These regulations may be cited as the Environmental Protection (Abrasive Blasting) Regulations 1998 1.
2. Interpretation
In these regulations —
abrasive blasting means cleaning or abrading the surface of an object using an abrasive material propelled by compressed air, water or steam or by a wheel;
aquatic environment means any watery environment including marine, estuarine and riverine environments;
blasting chamber means a fully enclosed structure in which abrasive blasting is carried on;
dry abrasive blasting means abrasive blasting during which no water is added to the abrasive material or the propellent;
operator means a person carrying on abrasive blasting;
waste material means used abrasive, abraded material, waste generated by cleaning an object prior to blasting, and any other waste products created during abrasive blasting, including waste collected in a dust extractor, settling pond or tank, or holding sump;
wet abrasive blasting means abrasive blasting during which water is added to the abrasive material or its propellent or is used as the propellent;
wet scrubber means a device in which water or other liquid is used to remove particulate matter from a gas stream.
(2) In these regulations a reference to abrasive blasting being carried on in the open is a reference to abrasive blasting being carried on other than in a blasting chamber.
3. Prohibition on the use of certain materials
An operator must not use —
(a) any material containing 2% or more free silica (crystalline silicon dioxide) in abrasive blasting; or
(b) corrosion inhibitors containing chromate, nitrate or nitrite in wet abrasive blasting.
4. Blasting chambers to be used if possible
An operator must carry on all abrasive blasting in a blasting chamber unless such a chamber cannot reasonably be used because of the size, shape, position or location of the object being blasted.
5. Blasting chambers
An operator must ensure that a blasting chamber —
(a) is completely sealed; or
(b) is fitted with a mechanical ventilation and dust extraction system which is operating so that —
(i) no visible dust escapes from the blasting chamber;
(ii) all air from the blasting chamber passes through the ventilation and dust extraction system before being discharged into the environment; and
(iii) air discharged into the environment does not contain any visible dust or more than 50 milligrams of particulate matter per cubic metre.
(2) If the ventilation and dust extraction system for a blasting chamber includes a wet scrubber the operator must ensure that —
(a) waste water from the scrubber is drained into, and contained in, settling tanks or ponds until all particulate matter has settled out; and
(b) the settling ponds or tanks are emptied as often as necessary to ensure their efficient operation.
6. Abrasive blasting in the open
An operator must not carry on abrasive blasting in the open unless it is carried on in such a manner that no visible dust escapes from the premises at which the blasting is carried on (or if there are no defined boundaries to the premises, no such dust escapes onto any place to which the public has access).
7. Abrasive blasting in or near aquatic environments
(1) This regulation only applies to abrasive blasting operations which involve the use or removal of organotin or other heavy metal protective coatings.
(2) An operator must not carry on abrasive blasting in or near an aquatic environment unless the size, shape, position or location of the object being blasted makes it impracticable to move the object out of, or away from, that environment.
(3) An operator carrying on abrasive blasting in or near an aquatic environment must ensure that all water which may contain waste material is drained into, and contained in, an impervious holding sump until it is disposed of in accordance with regulation 8.
(4) An operator must ensure that —
(a) any overflow from the holding sump will drain into a soakwell; and
(b) the holding sump and soakwell are emptied as often as necessary to ensure their efficient operation.
8. Waste disposal
An operator must ensure that —
(a) all waste material is cleaned up at the conclusion of each abrasive blasting operation;
(b) no waste material escapes from the premises at which the blasting is carried on (or if there are no defined boundaries to the premises, no waste material escapes onto any place to which the public has access); and
(c) all waste material is disposed of at an appropriate landfill site or waste treatment facility the occupier of which holds a licence under Part V of the Act in respect of that site or facility.
9. Offences and penalties
A person who contravenes any of these regulations commits an offence.
Penalty: $5 000.
[Regulation 9 amended: Gazette 11 Dec 1998 p. 6614.]
10. Repeal
The Sandblasting Operations Regulations are repealed.
Notes
1 This reprint is a compilation as at 2 April 2004 of the Environmental Protection (Abrasive Blasting) Regulations 1998 and includes the amendments made by the other written laws referred to in the following table. The table also contains information about any reprint.