Safety First
CANADIAN INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY
SEPTEMBER 9, 2014
Eliminating particulates, isocyanates, and VOCs from shop air is essential to worker health
Particulates and toxins need to be removed from the air before recirculation can occur.
Shops that finish parts with a painting or coating process have been aware of the airborne dangers for many years. And, although lead-based paints are a thing of the past, other dangers still exist.
Nearly every manufacturing business that requires a coating to be applied to it‘s products—whether its paint, powder coating, or any other application that involves spraying— has two major problems. First, the work area needs to be contained so that it does not get contaminated with dust or other particulates. Second, the spraying process contaminates the air, which needs to be filtered or exhausted, or both, from the building.
Typical solutions to these two problems involve fixed, single-purpose rooms requiring that high volumes of air be exhausted. These enclosures require floor space that permanently reduces the square footage available for other processes, and limits the size and shape of objects that can be moved into the booths.
Exhausting air also means that replacement air must be brought inside. If outside air is significantly above or below the indoor air temperature, it must also be pretreated through makeup air processes. These pretreatment units have high initial capital costs with significant ongoing operating costs.
