# EPA & OSHA Standards



## plazaman

I dont know, but these sites confuse me, I am looking for EPA and osha standards for Sandblasting/Abrasive blasting 

Can anyone post links?

Thanks


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## Mandrake

Plazaman

The best thing for the OSHA site would be to do a seach on www.osha.gov and type in sandblasting. You will get piles of information, most of it irrelevant, but you should spend an hour looking it over. 

The challenge with sandblasting from OSHA's perspective is the potential for your employees to be exposed to hazardous materials during the removal process. lead for example. OSHA has a separate Lead standard as well as standards that address other elements that are encountered when removing coatings - such as cadmium..... The burden is on the employer to prove that exposure to these materials is either non-existent or below the PEL (permissable exposure limit).

OSHA does not have a sandblasting standard. However sandblasting is covered under a number of existing standards such as Tools-Power and Hand, Respiratory Protection, Hazard Communication, PPE, and more. 

As far as EPA I do not know much about their site. I used to do air monitoring on lead-containing paint removal on highway bridges in the Northeast, so I know the gist of what EPA requires. In addition when it comes to lead there are other government agencies that get involved particularly when it comes to disposal of the waste. 

What kind of projects are you looking at? If your bread and butter is blasting tanks, or ships, or other industrial structures then you should sit dowm with a consultant who specializes in this stuff. 

Mandrake


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## plazaman

Mandrake, thanks for the heads up, I'll look into that.

I basically wanted to know their requirements for blasting. Do you I have to be enclosed, do I have to have a dust collector, can i blast wet without containment? Things of that nature.


I dont think any of my projects will contain lead, that a whole other market.


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## Mandrake

open blasting is pretty much a no-go almost anywhere - particularly if you are using sand. Chrystalline Silica is a BIG issue for OSHA right now, and sandblasting is high on the list of activities that expose workers to silica( CS is a cancer-causing agent and silicosis is uncurable - you don't meet too many sandblaters over the age of 50)

alot of guys still blast in the open if they have wide open spaces and no one is around. If its public work or near the general public its tough to get away with open blasting.

EPA has standards for particulate matter that is emitted into the environment during work activities. You usually have to monitor for a particular time period to confirm. Regulations, regulations .....

Are you a member of SSPC? If not check it out at www.sspc.org 

You can probably get all your questions answered there

Mandrake


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## user20594

*panderson2414*

plaza,
I looked into open air blasting. I dont think they can get you for open air as long as you use coal slag on new steel. I had Raven Tank call me in 06' on a site for a job in New York. The job did not need containment because it was new steel. I was told that I had Remove the spent abrasive and use a V.O.C. compliant coating system. I Specd. Tnemecs series 18 with two top coats of 1028,s that whole system is water borne and is V.O.C. compliant. I lost the job to a contractor in your area that ran the same specs. I think that it is possible for you to open air blast in the right conditions. I talked to a road builder that has subcontractors that build bridges for him and he told me that all of the bridge decks that need several layers of concrete and asphalt need to be abraded or blasted and in any state they can open air blast concrete. Have you ever thought about tank liners, The tank contains your dust and you make a premium for internal confinement.


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## user20594

*panderson2414*

Mandrake,
You sound like the typical inspector. You have been fed the text but you have no idea about the real world. If you would like to talk to a real world NACE guy go to KLM engineering. If you cant get the web site. Look up the Twin Cities.


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## user20594

*panderson2414*

Never Ever Invite The Government To Any Site. Period Ever, Get That Ever...................


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## Mandrake

Thanks for the advice. 

Its obvious that you REALLY know what's going on. In the future I'll be more careful to share my experience.

Should I check with you first before I post?

Mandrake


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## user20594

*panderson2414*

You can ask me for advice the next time you post.


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