Buyers Guide

Special Focus 39 Health & Safety the contractor to ensure the correct measures are in place. Manufacturers must ensure the contractor is using the correct type of equipment. One important thing to be aware of is that equipment can usually be paired with a specific dust collector, but a good guideline is that a smaller surface preparation machine requires a small dust collector and vice versa. Dust collection can also be done in two ways, wet or dry. Usually the application at hand will specify whether wet or dry collection is most appropriate. For example, in food processing or the production of electronic components the risk dust poses is huge. In these scenarios, surfaces should be prepared using water to ensure no dust is escaping into the environment, it is instead caught in slurry. This is because dust can cause drastic problems and contaminate products. Dry dust collection, on the other hand, acts almost like an oversized vacuum cleaner. Where possible, contractors opt for this technology as it requires less labour time, avoids the risk of water meeting electricity and removes the need to clean up slurry. Manufacturers should be aware that this means there will be a low level of airborne dust generated and ensure that the contractor has opted for the correct choice between wet or dry dust collection. Keep it legal Because it is so important that dust collection is managed properly, regulations have been introduced to cover dust collection on construction sites. In the US, all dust collectors are required to have a high- efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, a secondary filtration system that collects the dust that the main filter doesn’t. The HEPA filter removes the smallest particles, which are often the most dangerous. As well as legislative requirements on equipment, disposal is a regulated process. The laws for disposal are varied by country and in the US by state, so contractors must take care to follow the local laws and dispose of dust legally. There can be huge fines if a contractor fails to do so. The company must check in to the contractor to ensure these processes are managed correctly or run the risk of breaking the law. Cosmic dust is present across the galaxy, but construction dust doesn’t have to be airborne across a manufacturing facility. Manufacturers should be aware that dust is more than an annoyance to reduce health and safety risks and improve efficiency. Today the Demag brand continues to set the standard for innovation and excellence in material handling. Throughout the world industrial operators are benefiting from state-of-the-art Demag crane system installations. For generations the Demag name has been synonymous with quality, performance and reliability. T: 01295 676100 E: bnb-help@demagcranes.com www.demagcranes.co.uk Dave Bigham