By Betty Walker


It is no secret that the process of sandblasting is necessary in the modern way of life. However, it is also not a secret that the process can be very dangerous not just to the workers but also to the environment. Thus, ways need to be found to ensure that the process is still used, but only in a safe way. For proper dry ice blasting New York offers a good place to visit.

Blasting is a process that entails the use of various materials to clean surfaces. These materials include coal slag, copper slag, silica sand, glass beads, steel shot, steel grit, and nickel slag. These materials are grouped generally into toxic and non-toxic materials. Dry ice, plastic bead media, water, baking soda, sponge, and ground shells are examples of non-toxic materials.

The kind of materials chosen to be used in this process depends on various factors. Some of these factors include job specifications, cost, worker health, and environmental factors. In terms of job specifications, there are some abrasive materials that cannot be used on certain kinds of surfaces. For instance, using glass beads on a wooded surface would be catastrophic. The choice of materials should be done carefully. The materials should also be tested on a small part of the surface before being used on a large scale.

Some of the toxic materials named above are associated with certain health problems that make them unsuitable for use. Silica sand for starters has been determined to cause breathing problems, lung cancer, and silicosis. Thus, many jurisdictions have made the use of silica sand illegal. Using it without a permit may be considered illegal in such jurisdictions.

Lung problems are known to be caused by garnet sand and coal slag. Studies show that the health problems resulting from coal slag are the same to those of silica sand. There are some materials that can also result in cancer, namely glass beads, copper slag and nickel slag. Steel shot and steel grit are not associated with lung damage of any type so far.

Heavy machinery is used in the process of abrasive blasting. The equipment produce a lot of noise during the process and also generate a lot of dust. The surfaces being blasted may contain silica or lead paints and this is dangerous. People working in the blasting industry risk quite a lot and therefore precautions must be taken before, during and after the process.

As part of being careful, less toxic materials named above should be utilized in this process. Also, abrasive materials that can be combined with water or other kinds of liquids should be used to reduce the amount of dust generated. As stated earlier, dust is usually generated in large quantities and for extended periods during the process.

The blasting activity should be done in an enclosed area. This is for the purpose of preventing the spread of dust to the environment and people near the location. This can be achieved through the employment of curtain walls. In case of small scale blasting, then there is the use of blast cabinets in order to contain the dust produced. There should also be proper ventilation in the operation rooms to help in reducing dust accumulation.




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