Buyers Guide

| Plant &Works Engineering | Annual Buyers’ Guide 2019 Special Focus 38 Health & Safety I n outer space, cosmic dust is widely present across the galaxy. Originally, it was an annoyance to astronomers – it obstructed the objects they wished to observe. The introduction of infrared astronomy identified that the dust was actually a vital component of astrophysical processes. Dust is more than just an annoyance for manufacturers, it is also health and safety risk. During construction and renovation in a Done and dusted Dave Bigham, director of global training initiatives at surface preparation equipment specialist National Flooring Equipment, discusses the importance of dust collection for manufacturers. manufacturing facility, numerous jobs can create dust including surface preparation tasks like grinding, scarifying and shot blasting. It is vital that when the surface is prepared for the replacement floor, dust does not become airborne. Protecting the people One reason that dust collection is so important is that airborne dust can lead to serious consequences for anyone in the area. One of the more well-known health consequences of breathing in construction dust is silicosis, caused by silica dust inhalation. In addition, certain surfaces may contain oil, hydraulic fluid or brake fluid, which are carcinogens. When a surface is cut or scraped, these materials are released. Dust can also cause other conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. To make matters worse, once a person’s lungs have been contaminated, they will never recover. There can be several other negative consequences for manufacturers. For example, if dust were to get behind a control panel in an automotive manufacturing facility, vehicles would have to be taken apart after assembly if they are contaminated. If electronic components became contaminated, it could ruin an entire batch. Getting the job done As well as the serious health and safety issues, airborne dust impacts a job’s efficiency. If dust spreads around the site, it can contaminate the walls, doors, air vents and will greatly increases the amount of time required to clean up when the job is complete. This adds time to the renovation job, which increases downtime and the labour cost of the project for the manufacturer. To remove the risk of these negative consequences, manufacturers should establish early on with the contractor exactly how dust will be managed. This should involve dust collection equipment – it is not acceptable to use a manual broom, as it can increase airborne dust and is against regulations in some regions. The ability to capture dust before it becomes airborne is cleaner, safer and significantly less work. Don’t let the dust settle Though it is the contractor’s responsibility to ensure proper dust collection in place, manufacturers can improve their knowledge and understanding to oversee the process and reduce the risk of a costly error. A good way to do this is have a member of the health and safety team working closely with