Dust is an everyday element in the working environment, but its actual impact on business operations is often underestimated. Dust in the workplace is harmful to health and can lead to serious health problems with long-term exposure.
When dust enters the body and accumulates there, the risk of diseases such as cancer and lung cancer increases significantly, and these risks become very real. Dust causes problems in different ways. Therefore, it is important to take measures to reduce its harmful effects.
Causes of Dust Accumulation
There are several causes of dust accumulation in warehouses and industrial buildings.
Some of these are:
- The frequent traffic of heavy machinery and pedestrians causes dust particles to be released from the concrete floor. In addition, this traffic spreads dust and dirt over clean surfaces.
- When loading and unloading goods and during transport preparation, vehicles bring new dust particles into the warehouse.
- Repeated industrial activities such as chiseling, sawing, drilling and grinding materials contribute to the formation of harmful dust in industrial environments.
- Inadequate cleaning in warehouses and industrial buildings significantly increases the amount of dust created by previous activities, while the accumulation of harmful particles does not.
When do you have a dust problem?
Sometimes you can immediately recognize if there are dust problems if there is visible dust floating where your employees breathe. That’s obviously because they breathe it in, and then they know there is a dust problem. But there are also situations in which it is less clear. Not every dust is large enough to be seen with the naked eye. Remember that very small dust particles such as quartz or other particulate matter can enter the lungs. Not all this particulate matter is equally harmful to health.
It depends on how much dust is present and what type of dust it is. It is important to ensure that there are as few dust problems as possible so that employees do not develop health problems. The government has set rules that employers must follow, and we explain the rules below: There are two types of exposure to dust: short-term exposure, where a person is exposed to a lot of dust in a short time, and long-term exposure for 8 hours. To measure how much dust is in the air, measurements must be taken near a person’s respiratory tract. Dust can look like gas, vapor, fibers, small particles or a kind of mist.
When it comes to dust, experts say there is no safe amount. Every bit of dust can be harmful to workers. That is why it is very important to have as little dust in the air as possible, so that your employees stay healthy.
Solution for Dust Problems
If your company does not comply with legally prescribed health regulations, this can be dangerous for your employees. This can lead to more absenteeism than normal and even to long-term illness or absence. To prevent this, you can sometimes temporarily wear face masks during heavy dust development or limit the time employees are exposed to dust by working in different shifts. If the dust load is consistently too high throughout the day, you should think about other solutions. To improve air quality, here are some important tips:
- Ensure there is sufficient fresh air by providing good ventilation or letting in clean air.
- Use filters to purify the air.
- Try to avoid dust by using local exhaust if possible, so that the air is not contaminated.
- Use BeeFoam.
What is BeeFoam?
BeeFoam is a foam product developed to improve dust control in working environments and thus increase safety. BeeFoam has the property of binding dust and floating particles, which significantly reduces dust formation. What sets BeeFoam apart is the special dosing system we have developed to facilitate application. An added benefit is that BeeFoam is completely biodegradable, meaning it can be used in a variety of situations without harming the environment. BeeFoam is produced in the Netherlands.
