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Blasting
Abrasive blasting uses
compressed air or water to
direct a high speed stream
of an abrasive material to
clean an object or surface,
remove burrs, apply a
texture, or prepare a
surface for paint or another
type of coating.
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Commonly • Silica sand
• Coal slag
used abrasive • Glass
materials • Steel shot
include: • Specular hematite
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Alternative • Dry ice
• Sodium bicarbonate
blasting (baking soda)
materials • Ground walnut shells
include: • High pressure water
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Abrasive blasting operations
can create high levels of
dust and noise.
Abrasive material and the
surface being blasted may
contain toxic materials
that are hazardous to
workers, such as lead paint
and silica.
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Companies should provide
workers with training on
blasting health and safety
hazards, how to use
controls, personal hygiene
practices, safe work
practices, and personal
protective equipment (PPE)
and respirator use.
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Before beginning work, companies
should identify the hazards and
assign a knowledgeable person
trained to recognize hazards who
has the authority to quickly take
corrective action to eliminate them.
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Using engineering and administrative controls,
PPE, including respiratory protection, and
training can protect workers involved in
abrasive blasting activities.
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Engineering controls
include substitution,
isolation, and ventilation:
These are the main ways to
prevent or reduce worker exposure
to airborne hazards during
abrasive blasting operations
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Examples of engineering controls include:
• Using a less toxic abrasive blasting material
• Using barriers and curtain walls to isolate other
workers from the blasting operation
• Keeping coworkers away from the blaster
• Using exhaust ventilation systems in
containment structures to capture dust
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Administrative controls include:
• Using good personal hygiene practices
• Performing routine cleanup using wet methods or
HEPA‐filtered vacuuming to reduce dust
accumulation
• Scheduling blasting when the least number of
workers are at the site
• Avoiding blasting in windy conditions to prevent the
spread of hazardous materials
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Good personal hygiene practices include not eating,
drinking, or using tobacco products in blasting areas.
Wash your hands and face routinely and before you
eat, drink, or use tobacco products. Take a shower at
the end of your shift, and keep contaminated clothing
and equipment out of the clean change area.
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Respiratory protection must be used when
engineering and administrative controls cannot
keep worker exposure below OSHA’s permissible
exposure limits.
An abrasive‐blasting respirator must cover a
worker’s head, neck, and shoulders to protect
them from rebounding abrasives.
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Workers must only use NIOSH‐approved respirators to
provide protection from dusts produced during abrasive
blasting operations:
• Type CE NIOSH‐certified blasting airline respirator with a
positive‐pressure blasting helmet
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Workers involved in cleanup and other related
activities may also need to wear respiratory
protection.
Other PPE includes hearing protection, eye and
face protection, helmets, leather gloves that
protect the hands and forearms, aprons or
coveralls, and safety shoes or boots.
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Abrasive blasting creates high
levels of noise that can cause
substantial hearing loss:
• Always wear hearing
protection
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Abrasive blasting can create many hazards that are
harmful to workers, including high levels of dust and
noise. Be aware of the hazards associated with
abrasive blasting, and always wear the proper PPE.
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Copyright © 2016 by PEC/Premier Safety Operations, LLC