Is sandblasting dangerous

Main hazards of sandblasting
1. Dust hazards
Long-term inhalation of silica dust (silicon dioxide) may cause silicosis (irreversible lung fibrosis) and even lung cancer.
Dust may also irritate the eyes, skin and respiratory tract, causing inflammation or allergies.
2. Mechanical injuries
High-speed spraying of abrasives (such as steel sand, glass beads) may cause skin cuts or eye damage.
- Equipment failure (such as gun blockage, pipe rupture) may cause accidental spraying of high-pressure abrasives.
3. Noise hazards
- The noise of sandblasting machines often exceeds 85 decibels, and long-term exposure can cause hearing loss or tinnitus.
4. Chemical hazards
- If the abrasive contains toxic substances (such as heavy metals such as lead and cadmium), it may cause poisoning through breathing or skin contact.
- Certain surface coatings (such as paint, plating) may release toxic gases when sandblasting.
5. Other risks
- Risk of suffocation: When working in a confined space, dust may reduce the oxygen concentration.
- Explosion risk: Metal dust such as aluminum and magnesium may cause an explosion when reaching a certain concentration in the air.

Protective measures
1. Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Respiratory protection: Wear a positive pressure air-supplied respirator (such as PAPR) or a NIOSH-certified dust mask (N95 and above).
- Body protection: Wear a sandblasting suit, gloves and safety shoes that are resistant to abrasive penetration.
- Eye protection: Use impact goggles or a full-face mask.
- Hearing protection: Wear earplugs or earmuffs.

2. Engineering control
- Use a closed sandblasting chamber or local exhaust system with high-efficiency dust removal equipment (such as cyclone separators and cartridge dust collectors).
- Choose low-toxic abrasives (such as garnet, aluminum oxide) and avoid materials containing free silica (such as quartz sand).

3. Work management
- Prohibit unrelated personnel from entering the work area and set up warning signs.
- Regularly monitor the dust concentration and noise level in the workplace.
- Conduct occupational health examinations on workers (especially lung X-rays and hearing tests).

4. Emergency measures
- Equip emergency eyewash and shower facilities.
- Develop a dust explosion emergency plan to ensure that the ventilation system can be automatically shut down when the power is off.