Good equipment does not substitute for a programme. A high-performance extraction system, a sealed cabinet and expensive helmets protect nobody if there are no written rules and nobody checking them.
Written procedures
The selection and use of respiratory protective equipment is set out in written procedures. Not by habit, not by what somebody said on the first day.
Written means it can be checked, handed over to a new person, and corrected when it turns out to be wrong.
Training
Anyone using respiratory protection has to be trained in correct use and in the limits of the equipment.
The second part is the neglected one. An operator who believes the mask protects them in any condition will get exposed exactly where they should not.
Personal equipment, cleaned and inspected
A few practical rules that make the difference:
- Each person gets, as far as possible, their own equipment, for exclusive use.
- It is cleaned and disinfected after each working day. If shared, after each use.
- It is stored somewhere clean, protected from dust, sunlight, heat and damp.
- It is inspected at cleaning. Worn parts are replaced, not improvised.
- Repairs are made only by a qualified person, with original parts.
Medical fitness
Nobody is given a task requiring respiratory protection before it has been established that they are physically fit to wear the equipment.
Medical status is reassessed periodically, usually annually.
Supervision and review
Conditions in the work area and the degree of exposure are monitored over time. The programme is reviewed periodically, to see whether it still works.
A programme written three years ago and not reread since is not a programme. It is a file.
What is down to the supplier
The choice of installation directly influences how easy the programme is to apply.
A properly sized enclosure, correct extraction and quiet equipment reduce exposure by design. Personal protection stays, but it has less to cover.
When you compare quotes, ask about air velocities, noise levels and maintenance access too. Not only price and throughput.
Related reading
- Silica dust and silicosis: why sand is no longer used for blasting
- Noise in blasting: how much, where it comes from, how to reduce it
- Controlling dust in blasting: enclosure, ventilation, protection
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