Sop 905
Sop 905
Abrasive Blasting
Approval:_______________________
SHE Manager
Aid in the preparation of storage tanks for the issuance of a Hot Work
Permit.
Procedure
Abrasive Blasting 1. Whenever possible, blasting should be done in a designated area.
Area Procedure If feasible, equipment and materials that can be transported should
be abrasive blasted in a designated area prior to installation.
2. Blasting areas must be kept free of dust/grit buildup. This will
require a frequent cleaning of the work area, to include preventing
the accumulation of dust outside the blasting area.
3. When blasting is performed outside of a designated area (e.g., in
pipe right-of-ways, within the battery limits of a process unit,
storage tanks), additional preparation of the area will be required.
This includes but is not limited to marking the area with warning
signs, covering sewer drains, covering air intakes and protecting
instrumentation, and obtaining a hot work permit. Special
precautions for abrasive blasting of storage tanks are
addressed in "Additional Requirements" section of this SOP.
4. When blasting is required outside of the designated abrasive
blasting areas, access barriers such as warning signs and/or red
traffic cones (and road blocks if needed) shall be placed on a 50-
foot radius of the blasting area.
5. Additionally, shielding, as determined by Industrial Hygiene, may
be necessary to reduce potential exposure of dust to auxiliary
personnel.
Kinker & Auxiliary 1. The kinker and auxiliary personnel exposed to dust must use air-
Personnel Use of purifying respirators: half face-piece with High Efficiency
Respiratory Particulate/Aerosol (HEPA) cartridges.
Equipment a. Complete, all PPE and tools shall be rinsed clean or HEPA
vacuumed of MMMF, then removed and stored for later use or
disposed of with the waste MMMF.
b. Good personal hygiene should be practiced at the end of any
task handling MMMF material.
Use of Personal 1. Heavy canvas or leather gloves shall be worn during blasting
Protective operations by the blaster. Additional personal protective
Equipment equipment, such as fall protection, may be required, depending on
the location of the work (refer to SOP 401 Fall Protection
Systems, Scaffolds, and Aerial Lifts).
a. The blaster, kinker, and auxiliary personnel within the
designated or marked areas shall wear appropriate clothing
(Nomex), hearing, eye, and head protection.
b. The coveralls or other clothing worn by the blaster must provide
sufficient protection from deflected materials.
Training and 1. Following initial implementation and training for these guidelines,
Communication Maintenance and other applicable departments will provide
retraining for their Mechanical Supervisors, ExxonMobil
Representatives, blasters, kinkers, and other affected personnel
every two years and:
Additional The following section applies to all abrasive blasting jobs on storage
Requirements For tanks (for additional reference, see API 2027: Ignition Hazards
Abrasive Blasting Involved in Abrasive Blasting of Atmospheric Storage Tanks in
For Storage Tanks Hydrocarbon Service). This information will aid in the preparation of
storage tanks for the issuance of a Hot Work Permit.
Primary Users Responsibilities for the following ExxonMobil personnel are detailed in
Responsibilities the following sections.
Mechanical 8. Safety is contacted for the issuance of a Hot Work Permit, (see
Supervisor or SOP 902, Hot Work in the SOP manual).
Representative,
9. Ensure proper disposal of abrasive waste and removed coatings,
cont.
coordinating this effort with the Waste Coordinator.
Blaster 1. Before blasting begins, the blaster should check all equipment to
ensure it is in proper working order, with no visible damage. If at
any time blasting equipment is found to be in need of repair, the
equipment shall be taken out of service until it is properly repaired
or replaced.
2. Check hood for sanitation. Check the windows on the hood to see
that they are clear and that the rubber seals around the windows
are in good condition. Verify that the interior sock fits closely
around the neck, and that the exterior cape seals with the hood. All
parts of the hood assembly should be in good condition.
3. Verify that the breathing air hoses have the correct fittings and that
they are in proper working order. Also check the condition of the
hose to see that there is no excessive wear or abuse.
4. Check breathing air source. If using a breathing air compressor,
check the first filter for color change. Color change takes place as
a part of the normal process of filtering. The filter should be
changed according to the filter manufacturer's recommendations. If
using breathing air cylinders, check cylinder pressure. Breathing
air should be regulated for the correct pressure, according to hood
manufacturer's recommendations.
5. Check blasting equipment hopper and compressed air source for
proper working order. Also, check hoses to see they are in good
condition, and if the operating trigger on the nozzle shuts off flow
when released.
6. Don appropriate protective equipment to include heavy gloves,
hearing, eye, and head protection, and if needed, fall protection.
7. After the operation is completed, there will be dust particles in the
atmosphere around the blasting area. It is recommended that the
blaster wait a few minutes until the dust has settled before
removing the hood. Depending on hose length, the blaster should
try to walk out of the area before removing respiratory protective
equipment.
Kinker, cont. 4. Monitor the air intake of the compressor (to ensure that vehicle
exhaust and other similar sources of contamination are maintained
a safe distance away, approximately 15 feet).
5. Monitor the general physical appearance of the blaster throughout
the abrasive blasting job.
6. Ensure that the Blaster's hose remains free of entanglement.
7. Perform any other duties as deemed necessary by the ExxonMobil
Mechanical Supervisor or Representative.
Auxiliary Personnel 1. Select, check, and don appropriate respiratory equipment, half face
piece air-purifying respirator with HEPA cartridge.
2. Don appropriate protective equipment to include hearing, eye, head
protection, and Nomex, and if needed, fall protection.
3. Perform any other duties as deemed necessary by the ExxonMobil
Mechancial Supervisor/ Representative.
Field Safety Conduct random spot-check audits of daily permitted jobs to ensure
Advisors that procedural and other requirements are being followed.
Attachments
N/A
***End of Procedure***