Whether you’re the owner of a powder coating company, a wood shop, a machine shop, a food production facility, or any other type of industrial manufacturing or fabrication facility, you already know that dust is an unavoidable part of everyday life, but the risks associated with dust don’t have to be! While traditional ventilation, regular cleaning, and the use of masks can accommodate a very small amount of dust in your facility, there’s no replacement for high-quality dust collection units to ensure the safety of your workspace as well as the health of your workers.
Dust Can Be Deadly There’s nothing safe about combustible dust. Combustible dust in the air of manufacturing facilities pollutes the air, contributing to respiratory illnesses in workers and resulting in low morale, costly sick time, and slowed production due to skilled workers being out sick. Luckily, preventing the dangerous illnesses caused by dust inhalation is as simple as taking appropriate measures to ensure that the air is filtered and dust is contained in dust collection units. No matter what the size of your facility, there’s a dust collection system suitable for your unique needs. From compact dust collectors to cartridge filter dust collectors, there is a wide range of solutions available, and with the help of a dust collection design specialist, you can find the perfect fit for your specific application.
The Danger of Dust When a large amount of powdered combustible material is in the air of your factory or manufacturing facility, there’s a much greater danger than workers inhaling it. From wood dust to corn starch to metal dust and powders, when there’s a high enough concentration of dust in an enclosed space with other oxidizing gases like oxygen, there’s a severe danger of dust explosion. OSHA reported that in 2010, 3 workers were killed in a titanium dust explosion in West Virginia. In 2008, 14 workers were killed in a sugar dust explosion in Georgia. These tragic accidents could have been prevented if the facilities had consulted a dust collection specialist who would have designed and installed dust collection units per the National Fire Protection Associations NFPA 654, NFPA 61, NFPA 484, NFPA 655, and NFPA 664 providing adequate air filtration and reducing or eliminating the danger.
Protect Your Facility As proven by the sugar dust example, even the most benign materials can become deadly in a dust explosion, so no matter what type of dust is in your facility, caution should be taken. An advanced dust collection system design and installation could be the difference between business as usual and a catastrophe. In association with the NFPA and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, we at Air Dynamics are aware of the various dangers associated with combustible dust.
That’s why we follow these recommendations and take the time to get to know the unique details of your business, analyze the processes, and then implement a comprehensive dust collection system that will improve the air quality, protect personnel and your facility, yielding peace of mind and improving the health and safety of your workers.
Contact us today to learn how a few dust collection units can be a life-changing addition to your business.