Welding is something that will always look cool from the outside looking in, but what’s not cool is the high UV/IR radiation and the toxic fumes produced during the manual welding process. Manual welding according to Janis Beinerts – the creator of the Falcon welding mask – it is estimated that in the USA alone there will be a shortage of 300 000 welders by the year 2020. This is somewhat due to the harsh conditions that a welder has to go through. Beinerts’ Falcon welding mask is a breath of fresh air when it comes to safety equipment. Falcon tackles the issues with current welding helmets – heavy weighted, small view angle and a poor air flow system. Not only this, the Falcon is connected to the user’s smartphone and the welding apparatus itself, given control to the user over conditions and allowing instant communication amongst the other co-workers in case of emergency or to put in that pesky lunch order. Through various prototyping and user-testing, Beinerts has developed a strong solution to the dangers seen with existing equipment. I hope this is just the beginning of what could possibly be a range of safety equipment across the construction workforce.
Designer: Janis Beinerts
