The presence of dust is a common issue faced in all warehouses.
It can come from many sources and because the particles are so small, can coat most surfaces, including the walls, shelving and most of all, the floor.
Although dust is commonplace in warehouses, the particles can be harmful to your staff and equipment, and shouldn’t just be accepted as part of the environment.
In fact, you should be taking measures to reduce the effects of dust in your warehouse.
Where Does It Come From?
Dust particles can be made up of all sorts of matter.
In a warehouse environment, it could be dirt, wood and cardboard fibres, exhaust from machinery and all sorts of other particles.
These fragments can come from forklifts, trucks, boxes, pallets, boots and even the clothing of your workers.
Dirt and dust can also be blown into your warehouse through the docking area, or open frontage or back.
Health Impact
The health of your employees is so important, and dust and soot can be harmful to their wellbeing.
These particles can exacerbate the symptoms of conditions like asthma, and even cause breathing difficulties in individuals with no previous respiratory problems.
In more serious cases, harmful dust entering the airways for a prolonged period can cause scarring of the respiratory system, or chronic pulmonary disease.
These particles can also cause irritation and damage to the eyes and skin.
Impact on Equipment
It isn’t only your people who are affected by dust.
Miniscule dust particles can get into machinery, vehicles and other equipment and affect its operating ability.
Dust and soot can clog air filters, affect lubrication on parts and reduce engine performance. It can also reduce traction for forklifts, increasing the chance of an accident.
This can inevitably cost your business a lot of money, to repeatedly clean and replace the operational parts of your equipment.
Save your company time and money by fighting the dust.
Ways to Combat It
It’s nigh on impossible to effectively reduce the amount of dust in your warehouse, due to the nature of the environment.
Therefore, it needs to be tackled through regular cleaning.
Most of the harmful dust in a warehouse sits on the floor surface. Having your warehouse floor scrubbed regularly is the most effective way to reduce the impact of harmful dust.
By contracting a professional warehouse sweep and scrub company to clean your warehouse floor, you will be prioritising your employees’ health, as well as saving money.
Consistent cleaning of the walls, shelving and machinery will also help to combat the effects of dust in your warehouse.
