>>4563768Depends on how well you follow your PPE, as for career prospects it varies by country and even state; there's some places pretty much desperate for them because they have a pretty high turnover, in some states every other cunt figured they'd go into trades, so I can't say specifically. Helpful, I know.
Essentially if you protect yourself well and don't be stupid, your eyes will be fine; the masks block out the dangerous UV, sparks, metal shards, but you've still got thermal radiation, burn risk, electrocution risk, oxygen displacement (Shielding gases can remove all the breathable air and suddenly make you unconscious), fumes (Nerve and organ damage), and lacerations from various sources. It'd be healthier but a lot of worksites emphasise on skipping safety and a lot of your coworkers are kinda cunts who don't consider what's around them.
>My mask's down, who cares who's around meNot that I don't enjoy it, but the risks are there and it's not good for your health long-term if you don't follow safety religiously. A lot of guys get either retinal damage from arc exposure (Tacking without using their mask first for speed) or a form of parkinsons from breathing the fumes, especially zinc.
tl;dr all comes down to your boss and yourself. My best advice would be to look up a community college or a trade school for a taster/weekend course to see if it's for you. It's not particularly difficult to understand, just takes a while to do it as second nature. Useful to know for self-sufficiency though.
