Dust is hard to see, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there, especially in an industrial environment. If your place of business kicks up a lot of dust, waste, and other airborne byproducts, you need the extra safety and security of a dust collector. Here are the consequences of not using a dust collector machine and how your factory, mill, or similar facility can benefit from this type of device.
Dust Is a Health Hazard
It’s all in the name. A dust collector machine works to collect loose, flying, airborne particles, leaving the air cleaner than it was before. The dust collector is designed to create a vacuum that sucks in air that’s been contaminated with dust particles. The dust is contained in a bin or similar receptacle for disposal while cleaner, filtered air is released outside. Without the dust collector, the air in your facility remains filled with free-floating particles that can enter employees’ lungs, potentially leading to difficulty breathing, allergy attacks, and disease down the road. That can cut into your insurance and healthcare plans and lead to lawsuits. And yes, OSHA and the EPA are watching as well.
Dust Can Hurt You Economically
Dust can also collect around the facility. Obviously, it can be unsightly, gathering everywhere in a thick coating that only becomes more difficult to clean over time. But dust can also find its way into machinery, gumming up moving parts and leading to expensive repairs. It can also settle onto inventory and products in the process of being built, leading to unclean, unusable, and inoperable merchandise. Your facility may not need to be as clean as a clean room in a microchip factory, but it does require a high level of cleanliness and order to ensure you’re building the best products.
Dust Is a Fire Hazard
Here’s one of the biggest consequences of not using a dust collector machine: combustible dust is highly flammable. Most flammable dust comes from organic sources like wood, flour, sugar, and grains. Some substances like flour or sugar may not catch fire when in a pile, but when they’re aloft and in the air, a tiny flame or spark can cause a major conflagration. Dust collectors keep suspended combustible dust levels low but should be assisted by a good sprinkler system and regular checks for any sources of heat, flame, or exposed and sparking wires.
Dust Collectors Don’t Just Collect Dust
Dust collectors can clean the air of other things besides dust. They can also help filter out noxious gases and particles from other materials that can float in the air and enter workers’ mouths, noses, and eventually, their lungs. Rubber, fiberglass, plastics, carbon, bricks, and even welding fumes can all be sucked out of a building and filtered through dust collectors. See that your facility is kept safe and properly equipped with a dust collection system. Contact us today!