Toolbox Talk · Respirable Dust · English
Migna Safety Solutions
Abrasive Blasting
About 8 minutes to deliver · 29 CFR 1926.57 · 29 CFR 1926.1153 · 29 CFR 1910.94
Abrasive blasting produces more airborne dust per hour than almost any other construction operation, and the dust is a mixture of two things: the abrasive, and whatever the abrasive just removed.
Two silica hazards, not one
- Silica sand as an abrasive is the obvious one and it is why it has largely been replaced. Steel grit, garnet, staurolite and slag alternatives exist for a reason.
- Silica in the substrate. Blasting concrete, brick, block or stone releases respirable crystalline silica regardless of how clean the abrasive is. 1926.1153 applies.
And a third possibility that changes the job entirely: old paint. Blasting a structure coated before 1978 means lead, and blasting anything older than the early 1980s means asbestos is a question that needs answering before the trigger is pulled.
Controls
1926.57 requires that concentrations stay within the limits in 1926.55, and that ventilation, where used as the control, is designed and operated to that standard. In practice, on site:
- Containment. Screens, enclosures, or a blast cabinet where the work allows.
- Wet or vacuum-assisted blasting cuts the airborne fraction dramatically.
- Supplied-air respiratory protection with a blasting hood for the operator — an air-purifying respirator is not adequate for blasting, and the hood also protects the head, eyes and neck from rebound.
- The air supply must be breathing quality, with a CO monitor or alarm on an oil-lubricated compressor. Compressor exhaust reaching the intake has killed operators inside the hood.
- Everyone else out of the area, upwind, or in protection of their own. Bystanders are routinely the ones who get exposed.
The nozzle
- A deadman control that stops the flow when released, tested at the start of every shift.
- Never point it at anyone. Blast media at operating pressure will strip skin and can inject into the body at close range.
- Bond and ground the nozzle — 1926.57(f)(2) requires it, because static builds on the abrasive stream and the dust in the air may be explosive.
- Depressurise before you break any connection, and check hoses and couplings for wear before use.
Afterwards
Do not sweep and do not blow down with air. Wet methods or HEPA vacuum. And wash before eating — the dust that ends up on your hands is the dust that ends up inside you.
Ask the crew
- What are we blasting, and what is the coating on it?
- Is the operator on supplied air, and is the compressor intake somewhere clean?
- Who else is in the area, and are they upwind?
This is a toolbox talk, not a course. It is general awareness on one topic — not site-specific, not a hazard assessment, and not a substitute for assessment of your workplace by a competent person, your written programs, or manufacturers’ instructions. It does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. Regulations change; verify against the current standard. Whoever delivers it is responsible for deciding it is suitable and sufficient for the work. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, not a substitute for professional medical care or certified emergency-response training, and it confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. Migna Safety Solutions · training.mignasafetysolutions.com
Attendance Record
Form supplied by Migna Safety Solutions
Abrasive Blasting
29 CFR 1926.57 · 29 CFR 1926.1153 · 29 CFR 1910.94
I delivered this talk and determined it was suitable for this crew and this work.
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Keep this sheet with your training records. This form is supplied blank by Migna Safety Solutions — we did not deliver this session, were not present, and make no representation about what was said or who attended. A toolbox talk is general awareness on one topic and does not by itself satisfy any OSHA training requirement. The employer remains responsible for site-specific hazard assessment and for the training its workers are required to have. Where a talk covers first aid, resuscitation, or mental health it is general safety information, not medical advice, and confers no certification — in an emergency, call 911. Free to print and use, as is, with no warranty of any kind. training.mignasafetysolutions.com