Industrial ventilation fans are not only useful, but they are often a necessity in many applications. Using them helps maintain quality of work product, increases efficiency in production, reduces the cost of production, and protects equipment assets from avoidable wear. Most important of all they will help to protect the worker’s safety and health.
Dust extraction equipment is in use in fiberglass fabrication, food processing, mining, woodworking, paper, rubber grinding, welding, and laser and plasma cutting industries. It is useful for the recollection of valuable powder and bulk solids for reuse in solar cell fabrication and pharmaceutical production, and in processes like blasting.
Clean rooms used for electronics and computer chip manufacturing require extreme conditions that can only be produced by dust extraction equipment and fume extraction arms. They decrease defects and product rework. Removal of particulates and chemicals from the environment protects machines from corrosion and abrasion that will shorten their life.
Delays in production can be prevented through lessening the need to do the repeated cleaning in the work area, which may be necessary when chemicals and particles settle on work surfaces, or in moving parts. Much of today’s manufacturing equipment utilizes computers which are sensitive to environmental impurities and will not function long if they are exposed to them.
Most important of all, processes like chemical formulation, etching, or electroplating require local exhaust ventilation for suppression of contaminants and toxins hazardous to humans present in that area. Organizations including the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health establish standards for the industry. These are often codified in rules established through agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for exposure, and the Environmental Protection Agency for emissions.
The necessity for more expensive equipment such as respirators is often eliminated through sufficient ventilation. Such equipment is often cumbersome, making work difficult. Enforcing regulatory rules or company policies requiring their use can be hard to monitor or enforce.
Periodic testing of samples will ensure maintenance of standards and protection of employee safety. In turn the company will be able to find and keep employees that are capable and proficient. Bench testing analyzes and measures concentrations of physical properties present. Safe levels of exposure can then be guaranteed.
Other, inert but unpleasant substances can also be removed. Some of these may also be explosive. Sufficient quantities of combustible chemicals or particles can spontaneously ignite. In the eight years from 1980 to 2008 there were more than 350 of these kinds of incidents in the United States wherein 133 people lost their lives and hundreds were injured.
The simple and relatively inexpensive precaution of installing adequate industrial ventilation fans and a Welding fume extractor specifically designed and tested for the their intended use can save considerable costs in shutdown avoidance, improved production quality, decreased equipment maintenance, and avoiding fines and liabilities. They can also save the health and extend the lives of the employees that are needed on the job to make the business successful. Workers Compensation expenses, litigation costs, judgements, and punitive awards in suits for negligence or willful injury can run into millions of dollars.
Local Dust extraction systems and Welding fume extraction are a perfect solution as employee exposure to contaminants are minimized.