Advanced OSHA Compliant Blast Cleaning Rooms (No Blast/HM Residue Migration Outside Blast Cleaning Room)

ABSTRACT: The objective of this proposal is to develop blast cleaning enclosures (BCE) that eliminate exposure to hazardous materials (HM) due to substantial migration in and around the enclosure to increase the occupational health and safety of Air Force personnel. To achieve this cleaner safer BCE, typical operations and enclosures will be examined to identify mechanisms of HM generation and migration pathways that create or result in a hazardous or potentially hazardous exposure. This examination will make evident commonalities between various types of blast cleaning operations and allow the application of corrective measures that will in turn control HM generation and migration to below OSHA permissible exposure limits (PEL), for both operators and personnel in close proximity to the enclosures. The corrective methods will increase worker safety, increase production where OSHA time-weighted-average exposures rules limit operator exposure time, satisfy tightening OSHA requirements, decrease the need for personal protective equipment (PPE), reduce the likelihood of injury in the case of PPE failure, and ensure that personnel in adjacent"safe zones"are guaranteed to be safe from exposure. BENEFIT: The criticality of these research findings will prove particularly valuable to the DoD as the intended life of DoD systems is commonly several times longer than protective coatings"lives, rendering necessary the stripping and reapplication of protective coatings numerous times over the system"s lifespan. Projected reduced defense spending budgets will disallow for purchasing noncritical new equipment, forcing the Services to extend system lifespans adding significantly to the current production demands for refinishing. Further intensifying the refinishing workload is the environmental change equipment will endure, moving from hot and dry climates to wet and corrosive environments in the Pacific theater, which will certainly shorten coating lifespans. With increased refinishing demand comes increased blast cleaning, which creates more exposure risks, which increases likelihood of costly injuries and illness proportionately. By eliminating exposure now, the USAF and DoD is eliminating production interruptions and expensive medical bills in the future.