Occupational
& Environmental
Medicine
College of Human Medicine

Abrasive blasting

preventing silicosis

Abrasive blasting with sand is one of the most hazardous work practices. Despite the large number of silica-free abrasives that are available, silica is still commonly used. The manuals have been developed to provide abrasive blasters with the knowledge to conduct abrasive blasting safely. By providing employers and employees with information regarding the hazards of silica and preventive measures to reduce silica exposure, abrasive blasters will be able to reduce their risk of developing silicosis, both the acute and chronic form of this progressively debilitating and deadly lung disease as well as their risk of lung cancer from repeated silica exposure.


The Instructor's Manual contains all of the material in the User's Manual--plus general comments for instructors on the use of web-based video resources, PowerPoint presentations, a training exercise, and an Evaluation of Instruction Form.

The Abrasive Blasting Training Manuals are in Portable Document Format (PDF). To view or print these manuals you need the Adobe Acrobat Reader plug-in for your browser. You can get a free copy of this plug-in here.

User's Manual

Cover
Agenda
     Table of Contents
     Purpose
     How to use this Manual
     Summary
     Overview

Ch 1: Silica Substitutes
Ch 2. Health Hazards of Abrasive Blasting
Ch 3: Getting Organized
Ch 4: Air Sampling
Ch 5: Minimizing Airborne Silica
Ch 6: Respiratory Protection
Ch 7: Safety Training
Ch 8: Cleaning Up
Ch 9: Medical Monitoring
Ch 10: Keeping Your Family Safe
Q & A
Glossary
Respirator APF [Assigned Protection Factors]

Appendix I:  Silica Substitutes
          Appendix 1-A: Silica Substitutes Brochure
          Appendix 1-B: Silica Substitutes Background / Cost Comparison of Silica Substitutes
Appendix II:  Evaluation  of Substitute Materials for Silica Sand in Abrasive Blasting
Appendix III:  MIOSHA Silica Occupational Health Standards, Parts 590 & 690
          Appendix III-A: MIOSHA Part 590. Silica in General Industry
          Appendix III-B: MIOSHA Part 690. Silica in Construction
Appendix IV: MIOSHA Occupational Health Standards, Parts 523, 601, 301, 680, 380
          Appendix IV-A: MIOSHA Occupational Health Standards Part 523. Abrasive Blasting
          Appendix IV-B: MIOSHA Part 601. Construction Air Contaminants
          Appendix IV-C: MIOSHA Part 301. Air Contaminants for General Industry
          Appendix IV-D: MIOSHA Part 680.  Noise Exposure for Construction
          Appendix IV-E MIOSHA Part 380.  Occupational Noise in General Industry
Appendix V: OSHA NIOSH Resources
          Appendix V-A: OSHA Review of Health Effects Literature and Preliminary Quantitative Risk Assessment
          Appendix V-B: NIOSH Alert, Preventing Silicosis from Sandblasting
Appendix VI: Safety and Health Management System [SHMS] Resources
          Appendix VI-A: MIOSHA SHMS Guidelines
          Appendix VI-B: MIOSHA Construction SHMS (Accident Prevention Program)
          Appendix VI-C: MIOSHA S&H Management System Evaluation Guidelines
          Appendix VI-D: MIOSHA Elements of a Safety Health Management System (short version)
          Appendix VI-E: MIOSHA Fact Sheet SHMS
          Appendix VI-F: OSHA SHP [Safety and Health Programs] Recommended Practices
          Appendix VI-G: Construction SHP Guidelines
Appendix VII: Job Safety Analysis
          Appendix VII-A: MIOSHA Job Safety Analysis
          Appendix VII-B: OSHA Job Hazard Analysis
Appendix VIII: Health and Safety Committee Resources 
          Appendix VIII-A: Best Practices for Workplace Safety Committees
          Appendix VIII-B: AFT Effective Health and Safety Committees - PowerPoint Version
          Appendix VIII-B: AFT Effective Health and Safety Committees - PDF Version 
Appendix IX: MIOSHA Part 470. Employee Medical Records and Trade Secrets
Appendix X: Michigan Industrial Hygiene Consultants
Appendix XI: MIOSHA Construction Safety Standards, Part 1. General Rules
Appendix XII: AIHA [American Industrial Hygiene Association], Silica Competent Persons

