Is safety a vital component of your sand blasting operations?

Safety, irrespective of the industry type, is a vital component while performing any operation or task. And industries, where human intervention is directly involved such as manufacturing, oil, steel, etc. require many prominent precautions to be followed as a slight mistake can lead to any big accident. In any scenario, safety can't be avoided and need to be considered first while planning or performing any operation. But still, there are some of the operations where safety is being ignored as they play a small role in the overall project.

One of such processes is Sandblasting, where generally safety is overlooked as it is only required or performed to clean the equipment and is a small part or activity in the big project. Sand blasting machines in Dubai is widely used in oil extraction industries.

And due to ignorance of safety and adequate protection, while performing this task, many workers get exposed to different hazards which lead to their health deteriorations. As per sand blasting companies in Dubai, even if the equipment used for sandblasting is designed properly and inspected regularly, workers must remain alert while performing operations and don't overlook to take precautions against the dangerous exposure.

What Are The Common Hazards That May Occur In Sand Blasting Operation And What Are The Precautions?

1. Lack of Ventilation - When sand blasting is done, a lot of dust is generated which can lead to a serious safety issue if the operation is performed in an area which is poorly ventilated as reported by the sandblasting companies in Dubai. While performing the function, dense clouds of dust tend to get formed, which generally obscure the whole working area. To allow dust to settle or get cleared, the worker needs to shut down the equipment every now or then. So it becomes critical from both the perspectives i.e. from the overall performance of the job and secondly safety of the worker, that a properly designed ventilation system should be installed or placed in an activity area.
   Precaution or Measure- With proper ventilation system in place dust will not get accumulated in the confined area or space, helps the worker to perform operation well as operator visibility gets better & increased, and concentration of the air contaminants also get reduced. The ventilation system is a must so that collected dust can be emptied and can easily be removed without contaminating the nearby environment. There are a lot of vendors are providing Sand blasting machines in Dubai, which are in compliance with the safety measures.
2. Air Contaminants - Sandblasting is done to clear the surface area of the machines and equipment, which creates a large amount of dust. The workers get exposed to hazardous & different air contaminations which depends on the media that is used for blasting, material which get abraded from the surfaces which are cleaned, existing coatings which are being removed. Sand blasting machines in Dubai are widely used as it is one of a major country where oil extraction is done.
   Some of these are arsenic, lead, manganese, beryllium, amorphous silica, cobalt, crystalline silica, nickel, aluminum, chromium, iron, copper, zinc, tributyltin, cadmium, and barium. All these get mixed with the dust and can impact the visibility resulting vision impairment and can cause breathing problems as well. And in sandblasting operation, floors may become slippery which is highly unsafe. It is also a noisy operation, which can also cause hearing impairments too.
   Precaution or Measure- Always ensure that workers should wear the standard air breathing apparatus and never try to take it off until the working area is being cleared completely. This will ensure that no serious contaminants' will be inhaled by the workers.
   Always wear the proper safety gears like goggles, gloves, coveralls, and boots whenever you are doing the sandblasting operation or even if you are nearby or passing by the area.

Apart from the above-mentioned problems and their precautions, some general safety instructions which are suggested by the sand blasting machine suppliers in Dubai, are-

1. Barriers should be used to isolate the blasting area.
2. Schedule the operations considering the weather conditions.
3. Perform only when fewer workers are present.
4. Impart the necessary training to all workers.
5. Regularly decontaminate the equipment.

Safety of the people should be a prime concern over any other point, sand blasting machine suppliers in Dubai ensures this. The organizations which follow the proper safety measures not only get happy workers but also get an effective performance.