Sandblasting under Uncontrolled and Primitive Conditions in Turkey

Abrasive blasting involves forcefully projecting a stream of abrasive particles onto a surface, usually with compressed air or steam. Since silica sand is commonly used in this process, workers who perform abrasive blasting are often called sandblasters. A material with rough particles should be used in order to have a sufficient effect on resistant surfaces such as glass or metal. Mostly quartz (silicon dioxide=SiO 2 ) is forced by compressed air onto the target surface . Although the frequency of the procedure is declining, it is still applied in an uncontrolled fashion in small-scale workplaces (employing fewer than 10 workers). The application in narrow areas, the break up of the SiO 2 particles into smaller pieces when striking the surface and reuse of the same material, increase the respirable dust concentration and this leads to high risk of silicosis . In our country sandblasting is being done in smallscale workplaces, which would operate as contractors for bigger companies. The purpose of this procedure is to polish the surface of metal, which comes from foundries, and to make the glass dull. The structural features of all workplaces were similar to each other. Although they are in the framework of control mechanisms such as licensing procedures supervised by local public health centers and municipalities, data collection and occupational health & safety inspections and enforcements are not carried out effectively for smallscale companies, so that the actual magnitude of the occupational risks is not known. In view of these observations, this study was planned with the following aims: to evaluate the work environment and working conditions in small-scale sandblasting workplaces, and to detect the frequency of silicosis among these workers in Turkey. Methods