Wetblasting Does Not Eliminate Inhalation Hazards

Clemco has seen renewed interest in wetblasting for surface preparation and cleaning. This process, also known as vapor and dustless blasting, suppresses dust in blasting operations by mixing abrasive with a small amount of water. However, Clemco Director of Product Safety Tom Enger reminds employers that “contrary to common misconceptions, dust suppression in wetblasting does not eliminate inhalation hazards.”

In fact, OSHA regulations require that unless employers can prove through testing that their employees’ exposure to inhalation hazards is below permissible exposure limits (PELs), wetblast operators must wear Type 19CE supplied-air respirators (SARs), which are the same type of SARs required for dry blasting. OSHA has recognized Clemco’s Apollo 600 and Apollo 20 SARs as having an assigned protection factor (APF) 1,000 times the PEL, making these SARs excellent choices for wetblast operations. For more information about OSHA regulations on this topic, see OSHA’s standard interpretations for 1910.94(a) and 1926.57(f) .

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