3 Key Safety Tips to Practice When Grit Blasting for a Painting Project

Professional residential painters know that proper surface preparation is vital for achieving a smooth, consistent and durable paint finish. There are many different ways to prepare interior and exterior surfaces of a house for a paint job. Each surface preparation technique is unique in its own way and can deliver a decent result. It's all about the steps taken to ensure proper prepping of the surfaces to be painted. 

Are you planning to do some grit blasting prior to painting your house? The grit blasting and painting technique is one of the most popular ways of painting houses. But you'll first need to know how to maintain safety during blasting work. Here are some general safety guidelines to follow when grit blasting to prepare the substrate surfaces of your house for a paint job. 

1. Learn How to Use Blasting Equipment Properly

Proper operation of grit blasting equipment is vital for maintaining site safety. During blasting operations, the blast nozzle should only point at the substrate surface. High-speed, high-pressure abrasive media coming from the blaster can cause serious injuries when pointed at people. Proper grounding should be used to prevent electrical hazards, such as electrocution of workers, fires and explosions. Knowing how to operate blasting equipment properly is critical for keeping everyone safe. 

2. Wear the Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment

You'll need to protect yourself from flying particles and potentially harmful dust that may infiltrate the air while you're grit blasting. Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes from projectiles, safety boots to protect yourself against foot hazards and a dust respirator to prevent inhalation of harmful dust. 

Also, wear an industrial helmet and full-length clothing to protect your head and the rest of the body from flying particles. Where excessive noise exposure is an issue, personal ear plugs or ear muffs should be worn to protect the ears. Make sure you're trained in the proper use of personal safety equipment. Otherwise, the equipment might not be effective at preventing workplace hazards.

3. Minimise Dust Levels

Grit blasting work can generate a lot of dust. Minimising dust levels is vital for ensuring good visibility and ventilation. In this regard, make sure you have an effective exhaust system to help extract the dust so that fresh, outside air can be drawn in. Where possible, use the wet blasting technique to keep dust levels down.

These tips can help ensure safety during grit blasting jobs, but there are many other things to do to further improve safety. If you need help with your blasting project, don't hesitate to seek out the services of a blasting-and-painting contractor.