Safe Work Australia Code of Practice on Abrasive Blasting (May 2018) recommends Temporary Enclosures.
“Abrasive Blasting” used to clean surfaces such as steel, bricks, cement and concrete by compressed air to propel abrasive material through a blasting hose is generally required to be performed in enclosed environments to contain the common hazards of dust, noise, hazardous chemicals and risks associated with the use of plant and equipment.
Businesses and their officers, together with workers have a duty under the Work Health and Safety Act to take reasonable care of health and safety at the workplace.
Early consultation and identification of risks can minimise risks and reduce associated costs. To manage the risks, it is important to understand the nature of the harm potentially caused by the hazard which will ensure you control the risks by removing the hazard. One of the important criteria of the Safe Work Australia Code of Practice on Abrasive Blasting (May 2018) to implement effective control measures that are reasonably practicable in the circumstances.
The identification of hazards involves looking at:
● the work environment;
● the equipment, materials and substances;
● the tasks to be performed.
Once these factors are identified, it is important to look at the actual blasting hazards which can include:
● airborne contaminants like dust;
● hazardous chemicals, particulate matter;
● noise;
● abrasive blasting plant and equipment.
In order to ensure you eliminate the risk, the most effective method is to Isolate these hazards. This is traditionally a very time consuming, costly and labour-intensive process. This is particularly so when working with massive industrial turbines and machinery which cannot be contained in blast chambers or moved. Traditionally scaffolding wrapped in a single use wrap would be erected taking 2 – 3 days which added to the cost of maintenance and the opportunity cost of the plant shutdown.
Giant Inflatables Industrial is the leading provider of Temporary Enclosures or Shelters to enable the safe, quick, innovative method of performing any form of Blasting no matter the size or situation. The Blasting Enclosure is very durable and has a blasting sheet to protect the outer skin from the blast particulate or surface material. The dust hazard is completely contained and can include an air filtration system to protect the workers inside the enclosure and the surrounding environment and community. This also applies to any airborne concentration of chemicals or hazards. In addition, noise attenuation allows for the removal of the noise hazards usually associated with blasting works.
The Code of Practice does not recommend open air blasting and Giant Inflatables Industrial has the perfect solution to all the hazards involved in Blasting. No matter the size, no matter the job, Giant Inflatables Industrial Blasting Enclosures will provide you with the safe, most cost-effective solution.
With 20 years’ experience supplying one man blasting companies to the biggest service and maintenance OEM suppliers worldwide like Siemens and Origin Energy, Giant Inflatables Industrial is the No.1 supplier of inflatable temporary shelters.
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