The Best Tool for Blast Room Maintenance: An Industrial Push Broom

When I give our marketing people photos of newly installed blast rooms, one comment I often hear is, “Do you have one without a broom in it?” Yes, beautifully staged photos are a thing in this Instagram world.

But a broom in the photo actually sends a message: This company keeps its blast area clean!

Let’s face it: blast rooms are dirty. The main reason dirt spreads outside the blast enclosure is due to poor housekeeping habits.

• Workers, for example, will open the blast room doors before the dust has settled – and the resulting “woosh” of fresh outside air spreads airborne dust and particulate.

• Or, forklift tires accumulate grease and media dust and spread it around when backing in and out of the blast room.

• Employees dragging hoses out of the blast room spreads dust all over as well.

To keep the area around the enclosure clean, keep a push broom near the door. Workers save steps by not having to walk over to a broom, and you reduce spreading dust from their work boots.

Keeping a push broom near the door makes it super easy to sweep stray media back into the blast room.

Invest in a well-made industrial push broom

Not all push brooms are built the same. With poor quality brooms, the heads become loose and fall off after extended use. Or the handles are too short – a huge pain in the back if you’re a tall person because now you have to bend to sweep. And, fine media dust can be difficult to sweep with a lesser quality broom.

To bring product manufacturing back to the USA, entrepreneur Jim Lewis founded USA Broom. The company has partnered with Fuller Industries, a company that has been making industry-leading brooms in the U.S. for over 100 years.

USA Broom industrial push brooms have longer, thicker hardwood handles, a custom Vynafoam grip, and a patented, Talon Grip bracket that keeps the broom head bolted to the handle. The chemical resistant bristles are designed to easily sweep fine dust – making them perfect for your blast room.

The company has received 5-star reviews for their push brooms – and the fact they’re made in the U.S. is a huge plus.

Other best practices for blast room maintenance

A high-quality blast room is a large capital expense. Failure to give it basic care will severely shorten the life of your investment. Titan provides you with a full maintenance schedule broken into what needs to be done each day, week, month, and year.

But, never underestimate the power of keeping a good industrial push broom handy. Your facility will stay cleaner – and your employees will thank you.

In addition to good housekeeping, you’ll want to follow the six other tips outlined in the piece I wrote for Products Finishing, “Best Practices for Blast Room Maintenance.”