General health and safety issues
Abrasive blasting and the application of protective coatings can kill or cause permanent injury and illness. Lung damage, hearing loss, tinnitus, eye damage and severe lacerations are just some of the injuries people working in this industry can receive.
Abrasive blasting is used in a wide range of industries for many purposes including:
- removing rust, scale, paint, graffiti or mildew
- preparing different surfaces
Abrasive material is propelled onto a surface at high speed using air pressure, water pressure or centrifugal force.
Protective coatings are applied after a surface has been blasted. This is usually done to protect metal surfaces from corrosion or to improve the appearance of product.
Protective coatings are usually applied by spray painting but can also be applied by brush, roller or dipping.
General health and safety issues relating to abrasive blasting include:
- Manual handling
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Amenities
- Housekeeping
- Training
- Confined spaces
- Work at heights
- Slips, trips and falls
- Heat stress
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Personal protective equipment (PPE) must protect workers against all routes of exposure. PPE can include:
- an air line positive pressure hood or helmet
- protective suits or clothing to keep out dust and abrasive grit
- respirators
- chemically resistant gloves, safety boots and aprons
- barrier cream (for short term protection)
More information on PPE is provided in hazards of abrasive blasting section of the Abrasive Blasting Industry Code of Practice 2004.
Housekeeping
Drift from abrasive blasting can be harmful not only to workers but also to members of the public. Good housekeeping can minimise the risk of exposure.
While other control measures should prevent dust escaping from the area where blasting is being done, any dust or residue that does make its way into the workplace should be cleaned as soon as practical after blasting has finished.
Where practical, accumulated dust should be removed using wet cleaning methods, or High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter vacuum methods.
Because workers undertaking cleaning work may be exposed to dust levels in excess of the exposure standard, they should wear personal protective equipment.
For further detail see hazards of abrasive blasting section of the Abrasive Blasting Industry Code of Practice 2004.
Confined spaces
Employers must identify any hazards associated with working in a confined space . Typically they may arise when blasting or painting walls inside tanks, vessels or silos.
The primary hazards commonly found in confined spaces are:
- lack of oxygen
- toxic gases, vapours or fumes
- flammable gases, vapours or fumes
- engulfment
- mechanical equipment
Information on working in a confined space may be found in general hazards section of the Abrasive Blasting Industry Code of Practice 2004.
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