A blast hood is worn during sandblasting to protect the operator’s eyes, ears, and skin from fine particles and toxic substances. There are two types of hoods, one with a fresh air supply hose for longer jobs. The hood is part of a protective suit and can be uncomfortable, but ear protection and a hard hat may also be included.
A blast hood is a device worn over the head of a person who performs the blasting task. The use of a blast hood allows the blasting personnel not only to avoid breathing the very fine grains of sand and dust, but also prevents the blasting media from entering the operator’s eyes and ears. The fine explosive particles can aggravate the skin and can often be toxic and potentially fatal to ingest or breathe. The blast hood commonly contains extra material that allows the wearer to tuck it into another piece of protective clothing or pull the hood down over the shoulders, thus preventing the blast media from entering the wearer’s suit through the area of the neck.
There are two basic types of hoods to choose from. One type of blast hood does not use an added breathing apparatus, while the other involves the use of a fresh air supply hose connected to the hood. For small jobs, the normal sandblasting hood can be used; however, on very long and demanding blasting jobs, the fresh air hood is mandatory. The fresh air hood not only provides fresh air for the operator’s breathing, but also filters out airborne toxic substances that could injure the wearer. Often, the old paint that is removed may contain chemical solvents that are potentially dangerous to inhale when sandblasting.
The extremely fine composition of the blasting media used in sandblasting requires the use of a protective suit to keep the materials off the sandblaster’s clothing and skin. The blast hood is a component of the suit and is commonly made from a heavy canvas or similar type of material. The hood is equipped with a glass or polycarbonate visual screen to allow a clear and unobstructed view of the work being done. The suit can be very uncomfortable to wear due to the heavy weight of the blast hood material. The heat retaining properties of the suit also make it very warm even in the cooler temperatures.
Earplugs or headphones are typically worn under the blast hood to aid in noise cancellation. The sandblasting technique produces a loud noise similar to a jet aircraft engine and can damage unprotected hearing. Some versions of the blast hood contain a hard hat to protect the worker from falling objects while blasting on a construction site. The use of this protective cap is mandatory on most construction and demolition sites worldwide.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
