Surface preparation in the Baltic Sea: ATEX, without shutdown

The challenge of surface preparation in offshore conditions

On an active platform, in a terminal, or at a quay, sandblasting is rarely an option: protective enclosures, logistics of abrasives by sea, permits for setting up a sandblasting station in operation, and the hazard that abrasives pose to rotating machinery. The result is deferred maintenance—and coating damage on its own schedule.

What the ATEX assessment includes

The pneumatic Bristle Blaster® has undergone an independent ignition hazard analysis and an ATEX 2014/34/EU compliance assessment as a Category 2 device: zone 1 explosive gases (group IIA, EPL Gb) and zone 21 explosive dusts (IIIC, EPL Db), assessed according to EN ISO 80079-36, EN ISO 80079-37, and IEC 60079-0. Fully pneumatic, with no electrical parts. Before entering an explosive atmosphere, check the certified marking on the tool's nameplate and keep the documentation in the work permit package.

What does the scope of work without a sandblasting station look like?

One operator, a compressed air line or an 18V battery platform, and belts. The preparation of structural connections and corroded welds, spot repairs, and in-service work proceeds while the facility operates normally. In a field trial on a gas network in 2023, a comparable scope took 45 person-minutes using Bristle Blasting compared to 260 for sandblasting—a 5.8-fold reduction in crew working time, even before accounting for mobilization.

The entire Baltic region

Tools and belts reach ports and terminals in Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Świnoujście (including the LNG terminal and the Baltic Pipe gas pipeline), as well as Klaipėda, Ventspils, Liepāja, and Tallinn. For underwater applications, the hydraulic Bristle Blaster® Subsea extends the same preparation below the waterline.

Related materials: offshore and underwater work videos, including in-service work.