For many years, the American Welding Society has received reports concerning welders who claimed to have had contact lenses fused to their eyes, either by the heat of the arc or by optical radiation. None of these reports has been substantiated. Safety bulletins issued by OSHA,the Food and Drug Administration (FDA),and the National Safety Council (NSC) have refuted such claims.
The American Optometric Association (AOA) has stated that contact lenses maybe worn safely under a variety of environmental situations and that evidence refutes the claims that contact lenses negate the protection provided by safety equipment or make the cornea more susceptible to damage by optical radiation, in particular arc flashes.