Dry ice blasting is one of the safer industrial cleaning methods on a per-job basis — no chemical handling, no process water on energized gear, no abrasive media in the air. But it isn't hazard-free, and any plant manager hosting a blasting crew should run through the checklist below before work starts. Use this as a pre-job document attached to your site safety plan.
Before the crew arrives
- Confirm scope of work, work zone boundaries, and start/stop times in writing
- Identify the responsible site contact and EHS contact
- Provide site-specific orientation, LOTO requirements, and emergency procedures
- Confirm Certificate of Insurance is on file (GL + auto + workers' comp)
- Verify any required confined-space permits are pulled and posted
- Identify CO₂-sensitive areas (basements, pits, below-grade rooms) within ventilation reach
CO₂ monitoring and ventilation
- Operator carries a handheld CO₂ meter calibrated within manufacturer interval
- Indoor work: continuous atmospheric monitoring with audible alarm at 5,000 ppm TWA
- Confined-space work: continuous O₂, LEL, CO₂, CO monitoring with rescue plan
- Spot ventilation set up in low-air-change areas
- Bystander zone established at ≥10 ft from blast nozzle
Hearing protection
- Operator wears dual hearing protection (plugs plus muffs) — compressor + nozzle runs 100–115 dB
- Bystander zone signed at the 85 dB boundary
- Hearing PPE provided to plant staff who must enter the work zone
Personal protective equipment
- Cryogenic-rated gloves for pellet handling
- Safety glasses with side shields, plus full face shield in line of fire
- Hi-vis outer layer
- Cut-resistant clothing for restoration / demo-adjacent scopes
- Respiratory protection per atmospheric monitoring (typically not required)
Electrical and LOTO
- All equipment in the blast zone properly locked-out and tagged-out per your program
- Dry ice is non-conductive — but ensure the operator knows which panels are still energized and at what voltage
- Avoid direct blast on exposed bus or live terminals without LOTO confirmation
Containment and substrate
- Confirm any decals, gauges, lenses, or finishes that should be masked
- Plastic containment around food zones, clean rooms, or occupied areas
- Drop cloths / collection plan for displaced contamination
- Disposal plan for any regulated waste (e.g. lead-bearing soot, asbestos-suspect materials — these require specialty containment, not dry ice)
After the job
- Walk the work zone with the site contact for sign-off
- Retrieve PPE, hoses, and bystander signage
- Deliver the completion report (scope, time, photos) to your file
- Schedule re-energization and return-to-service per LOTO program