Tips for Choosing Abrasive Blasting Safety Equipment and Safety Procedures

Q: I’m planning to add blasting capabilities as part of an expansion of my facility. What considerations do I need to keep in mind as I select blasting equipment?

It’s a cliché, but it’s true: To do a job right, you need the right equipment. This is especially true for abrasive blasting.

The information that follows outlines how to evaluate which safety equipment and safety procedures are best for a typical abrasive blasting job. However, before choosing equipment or establishing safety procedures, evaluate the target surface and the worksite environment, perform a job hazard analysis, and assess the goals of the job.

1. Blast Hose and Couplings

Always use an appropriately sized, good quality, static-dissipating blast hose that is manufactured for abrasive blasting and rated at the appropriate working pressure. The blast hose ID should be at least three times the size of the nozzle orifice.

2. Operator Safety Equipment

Personal protective equipment (PPE), including NIOSH-approved respiratory protection, is necessary for workers using blasting equipment, as well as for everyone in the work area. No dust is safe to breathe! Use an air-fed helmet that not only furnishes breathing air but that also muffles noise, allows an unobstructed field of vision, and protects the operator’s head and face from rebounding abrasive.

Additional operator safety equipment may include air filters, safety cables, couplings, air pumps, light-duty and heavy-duty blast suits, Beacon Blast Lights, screens, supplied-air respirators, and more. Consult your supplier to help assess what you need for safe, comfortable, compliant abrasive blasting, 

3. Carbon Monoxide Monitor-Alarms

These devices trigger audible, visual and/or vibratory alarms after they detect unsafe levels of carbon monoxide (CO) in the breathing-air supply of a supplied-air respirator. CO can be produced by oil-lubricated compressors or by motor or engine exhaust that enters the intake of a compressor or ambient air pump.

Various types of carbon monoxide monitor-alarms are available from wall-mountable alarms to portable models for use in the field to wearable detectors, such as Clemco’s CMS-4, which is designed to quickly attach inside a respirator helmet and to enable operators to self-monitor their carbon monoxide exposure.

4. Properly Prepared Operators + The Right Equipment = Successful Abrasive Blasting

Just like any other task in life, knowledge, experience, and proper training are essential to abrasive blasting. OSHA regulations state that employers are responsible for training operators and for supplying all necessary PPE. Employers also must establish a safety program and ensure that their workers follow safe practices on every job. OSHA’s regulations reinforce that the best way to guarantee a safe, efficient, and productive abrasive blasting operation is to use properly trained, properly protected operators who have the right equipment for the job.

For more information about efficient and safe abrasive blasting, download the following free eBooks from Clemco Industries:

• Abrasive Blasting Safety Practices
• Blast Off 2
• 3 Tips for Avoiding Poor Blast Machine Performance

Download the eBooks: clemcoindustries.com/free-books