Shot blasting creates high volumes of fine and abrasive dust that harm health, damage equipment, and slow productivity if not contained. Effective control hinges on planning airflow, capturing dust at multiple points, and preventing re-agitation during clean-up.

Plan containment and airflow

Separate blasting from adjacent work with robust enclosures and controlled entry points. Maintain negative pressure in the blast area so air flows from clean to dirty spaces. Provide make-up air to avoid drawing dust through gaps elsewhere. Check door sweeps, cable penetrations, and duct joints for leaks.

Capture at source in the blasting loop

Target the dust where it is created and conveyed. Fit efficient extraction to recovery hoppers, scalping screens, bucket elevators, and separator cabinets. Keep feed rates steady to avoid surges. Inspect wear plates and seals so leaks do not bypass extraction. Where substrate hazards exist (lead paint, RCS from concrete), tighten controls and review RPE and waste handling.

Control airborne particulate

Size local exhaust ventilation on airflow under load, not free-air figures. Use air scrubbers or negative air units with high-efficiency filtration for respirable fractions; H14 filtration is recommended for fine or carcinogenic dusts. Position units to pull air across the work toward extraction, avoiding dead zones. Equipment such as MAXVAC Dustblockers can provide continuous airborne dust reduction in blasting bays when correctly configured.

Housekeeping without re-agitation

Schedule frequent, short cleans rather than infrequent deep cleans. Work top-down, moving methodically toward extraction points. Avoid sweeping and compressed air, which resuspend PM10 and smaller fractions. Use industrial vacuums with appropriate filtration and anti-static tooling; where an explosive dust risk has been identified, ATEX-rated equipment such as Supra ATEX should be used in line with the site risk assessment.

Verify and maintain

Log pressure readings across filters and ducts; investigate drops in capture velocity. Use a particulate monitor to spot rising PM levels and refine placement. Keep spares for seals and filter elements, and implement a change-out schedule based on pressure rise rather than time alone. For silica, note the HSE WEL of 0.1 mg/m³ for RCS and adjust controls accordingly.

Practical takeaways

• Maintain negative pressure in blast areas with adequate make-up air.
• Extract at hoppers, screens, and elevators to intercept dust early.
• Use H14 filtration for fine dust; size units on under-load airflow.
• Vacuum-only housekeeping; avoid sweeping and compressed air.
• Track pressures and PM to trigger maintenance and layout changes.

Focused source capture, disciplined airflow, and vacuum-first cleaning will keep blasting productive and compliant while protecting workers and adjacent operations.