Safety Check for Blasting Equipment

Abrasive blasting equipment plays an important role in abrasive blasting. Without abrasive blasting equipment we cannot achieve the process for abrasive blasting. Before starting blasting, it is necessary to begin with a safety procedure to ensure equipment is in good condition and ready for proper use. This article talks about how to inspect blasting equipment.

To begin with, we need to know that blasting equipment includes an air compressor, air supply hose, abrasive blaster, blast hose and blast nozzle.

1. Air Compressor

One important thing about air compressor is to make sure it is paired with the blast cabinet. If blast cabinet and air compressor are not paired, they cannot create enough force to propel the blast media. Therefore, the surface cannot be cleaned. After selecting the right air compressor, operators need to check whether the air compressor has been maintained regularly. Also, the air compressor needs to be equipped with a pressure relief valve. The location of the air compressor should be upwind of blasting operation, and it should keep a safe distance from the blasting equipment.

2. Pressure Vessel

The pressure vessel can also be called as blast vessel. This part is where compressed air and abrasive material stays. Check is there any leaks on the blast vessel before starte blasting. Also, do not forget to check the inside of the pressure vessel to see if they are free of moisture, and if they are damaged inside. If there is any damage on the pressure vessel, do not start blasting.

3. Blast Hoses

Make sure all blast hoses are in good condition before blasting. If there is any hole, cracks, or other kind of damages on the blast hoses and pipes. do not use it. Operators should not ignore even it is a small crack. Also, make sure blast hoses and air hose gaskets do not have any leaks on it. It there is visible leak, replace to a new one.

4. Blast Nozzle

Before start abrasive blasting, make sure the blast nozzle is not damaged. If there is crack on the nozzle, replace a new one. Also, it is important to know whether the size of the blast nozzle fits the job’s requirements or not. If it is not the right size, change to the correct one. Using a wrong nozzle not only decrease the work efficiency, but also bring the dangerous to the operators.

Checking the condition of blasting equipment is necessary because any negligence could bring dangerous to themselves. Therefore, the rightest thing to do is to check the equipment after finishing blasting. Then they can replace the worn-out equipment immediately. Also, checking blasting equipment before abrasive blasting still necessary.