When containment is needed when sandblasting

When sandblasting and painting, containment is always considered and is sometimes performed depending on the job. Containment for sandblasting is the process of tarping and enclosing the area that is to be sandblasted. We do containment for jobs for many different reasons.

Reasons we would set up containment

One reason we would set up containment would include being to protect things around the area that we will be sandblasting. This would be to protect people, cars, glass windows, and anything that may be fragile and could be an issue if we were to get abrasive or paint on the surface.

Another reason would be to contain the paint/structure surface that we are blasting. Sometimes the surface that we are abrasive blasting contains hazardous materials. One of the most common hazardous materials when sandblasting paint is lead. Lead is hazardous and without proper and safe removal practices lead can be dangerous for the workers, people near the job site, and the environment. Lead exposure can lead to serious health risks. This is why when dealing with lead it is important to fully contain the area and dispose of the lead properly.

The final reason we would provide containment is for the cleanup process. Cleaning up our blast media when completing a job is something we ask all of our clients before the start of the job. If this is something they want to be cleaned we will contain the area before we start sandblasting. This option does not apply if lead is present as we will automatically factor that into the job.

Pictured above is a pedestrian bridge we sandblasted and painted in Ohio. This is one of the many reasons containment tarps may be needed to complete a job. In this job, we contained the area for 2 reasons. One reason was to prevent the sand abrasive media and dust from interfering with pedestrians close to the bridge. The second reason is to contain the sand media that was used in one location so we can collect and properly dispose of it.

For the reasons listed above containment is needed but not for every job. If you have any questions regarding our containment process give us a call at any time.