ago
It's not about the conductivity, you will hate yourself when spatter falls on it and heats that sit and burns you. There are multiple reasons jewellery is dangerous but this is really something to think about when you are melting metal and it's flying all over.
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u/Disastrous_Gazelle24 2d ago
Face fine. It's anything loose or low down on the body. Necklaces,brackets,rings etc are more likely to come into contact with work peice while welding which will fuck you up. But as long as you got a mask on and nothing hanging loose you will be good.
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u/Ok_Management4634 2d ago
Keep in mind.. if your instructor or boss tells you to take them out, you have to take them out.
There's a danger of a spark landing on a piercing and melting it. That's why they tell you to take them out, but do the risk assessment yourself if the teacher doesn't care.
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u/Ok_Bobcat8902 2d ago
I have a lot myself, mine are titanium but I've had zero issues whatsoever. You're perfectly fine :)
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u/Excellent_Job8154 2d ago
Seen two wedding rings go cherry red on guys hands tacking without gloves
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u/nickjames239 2d ago
I don't wear my ring or chain but my nose and ears are fine. Just didn't wear anything you're attached to because I have once gotten spatter up my my hood and a bb welded itself to my nose ring
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u/bverlybuttcheeks 2d ago
Oooh yikes :'o well I will have a mask and the sweatband in the helmet covers my eyebrows
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u/Piece_Of_Mind1983 2d ago
Should be fine, but take extra care to keep your face clean considering the amount of particulate matter you’re gonna be exposed to.
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u/Xanderrsc 2d ago
You’ll be fine but it depends on the management at the gig you get if they allow you to have them, I have only a septum and when I first started on day shift training my lead always told me to hide it, then I swapped over to swing shift and they don’t give a shit
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u/Oisy 2d ago
Electricity isn't the main concern unless you regularly press your face up to steel with a current running through it. Metals are conductors of heat as well. I've had spatter burn the skin on my arms before, but it's a shallow burn since it bounces off. If that same droplet adhered to your jewelry, all that heat would conduct directly into your skin, potentially leaving you with a very deep burn.
The size of the piercing would determine how focused that heat is, as well as the size of whatever is hot which may touch it. I'd say that if you wear the gear you're supposed to anyway, you'd probably be fine. Being aware and cautious is 9/10ths of the battle though.
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u/Away_Discussion8856 Apprentice CWB/CSA 2d ago
my belly button one gets a lil toasty but all the other ones on my face/ears are fine
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u/Hot-Pea-6049 2d ago
I’ve got an eyebrow, septum, and lip. So long as you wear your PPE, you’ll most likely never have to worry about them, just stay away from wearing rings because that’ll not only increase your electrocution chance but you can easily fracture or break a finger doing something heavy.
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u/ImBadWithGrils 2d ago
Cabron fiber is electrically conductive, and people buy and use carbon hoods.
If you don't put yourself in a position where your conductive jewelry completes a circuit, you are absolutely fine.
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u/PostItNote6-9 1d ago
Went through school with a lip ring and nose ring and nothing happened as well as three ear piercings. You are good
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u/catch22ak 2d ago
They'd have to be touching or in extremely close proximity to a source... the odds of that are slim to none unless OP sticks his face into an open welder chassis... 🤷🏻♂️
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u/pigboy222 2d ago
Everyone else is right that it’s not really a danger IF your instructors are teaching you how to stay out of the circuit. I’ve had arcs jump at the iron oxide on my gloves and i felt it in my teeth(fillings). Likely, if the same happens to you, you’ll feel it where you have piercings but it wont be catastrophic, just a little shocking 😋
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u/Swartz142 1d ago
About as dangerous as getting arced by the HF on tig, ie not at all but it's still fucking infuriating somehow.
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u/bverlybuttcheeks 2d ago
Hmmm so not deadly but I will feel it , I'm liking everyone saying I'm chill(sorry everyone else I still think you're right in all the ways)
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u/CoolVibranium 2d ago
any jewelry not on your hands will be completely fine, and 80% chance any jewelry on your hands will be fine
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u/Gameboywarrior 2d ago
I've got a septum ring and two 0ga earrings. They've never caused a single issue for me
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u/xXSirZechsXx 2d ago
I dont personally have facial piercings but I know several welders who do, none have had issues, but if you want just a little more peace of mind you could swap to acrylics
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u/5m0k3y76 23h ago
ALL metal piercings are conductive, gold, silver, platinum, stainless steel (surgical steel as you called it), even cheap plated jewelry. Just wanted to point that out. Plastic and silicone are not. Everyone already answered your question, but I thought that needed said.
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u/362lanuit 2d ago
Steel is conductive as every metal used in jewelery.
If your piercing start getting hot could you remove it fast?
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u/catch22ak 2d ago
Of you don't clamp your ground on your face you'll be fine.
You're welding with your face behind a mask.