Frequently Asked Questions

Full encapsulation encloses the work zone with engineered curtains or sheeting to prevent airborne dust, debris, or overspray escaping. It protects surrounding areas and allows projects to continue safely during poor weather. Encapsulation also reduces waste cleanup, improving efficiency and environmental compliance on large-scale industrial or marine projects.

Scaffold design depends on project scale, height, and access needs. Large tanks or bridges may require fixed systems for stability, while smaller or multi-site projects benefit from mobile scaffolds. Additional features like stair towers or containment sheeting can be added for safety and environmental protection.

Containment systems capture dust and paint particles during blasting or coating. They prevent pollutants from entering soil or waterways and ensure compliance with environmental regulations. Using negative air pressure or vacuum recovery, these systems maintain clean worksites while keeping workers and nearby ecosystems safe.

Projects involving hazardous coatings use strict containment, personal protective equipment, and air monitoring to prevent exposure. Work areas are sealed, and negative-pressure ventilation keeps contaminants from escaping. Waste is collected, tested, and disposed of at licensed facilities, ensuring full compliance with environmental and workplace regulations.

Before any removal work, samples of existing coatings are tested in accredited laboratories. This confirms whether lead, isocyanates, or other hazardous compounds are present. The findings guide the control plan, determining ventilation, containment, and PPE requirements to ensure safe, compliant removal.

Detailed documentation—including risk assessments, Safety Management Plans, and environmental reports—proves the project followed safe and compliant practices. It tracks every stage, from hazard identification to clearance testing, protecting both the client and contractors from regulatory breaches or future liability.

Abrasive blasting uses pressurised air to propel abrasive media against a surface to remove coating, corrosion, or contamination. Also known as dry abrasive blasting, sandblasting, grit blasting, blasting or media blasting, abrasive blasting is used to:

• Make a rough surface smoother.
• Make a smooth surface rough.
• Shape a surface.
• Remove surface contaminants or material, like paint, rust, or residue.
• Clean or prepare a surface for coating (painting surfaces without a blast profile can significantly reduce the protective coatings' longevity and ability to ‘stick’ to the substrate)
• Finish a surface. Depending on the type of abrasive media used, the blasted surface will have a smooth, angled, or dimpled profile.

Surface preparation refers to the various methods that can be used to treat the surface of a material prior to coating application. Surface preparation is essential for treating steel and other substrates before they are painted, coated or lined.

Surface preparation is seen as the most important factor for the success of a coating system. Coatings' performance is influenced by their ability to adhere to the substrate material. Surface preparation not only cleans away undesirable contaminants like rust, mill scale or old coatings but also introduces a suitable profile for the coating.

Surface preparation determines how well a coating bonds to the material underneath. When surfaces are cleaned of rust, grease, and old paint, the coating can adhere evenly and form a durable seal. Without proper preparation, coatings may blister, peel, or corrode prematurely. Industrial standards such as AS/NZS 1627 specify how surfaces should be prepared using abrasive, power-tool, or water-based blasting methods for the best long-term results.

A protective coating, sometimes called an anti-corrosion protective coating, or an anti-wear protective coating is a protective application of inorganic or organic material to a metal surface that offers protection against wear and corrosive elements. Corrosion can be caused by exposure to saltwater, air and chemicals. Some metals (like aluminium) can begin a reaction with the help of acid or alkali, but most of them can be protected by an anti-corrosion protective coating.

A protective coating is a layer of material (usually paint) applied to the surface of another material (usually steel) with the intent of inhibiting or preventing corrosion. Protective coatings are applied using a variety of methods and can be used for many other purposes besides corrosion prevention.

A protective coating is not necessarily limited to corrosion prevention. A protective coating can also be used to increase a material’s wear resistance and aesthetic appeal. A protective coating can provide water resistance or electrical properties that the material did not have before the protective coating being applied.