Is It Safe to Sandblast Indoors?
Sandblasting, or abrasive blasting, tends to produce a lot of dust, depending on the type of abrasive used. It involves potentially hazardous materials that pose health and safety risks if not appropriately contained. However, certain situations call for indoor sandblasting, and in these instances, you might wonder if you can sandblast indoors.
The short answer is yes, but with proper precautionary measures and engineering controls, as well as proper planning. Safely sandblast indoors with the following tips.
Is Sandblasting Safe?
Sandblasting is a crucial element of surface preparation, removing corrosion and contaminants, cleaning, and stripping paint for powder coating and painting. While it provides plenty of benefits to a wide range of industries, the process entails potential risks and dangers. Some of the most common sandblasting hazards include:
- Respiratory dangers
- Skin and eye issues
- Noise hazards
- Ergonomic challenges
- Environmental impact
Sandblasting can be managed safely as long as adequate safety measures and procedures are enforced before and after working on any project. Whether sandblasting indoors or outdoors, your operational procedures should always include the necessary precautions to reduce the risks of accidents and health hazards.
Necessary Precautions When Sandblasting Indoors
Sandblasting may be associated with health and safety risks, but some of the potential hazards can be prevented. Take note of these tips to help keep your sandblasting process safe:
1. Complete a Safety Check
Conduct a thorough check of all your sandblasting tools and equipment and your work area. Ensure there are no falling or tripping hazards and secure the area to limit exposure to potentially harmful abrasives. Inspect your machinery for leaks, cracks, and other visible signs of damage that could lead to high-pressure air leakage. Keep containment structures in place and test carbon monoxide monitors to ensure proper ventilation.
2. Wear Protective Equipment
Wear industry-standard protective gear from head to toe in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Protective clothing includes forced air helmets, long-sleeved garments, gloves, safety goggles, hearing protection, and safety-approved footwear. Suitable respiratory equipment is really important, especially for blasting equipment operators. These items include abrasive-blasting forced air hoods, compressor systems, and filtered air quality monitors.
3. Follow Acceptable Cleanup Practices
Cleaning after every sandblasting operation is also necessary to get rid of accumulated debris. Wash your work area with water or use heavy-duty vacuuming systems with HEPA filters. Avoid using compressed air to clean the space, as this will only cause dust to disperse outside the work area, exposing more people to potentially harmful contaminants.
4. Use Nonhazardous Abrasives
Opt for nonhazardous abrasives as your primary blasting material. Replacing hazardous abrasives with superoxalloys is a great way to enhance workplace safety and maximize your workers’ health. Superoxalloys are biosoluble sandblasting abrasives, manufactured using mineral wool insulation. They dissolve in the lungs without leaving behind any harm that may affect an individual’s health. They also produce low amounts of dust compared to other abrasives in the market.
5. Undergo Complete and Proper Training
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of adequate safety training. Allot time for yourself and your workforce to undergo professional safety training on the best-in-class methods to operate sandblasting equipment to keep a safe workplace. Review safety data sheets and study your blasting equipment and abrasive materials.
Keeping Your Sandblasting Under Control
Beyond safety checks, training, and protective equipment, one aspect that shouldn’t be overlooked is containment. Having an effective containment procedure in place is crucial to the overall safety of your sandblasting environment, especially if you’re blasting indoors.
Proper cleanup and containment are more than just sweeping the floor, dusting off the walls, and disposing of spent abrasive media. Sandblasting requires a more thorough approach to reduce, if not eliminate, health risks and prevent damage. Below are some tips on how to keep your indoor sandblasting operations under control:
- Enclose your sandblasting area in a tent or large enclosure. Hang them over access points and seal them up properly to create a protected space and prevent dust from escaping.
- Dust is the primary culprit in sandblasting-related health hazards. Use abrasives that generate low amounts of dust, like superoxalloys, for a safer sandblasting environment.
- Consider wet or vapor blasting to help with dust suppression. Superoxalloys are effective in both dry and wet sandblasting operations, delivering excellent performance, superior versatility, and cost-effectiveness.
- Use bright LED blast lights to improve visibility in your sandblasting area. They are essential to monitoring your progress, especially when dust starts hindering your vision.
Maintain Sandblasting Safety With Superoxalloy
The risks associated with indoor sandblasting can be mitigated with careful planning and by implementing the necessary safety precautions. The use of superoxalloys is also beneficial in limiting dust production and exposure during operations. Check out 10X Engineered Materials’ selection of superoxalloy abrasives, or contact us to learn more about our products’ capabilities.
