Sandblasting dangers: Silicosis

[sweetbmxrider]

Do you have an scba if you do sand blast yourself? Silica is very bad, if you didn't know.

[PolarBear]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

Do you have an scba if you do sand blast yourself? Silica is very bad, if you didn't know.

That's why I said playground sand, it's non silica. I have a half and full face respirator, no scba, it's not needed

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by PolarBear

That's why I said playground sand, it's non silica. I have a half and full face respirator, no scba, it's not needed

Not exactly true. Some brands of play sand have silica. Do a quick google search before you buy and spray. Oh, and if you don't already, sift it through window screen and it won't jam the nozzle as often.

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by PolarBear

That's why I said playground sand, it's non silica. I have a half and full face respirator, no scba, it's not needed

Got ya, I see you can buy silica free and you know its bad. ****'s the new asbestos.....

[PolarBear]

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

Not exactly true. Some brands of play sand have silica. Do a quick google search before you buy and spray. Oh, and if you don't already, sift it through window screen and it won't jam the nozzle as often.

Oh WTF, the nerve of some people. Kids can inadvertently eat/breathe that in. I thought that "playground" meant non-silica Thanks for the heads up
I have a sifting screen already since I have the blasting cabinet. I re-screen the stuff that comes out of the vacuum and hopper before I put it in. I actually think I need to buy another pickup and gun for the cabinet. Last time I used it, it wasn't working properly even though I have gotten the Northern tool "upgrade" setup for it, and I need new nozzles anyway.

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

Got ya, I see you can buy silica free and you know its bad. ****'s the new asbestos.....

Well, now I will definitely be wearing my full face respirator if/when I do it.

[BonzoHansen]

Originally Posted by PolarBear

Oh WTF, the nerve of some people. Kids can inadvertently eat/breathe that in. I thought that "playground" meant non-silica Thanks for the heads up

kids don't breathe airborne blast dust when they play in a sand box. kinda like asbestos does't hurt you when its around a pipe or on the side of a house. play sand is generally just 'cleaned' sand. silicosis is a bitch.

[PolarBear]

Originally Posted by BonzoHansen

kids don't breathe airborne blast dust when they play in a sand box. kinda like asbestos does't hurt you when its around a pipe or on the side of a house. play sand is generally just 'cleaned' sand. silicosis is a bitch.

So the kids just hover about over the sand? They don't pick it up and pour it or fall in it?

[Anti_Rice_Guy]

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

Got ya, I see you can buy silica free and you know its bad. ****'s the new asbestos.....

+1. OSHA just released finally the new regulations and they're now live.

[BonzoHansen]

smh. picture beach sand. its damp, it isn't being blasted at high psi and broken into dust. you aren't breathing in dust clouds

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by PolarBear

So the kids just hover about over the sand? They don't pick it up and pour it or fall in it?

I think it's the particle size and dust in the air that's the biggest issue. Breathing it in to your lungs.

Or if you make too much noise

[PolarBear]

Because sand never dries out, and there is never any dust when kids play.

Right from Quickcrete

QUIKRETE® Playsand is not silica free. It is a natural sand – the same as you find on the beach, at lakes and in river beds. QUIKRETE® Play Sand, and practically all other natural sands in the world, including beach, lake and river sand, contain a portion of silica sand. QUIKRETE® Play Sand is safe – it is intended for use primarily in sand boxes. We recommend that dust be controlled by keeping the sand slightly damp, since fine dust of any kind can be mildly irritating

They recommend keeping the dust down with water, SMDH. So there is a risk of people breathing the dust, or they wouldn't mention water at all. You know baby powder used to be "safe" too, until women started getting cancer from it. Smoking was considered safe too, but that's none of my business

[The_Bishop]

Silicosis doesn't just mean silica. Sand is tiny, tiny rocks. When you use it to blast something you make them even tinier *and* airborne. Then you inhale those tiny, tiny, tiny rocks where they migrate into your lungs.

How is this an issue? Well, take a spoon of sand and dump it into a glass of water. Now stir it until it dissolves.

While you're there stirring away for the next 135.65 years, I'll just stop you now and explain that it never (well, never meaning the scale of time as long as you're alive) dissolves. Your body can't get rid of it so it hangs around in your lungs and does horrible things to them.

At the minimum, HEPA level filtration on the mask. Ideally you want a pressurized breathing apparatus to insure that you're not inadvertently sucking any wayward micro-rocks into your lungs.

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by Anti_Rice_Guy

+1. OSHA just released finally the new regulations and they're now live.

Oh yeah? That's great to hear. We have been learning about it in school and how NJ has its own law protecting against silicosis.

[The_Bishop]

Well, they passed a law against Silicosis! So no worries, now right? Since it's illegal?

[sweetbmxrider]

Originally Posted by The_Bishop

Well, they passed a law against Silicosis! So no worries, now right? Since it's illegal?

I see hepa filters and wet saws on the job sites now so its a push in the right direction. If someone is breaking the law, a call to osha and that contractor is in some ****. Being educated is good though. Gets you to stop and think before proceeding.

[LTb1ow]

Lab tech at the one test house, jokingly told me after spending a while in the chamber that sand was bad for my lungs. Thanks buddy!



Sand and dust are nasty crap.