Appendix XIII:  Sample Silica Exposure Control Plans
          Appendix XIII-A: MIOSHA Written Silica Exposure Control Plan - Sample
          Appendix XIII-B: Zurich Corp. Sample Silica Exposure Control Plan for General Industry
          Appendix XIII-C:  MIA and BSI Silica Exposure Control Plan for General Industry
Appendix XIV:  Respiratory Protection Resources
          Appendix XIV-A:  MIOSHA Occupational Health Standards Part 451.  Respiratory Protection
          Appendix XIV-B: MIOSHA Construction Safety & Health Division Fact Sheet on Respiratory Protection
          Appendix XIV-C: MIOSHA Sample Respiratory Protection Program
          Appendix XIV-D: MIOSHA PLJCP [physician or other licensed healthcare professional] - required medical exam
          Appendix XIV-E: Spanish Translation of Medical Evaluation Questionnaire
Appendix XV: Personal Protective Equipment Resources
          Appendix XV-A: MIOSHA Construction Safety and Health Standards Part 6.  Personal Protective Equipment
          Appendix XV-B: MIOSHA General Industry Safety and Health Standards Part 33.  Personal Protective Equipment
          Appendix XV-C: MIOSHA General Industry Occupational Health Standards Part 433.  Personal Protective Equipment
          Appendix XV-D: MIOSHA CET (Consultation Education and Training) Personal Protective Equipment for General Industry
Appendix XVI: Noise and Hearing Conservation Resources
          Appendix XVI-A: MIOSHA Fact Sheet on Noise Exposure in Construction
          Appendix XVI-B: MIOSHA Summary of Part 380 Occupational Noise Exposure
          Appendix XVI-C: MIOSHA on Hearing Loss Prevention Programs
          Appendix XVI-D: MIOSHA Fact Sheet on Noise and Hearing Conservation
          Appendix XVI-E: MIOSHA on Noise Information and Training
          Appendix XVI-F: Pinnacol Sample Hearing Conservation Program
          Appendix XVI-G: Michigan Municipal League Sample Hearing Conservation Program Policies and Procedures
Appendix XVII: Hazard Communiction
          Appendix XVII-A: Hazard Communication Standard for Construction (Part 42) and General Industry (Part 92) 
          Appendix XVII-B: SDS [Safety Data Sheets] Location Poster
          Appendix XVII-C: New / Revised SDS Poster
          Appendix XVII-D: MIOSHA Regulated Area Signs Affected by the new GHS/Hazard Communication Standard
          Appendix XVII-E: Suggested Format for a Written Hazard Communication Program
          Appendix XVII-F: MIOSHA Right-to-Know Hazard Communication Compliance Guide
Appendix XVIII: MIOSHA Part 474. Sanitation
Appendix XIX: Medical Screening Protocol for Silica Exposure
Appendix XX:  Recording and Reporting of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
          Appendix XX-A: MIOSHA Part 11. Recording and Reporting of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses
          Appendix XX-B: Occupational Disease Report Form
          Appendix XX-C: MIOSHA Log of Work-Related Injury and Illness.  Form 300
          Appendix XX-D: MIOSHA Record Keeping Injury and Illness Incident Report.  Form 301
          Appendix XX-E: MIOSHA Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.  Form 300A
    

Please Note: Some of these documents are difficult to read in PDF format. If you'd like to order hard copies of any appendices, please call, write, or e-mail.

Additional Material in the Instructor's Manual

Directions for Instructors

    Ch 1: Silica Substitutes
    Ch 2. Health Hazards of Abrasive Blasting
    Ch 3: Getting Organized
    Ch 4: Air Sampling
    Ch 5: Minimizing Airborne Silica
    Ch 6: Respiratory Protection
    Ch 7: Safety Training
    Ch 8: Cleaning Up
    Ch 9: Medical Monitoring
    Ch 10: Keeping Your Family Safe
Course Schedule
Q & A
20 Questions Exercise Quiz
Course Evaluation
Respirator APF [Assigned Protection Factors]


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Abrasive Blasting - PowerPoint Presentation

Abrasive Blasting - PDF version of PowerPoint (for ease of viewing and printing)