Welding Aprons

Our flame-retardant and welders' clothing is ISO compliant and carefully chosen to ensure maximum safety during high-risk applications. We stock welding aprons from reliable brands, like Parweld® and our own brand, Kennedy®.

What are welding aprons?

Made from durable, flame retardant material, welding aprons usually cover the torso and most of the thighs. They're available in various lengths to suit the type of welding application, and often feature adjustable straps and quick-release buckles to allow for quick removal. The International Organisation for Standardisation recommends that welding aprons are worn in conjunction with other protective clothing, such as welding gloves, a welders' jacket, and trousers.

Why welding aprons?

Welding inevitably generates sparks and metal splash, which can ignite clothes and cause serious burns. Welding aprons are made from flame and heat resistant materials like leather, which is extremely durable and notoriously hard to burn. A good quality welding apron will take the impact of any welding debris and protect the wearer's skin and clothes from injury.

Welding apron types

It's important that the correct PPE is worn to protect against high-risk applications like welding. Cheap imitation welders' gear can feature plastic, man-made materials which quickly melt when in contact with extreme heat.

Leather welders' aprons offer durable protection against heat and metal splash and come highly recommended by industry professionals.
All welders' aprons should fall under the category of flame retardant clothing and must comply to EN ISO 11611:2015 and be CE marked.

Considerations when choosing welding aprons

• Welding type - the welding type (MIG, TIG or stick welding) will dictate the design and material of the welding apron you choose.

• Fit - should be flexible and allow for freedom of movement. Most welding aprons have adjustable straps and quick release buckles to ensure a good fit with quick doffing, should it be required.

• Health and safety - welding aprons should be chosen to fit in conjunction with other PPE.

Welding apron jargon buster

To help find the right welders' apron for you, we've broken down and explained a key safety standard to help you to better understand the safety characteristics of each product.

What does the eye protection standard EN ISO 11611:2015 mean?

EN ISO 11611 outlines the safety requirements for welding PPE. It must protect against sparks and splashes of molten metal.

Let's break it down...

• EN - This is a current European standard

• ISO - This standard is published and reviewed by the International Organisation for standardisation

• 11611 - This is the assigned legislation number

• 2015 - This is the year the safety standard was updated and supersedes the 2007 version

FAQs

How thick should a leather apron be?

To ensure it delivers reliable protection, a leather welders' apron should be thicker than garment leather, but still allow for freedom of movement to perform the task. Most welders' aprons are a minimum of one millimetre thick to allow for optimum protection against heat and molten metal splatter.

What should I look for in a welding apron?

At the very least, a good welding apron will protect the clothes and skin against splatter and contact heat. It should be durable with adjustable straps to ensure a comfortable and secure fit. Quick removal is important in any type of PPE clothing just in case the worse should happen, and while some aprons feature pockets for tools, we recommend these are avoided to reduce any unnecessary weight.

For more information on welding aprons see our Flame Retardant Workwear Guide... https://www.cromwell.co.uk/info/safety-technical-flame-retardant-workwear