For decades, industrial facilities have measured the effectiveness of a coating by its ability to prevent corrosion, which is its fundamental purpose. With the increasing awareness of the potential problems associated with the use of traditional organic-based coatings and the health risks posed to coating contractors, many facility safety managers are specifying safer, inorganic options.
Coating contractors regularly engage in one of the most hazardous jobs in a plant. Published OSHA accident reports available on the United States Department of Labor website show the hazards faced by coating contractors. And the risks are further exacerbated within confined spaces such as tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers and vaults – common steel structures in need of corrosion protection found in most industrial facilities. Confined spaces are not only known to accumulate toxic, flammable, and even explosive fumes and dust, but the very act of application of traditional coatings presents its own risks.