High pressure water blasting is also known as hydro jetting or hydro blasting. It involves the removal of contaminants and surface materials by spraying high-pressured water on a surface.
This product not only removes old coatings, rust and residues but also crystalized salts that are deeply embedded.
High Pressure Water Blasting Equipment Industries
A wide range of industries use water blasting, including airports and roads, highways and heavy construction, maintenance on marine vessels, manufacturing and processing facilities, power plants and pulp and paper mills.
Hydro blasting is an environmentally friendly method of cleaning. This is a consideration for any business looking to reduce its carbon footprint.
High pressure water blasting equipment is replacing old cleaning methods such as sandblasting, which produces dust and can cause deadly contaminants to become airborne. Other traditional solid abrasive applications can also lead to serious erosion damage on surfaces and machinery.
Hazards
However, high pressure washing exposes workers to dangerous situations that could cause serious injury or death.
It is not surprising that water blasting equipment produces a waterjet that can travel at speeds of up to 3,300 km/h, causing a force so powerful that it can cut through solid materials.
Debris propelled by water can also cause severe injuries to the eyes, skin, and other body parts.
Respiratory hazards and confined space
Many workers are forced to work in tight spaces, such as tanks or boilers. Here, the danger is doubled. If a person is trapped in a space with toxic gases or no oxygen, they can die if they are engulfed. Similarly, if a stored item falls, it can cause workers to become stuck or hit.
Exposures to chemicals
Workers are often required to remove chemical residues and toxic substances from surfaces. Exposure to these substances or abrasives, unless properly protected by protective clothing or gear, can result in death or debilitating illnesses or long-term injuries.
Workplace injuries
Working with water blasting can cause the working area to become wet and slippery very quickly. The surfaces may be covered with debris. This makes it easy for someone slip, and get injured.
Environmental factors
In industries that use water blasting for cleaning, harsh working conditions are common. Extreme temperatures, clothing, and other factors such as moisture or humidity can cause a number of injuries, including hypothermia, dehydration, sunstroke, and others.
Health and Safety
To protect workers who use water blasting equipment, it’s important to establish and implement the proper processes and procedures.
To effectively manage risks, it is necessary to identify, describe and assess the types of injuries that could be caused by those risks. Control measures must be implemented to reduce these injuries.
Information, instruction and training are needed to help workers understand how they can protect themselves. They need to know how to do their jobs responsibly and be fully aware of health and safety measures.
All workers must be informed of the health and safety procedures, preferably by written means, to ensure that they have a reliable source to refer to in case of doubt.
In terms of managing risk hazards, there is a hierarchy.
The most effective first step is to eliminate any hazard, or work practices that may be considered hazardous.
If this isn’t possible, there are other ways to reduce risk. These include:
1. Substitution
Replace any unsafe or hazardous work practices with safer alternatives.
2. Isolation
Reduce the risk of injury by using a barrier or protective screen to separate people from those who are a danger.
3. Engineered Control
This is the physical control, such as the ability to control the water spray manually or the use of back-out preventers to stop high pressure tools from being pushed through the pipe.
4. Administrative Control
Administrative control is the process and procedure that has been put in place to protect the workers. This includes things like rotating jobs so that a particular task doesn’t become monotonous, as this can lead to carelessness and mistakes.
5. Protective gear
The clothing and equipment that workers wear to minimize the risk of harm to their body. Safety glasses, helmets, respiratory protection and face shield are all included.
For more info about – water blasting in Auckland.
