Don't Let Dust On High Surfaces Go Untouched

Most industrial plants produce some sort of dust during the manufacturing process. It’s easy to see dust or dirt at eye level, but when looking up, high surfaces may appear to be clean.  But dust, dirt, grease, and other debris are common to find on the ceiling and rafters of many manufacturing and production facilities. While it seems that high surface dust is not hurting anything, it is actually causing numerous problems within the building.

Ceiling and Rafters: What's Going On Up There?

Dust, dirt and other debris will travel through the air and land on high surfaces. Since these areas are out of reach and typically out of sight, they are not cleaned regularly. This allows for dust to begin to accumulate on the ceiling and rafters. These areas now become breeding grounds for mites, mold, bacteria, viruses, and other poisons that are toxic to the environment.

The vibrations in the facility can cause the built up dust to occasionally fall and contaminate the machinery or products below. Not to mention, chunks of this collected debris can enter the ventilation system and clog up the HVAC as well as pollute the air you breathe, causing employees to become ill and lower work efficiency.

To top it all, high ceiling and rafter dust can be made of combustible dust which is a major dust explosion hazard. Usually what happens is a small fire or explosion occurs on the ground level dust. This creates shockwaves, or the efforts to put it out stir the air, which disrupts the combustible dust that had collected on the ceiling and rafters.  As the dust falls down to the ground below, it generates a dust cloud that covers the entire building. This cloud reaches the initial ignition source, causing it to combust.

Other Top Reasons For Rafter and High Ceiling Cleaning

• Piles of dust and dirt can become breeding grounds for mites, mold, bacteria, viruses, and other pollutants.
• OSHA & the NFPA can give violations and fines for having unsafe levels on dust on ceilings and rafters.
• Chunks of this collected debris can enter the ventilation and clog up the HVAC system.
• Can cause odors and break down the surface it’s on, causing rust or rot.
• Aesthetic reasons, visible dirt collected on surfaces can make a workplace unattractive.
• To prepare surfaces for painting or other maintenance work.
• Creates poor indoor air quality, which according to the EPA is a leading environmental threat and cause of airborne sickness.

Even if the rest of a building looks spotless, if the ceiling and rafters haven’t been cleaned there are many problems that can occur. So, adding high surface cleaning to your list of industrial cleaning responsibilities helps to ensure that all of the risks are resolved.

If you need high surface cleaning services performed in your facility contact us now to find out how we can help you.

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