Page 41: of Marine News Magazine (August 2023)

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al laser systems are increasingly being used at shipyards, million U.S. workers are at risk of developing silicosis shipbuilding berths and even aboard ships. Technicians and that more than 100,000 of these workers are em- can use mobile handheld units, or if needed the systems ployed as sandblasters.

can be integrated into automated inline processing lines. In addition, particles are generated during abrasive

Citing advantages in safety and ef? ciency, Galiardi said blasting that further contribute to respiratory problems laser cleaning is poised to disrupt the surface treatment and other harmful health effects. market across more sectors. “When sand or any other media is used to knock off particles from a substrate, there is always a byproduct

Resolving conventional cleaning limitations that has the potential to become airborne and inhaled,”

To treat metal surfaces, sandblasting or chemical strip- Galiardi said.

ping are traditionally used as industrial cleaning processes. “Industry has needed a cleaner, safer surface pre-treat-

Sand blasting: Abrasive sandblasting involves forcefully ment solution for a very long time,” Galiardi added. projecting a stream of abrasive particles onto a surface, “Sandblasting is inherently unsafe for operators. The sil- usually with compressed air or steam. The silica sand ica glass used in sandblasting is toxic. An operator must used in abrasive blasting typically fractures into ? ne par- wear a full HEPA suit when sandblasting to avoid breath- ticles and becomes airborne, which can cause serious or ing in particulates.” fatal respiratory disease. Sandblasting also is time-consuming to clean up since

When workers inhale crystalline silica, the lung tissue the sand essentially scatters everywhere, even though it is reacts by developing ? brotic nodules and scarring around usually considered a “fast” cleaning method. the trapped silica particles, causing a ? brotic lung condi- Chemical stripping: With chemical stripping, harsh, tion called silicosis. Estimates indicate that more than 1 even toxic chemicals are used to strip metal-based ob- www.marinelink.com MN 41|