Spring has sprung, and we all want to be outside in the fresh air, or at least open the windows to feel the cool breeze as we work. However as an industrial facilities, you 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 isn’t hurting anything, there are actually many reasons why high ceiling dusting matters.
The ceiling is full of rafters, pipes and ductwork. Dirt and dust travels through the air and lands on these high surfaces, where they accumulate quickly. Since these areas are out of reach and out of sight they don’t get regularly cleaned, which will increase the risks associated with the lack of high ceiling dusting. And now that that it is spring time and we all want to enjoy the fresh outside air as we work, that wind could disturb the dust, which could potentially cause many issues, especially a dust explosion. So, you may be wondering how can you benefit from high ceiling dusting in you facility?
Benefits of High Ceiling Dusting
Removes Accumulated Dust on High Surfaces
High surface dusting removes dust, dirt, grease, and other toxic materials commonly found on the rafters and ceilings of manufacturing and production facilities. The vibrations in facilities like these can shake built up dust loose, causing it to contaminate the production below.
Not to mention, OSHA & the NFPA can give violations and fines for having unsafe levels of dust on ceilings and rafters.
Improves Indoor Air Quality
Commercial duct cleaning can help improve indoor air quality by removing dirt, dust, other airborne contaminants and allergens out of the air from your facility’s HVAC system.
Not only does duct cleaning also improves your facility’s air quality, but allows your facility’s HVAC system to run more efficiently.
Improves Employee Health
Speaking of dirty ducts, they are the perfect breeding ground for mites, mold, bacteria, viruses, and other poisons that could contribute to Sick Building Syndrome. Mites and mold can cause allergic reactions in some people; bacteria and viruses will spread throughout the building making your employees sick.
Dust can also be a slipping hazard when it collects on walking surfaces; the small particles reduce the traction that people are used to when walking in a building. Slips are one of the main causes of workplace injury, and within those injuries dust is one of the main causes of those slips.
Prevents Combustible Dust Explosion
Properly removing combustible dust with the right equipment and gear helps to lessen the risk of a dust explosion during the cleaning process. Industrial facilities, produce a lot of dust, and over time that dust collects on machinery, floors, and on high surfaces. These types of dusts can pose as fire hazard when they collect in large enough areas. Many secondary explosions in factories have been caused by an explosive dust cloud forming when dust is knocked down from these high surfaces.
OSHA has been paying attention to the dangers that dust in the workplace can create and has been cracking down on companies that aren’t following housekeeping rules. The Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program was created by OSHA to deal with this issue, and has already cited almost five thousand businesses for dust accumulations, with fines ranging from thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands.
Think your facility could benefit from high ceiling dusting. Contact Us Here or call us at 888-845-3952 to find out how Hughes Environmental can help get rid of the dust on your facility’s high surfaces.
