Abrasive Blasting Safety Measures

In addition to substituting safer materials for the silica-containing abrasive material as a means of controlling exposure, employers may also consider the following safety measures:

• Isolation or enclosure
  • Blasting cabinets
  • Blasting rooms
  • Temporary enclosures
  • Exclusion zones
• Process or equipment change
  • Wet abrasive blasting
  • Hydroblasting
  • Blasting with dry ice pellets
  • Reusable sponge abrasives or plastic media
  • Cryogenic stripping, a process of immersing small parts into liquid nitrogen followed by gentle abrasion
  • Laser paint stripping, which generates no waste and uses a pulsed carbon dioxide laser as the stripping agent
  • Thermal stripping, which uses a flame of superheated air to heat and soften paint
  • Chemical stripping a process of immersing small parts into dip tanks containing a stripping solution
  • Mechanical stripping, chipping, grinding, sanding, or scraping the coating off, using power tools equipped with dust-collection systems
• Ventilation
• Wet methods
• Work practices
  • Using vacuums with HEPA filters
  • Scheduling blasting when the least number of people will be exposed
  • Blasting in a specified location
  • Requiring daily cleanup
  • Avoiding blasting in windy conditions
  • Posting warning signs
• Personal hygiene
• Personal protective equipment
• Waste management and prevention
• Exposure monitoring
• Medical surveillance
• Training and information

To learn more about Silica Safety visit our General & Maritime Silica Safety Online Training web page.