Flash is a UV burn, just like a sunburn. The eyes are quick to heal, and with a bad sunburn, the peeling of the damaged tissue is a part of the healing process.
I believe that the "sandy" feeling from flash is a microscophic layer of tissue peeling off of the cornea.
--- Rich
Certainly you don't need to go any where near a welding machine to get welders flash or Arc Eye as it is also known I used to work with a recording machine that worked by using UV light to 'mark paper like a pen recorder trace, just a lot faster. A colleague got arc eye after adjusting the UV light protectors and not wearing eye protection.
Peter
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