Safe sandblasting matters: Measures to protect workers from risks at the workplace

There is no denying that abrasive blasting is a useful process for certain industries. It cleans sand and irregularities from foundry castings, removes paint from ship hulls and other metal surfaces, and polishes tombstones and glass frostings.

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However, inhaling large amounts of dust from silica and other abrasive materials used in the blasting process poses a great health risk to abrasive blasters. The most common diseases acquired by sandblasters are silicosis and tuberculosis, lung conditions that result in difficulty in breathing, scarring on and blocking of air passages, and death.

Responsible owners of sandblasting companies know there are measures to ensure health and safety in the workplace, such as the following:

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Provide PPEs. Require workers to wear protective gear such as the following at the site:

- Open- and close-circuit self-contained breathing apparatuses (SCBA)
- Airline respirator
- Protective coveralls
- Face shield
- Gloves that fully cover the forearm

Also, post signs to warn workers about the hazards to encourage them to wear protective equipment.
Have engineering controls in place. The best thing employers can do to reduce the exposure risk is putting engineering controls, which address the hazards at the source. Some of the controls that can prevent silica exposure include the following:

- Wet abrasive blasting or wet cutting
- Dust control additives
- Installation of dust collection system and local ventilation hoods; and
- Usage of alternative equipment like vacuums or dry sweeping to remove dust and debris

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Maintain safe levels of exposure. Keep exposure as close to zero as possible. Better yet, use alternative abrasive media such as glass beads, pumice, sawdust, steel grit, and walnut shells, that do the job as effectively.

Retired entrepreneur Thomas Anthony Zampetti ensured workplace safety as a former owner of a professional abrasive blasting business. Visit this Facebook page for more information about Mr. Zampetti and the sandblasting industry.

After semper fi: Thomas Anthony Zampetti’s post-Marine career

Having served in the U.S. Marine Corps until 1970, Thomas Anthony Zampetti embarked on a range of successful career moves. Not long after his retirement from the Marines, Zampetti took up accounting at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey, finishing in 1974.

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He would later set off on a career in law enforcement, serving as a New Jersey state trooper fighting organized crime and narcotics trafficking. He would later use his experience in police work to become a licensed private detective. For a time, he worked closely with a high profile attorney, focusing mainly on criminal investigation, before starting an agency on his own, which he would later name TAZ Detective Agency. His time as a detective was shared with his day job, managing a sandblasting company, American Sand Blasting.

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His venture into the sandblasting industry was marked by a pioneering streak in the way sandblasting was applied in restoration, cleaning, and artisan crafts. His company invented the very first portable sand blasters, and was among the first sandblasting companies to be allowed to sandblast inside buildings, paving the way for its foray into designing glass windows for residential and commercial structures.

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His company was also renowned for its work in restoration, which focused on historical and commercial projects. Among the most lauded works the company performed was in removing graffiti from school walls.

For more updates on Thomas Anthony Zampetti, follow this Twitter page.