Some Safety Tips & Choosing Your Abrasive Blast Professional

Even the sound of an abrasive blast is enough to send some form of excitement up anyone’s spine, even without knowing the true meaning of the term, it does sound rather excitable. The process is quite renowned in building and cleaning industries, particularly in populous and up and coming locations that require an abrasive blast every so often.

The process itself has undergone some rigorous changes over the years – updated with new iterations of material for the process, along with the power for the process itself. An abrasive blast is now more economical than ever and should be considered for future worksites as an efficient way of preparing a surface or general maintenance.

An abrasive blast does come with its own sets of prerequisites, particularly in terms of safety and keeping the whole area as low-risk as possible, it also comes down to choosing the right professional to conduct the abrasive blast you’re looking for. This article will go over some of the key safety tips as well as a few notes on choosing the right professional for you.

What Is An Abrasive Blast?

Let’s get the definition out of the way so that the next few steps are a little easier to comprehend – an abrasive blast is the name typically given to the process used primarily for cleaning or etching a surface using small particles such as sand or dust shot at a high velocity to facilitate the desired result.

The process can be a little dangerous if proper precautions are not taken, or if there are less than stellar procedures in place by the professional conducting it. The importance of choosing the right contractor for the job cannot be overstated, the impetus to maintain strict safety standards is also on the part of the worksite as much as the contractor.

Safety First

Abrasive blast

The safety is primary in this regard, with an abrasive blast comes a few caveats and inherent risks that can cause disruption if not properly prepared for or attended to. The fundamental requirements for any worksite, especially one that is going to be utilising power tools and processes that can cause damage.

As such, ensuring that there is a suitable amount of fundamental precautionary measures is essential. Cordoning off a set area for the work to take place is always helpful, but this is not always doable as surfaces can be anywhere across a worksite. Therefore, having a portable cordoning available is always helpful to keep physical distancing at its peak (from excess material flying or rebounding on surfaces), it wouldn’t hurt to also train workpeople on the site to be mindful of power tool protocol and behaviour, even if they are not the ones who will be operating said machinery.

Keeping plenty of PPE and first-aid kits on-site should be a no-brainer, but it is always helpful to be reminded, especially in preparation for an abrasive blast.

Choosing The Right One

Now that we have some safety features recognised, it’s time to start hunting for the expert you’ll hire for your abrasive blast needs. The easiest way to find one that is trustworthy is to ask around, through trusted colleagues or associates who have utilised the service before.

If that isn’t an option, it’s time to search the forums and testimonials. Luckily, there are quite a number of reliable and fair-minded sites that offer objective reviews of services, even for an abrasive blast professional.

There are many innovations occurring in the space with each passing year, from the propellant becoming more adjustable, to more diversified material – who knows what will be available next year.