PDFWAC 296-818-20010
Personal protective equipment (PPE).
(1) You must provide, at no cost to the employee, and make sure personal protective equipment is worn.
(2) You must follow the requirements in Table-1, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Table-1: Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
provide | when |
Abrasive Blasting Respirators | Operators work in any of the following situations: |
- Inside blast cleaning rooms | |
- Where silica sand is used in manual blasting operations | |
- Where concentrations of toxic dust exceed the permissible exposure limits found in a separate chapter: | |
■ Respiratory hazards, WAC 296-841-20020, Table-3 "Exposure Limits for Air Contaminants" | |
Exemption: | |
• An abrasive respirator does not need to be worn if the operator is physically separated from the nozzle and blast by an exhaust ventilated enclosure. | |
Definition: | |
Abrasive-blasting respirator | |
A supplied air or a continuous flow respirator constructed to cover and protect the operator's head, neck and shoulders from rebounding abrasive. | |
Eye and Face protection to both of the following: - Blasting operators | Respirators worn during blasting operations do not provide eye and face protection |
- Personnel working near blasting operations | |
Gloves and Aprons made of heavy canvas or leather; | Operators are exposed to the impact of rebounding abrasives |
or | |
Equivalent protection |
Notes: | 1. Use only respirators certified by NIOSH in 42 C.F.R. Part 84 for protecting employees from dusts, and other hazards produced during abrasive blasting operations, like using a garnet sand to blast a concrete surface, resulting in crystalline silica dust. |
2. A filtering face piece may be used only for short, intermittent, or occasional dust exposures for any of the following tasks: | |
a. To protect the operator during abrasive blasting operations performed outside the enclosure or outdoors where nonsilica abrasives are used on materials with low toxicity; | |
b. Clean-up; | |
c. Dumping dust collectors; | |
d. Unloading shipments of sand at receiving areas when the following controls are not feasible: | |
i. Enclosures; | |
ii. Exhaust ventilation; or | |
iii. Other means. |
Reference: | For additional requirements to help you fully protect employees, go to the following separate chapters: |
1. The Safety and health core rules, chapter 296-800 WAC; | |
Personal protective equipment (PPE), WAC 296-800-160. | |
2. Respiratory hazards, chapter 296-841 WAC; | |
3. Respirators, chapter 296-842 WAC: | |
a. Respirator program, WAC 296-842-120; | |
b. Specifications for air quality, WAC 296-842-200. |