What Is An Industrial Ventilation System?
The safety, health, and welfare of employees should be one of the main concerns for any business owner. Apart from making your company look attractive to good workers, it also saves a lot of money year after year. Money lost due to injuries, sickness, and other health care issues cost United States businesses billions of dollars.
In the construction business, we’ve all see those “Days since an accident” signs. But being secure on a catwalk or safely operating heavy machinery is just one aspect of workplace safety. In many cases, it’s the unseen that can be much more harmful.
By cleaning air contaminants, removing dust fumes, and bringing in large amounts of fresh air, an industrial ventilation system is one of the first lines of defense against sickness. These venting systems may also include a way to provide dust collection for future disposal. Think of a large, industrial-size vacuum cleaner.
In some cases, the design and fabrication of ventilation systems have nothing to do with contaminants. Consider the large stainless steel oven hoods ducting found in commercial kitchens. Here the system is designed to remove smoke, steam, and heat from the work area for more comfortable cooking.
Having proper ventilation is key to providing a safe and healthy workspace for your employees. A well-designed industrial ventilation system results in better health for your employees as well as reduced risk for workplace accidents.
WHY YOU NEED INDUSTRIAL VENTILATION
- Provide people with a continual supply of fresh air from outside
- Protect workers from heat stroke
- Reduce fire or explosion risks
- Reduce exposure to airborne contaminants
On top of that, having an industrial ventilation system will eliminate the need to completely overhaul your processes. If you’re using harmful chemicals, having good ventilation is a decent substitute as you look for alternatives. After fabrication and installation, a well-designed ventilation system removes the contaminated air in minutes. Even faster in some cases, depending on the size of the room and fans.
When planning for a system, consider where the source of contamination is. In a kitchen, the vents are placed right above the cooktop. But that’s not always convenient or efficient in some work environments. To keep indoor air quality at it’s best, how the air pollution control system is designed or installed is important for efficiency.
PARTS OF AN INDUSTRIAL VENTILATION SYSTEM
An industrial ventilation system consists of two central parts: the fresh air supply system and an exhaust system. The supply system includes an air inlet, air filtering equipment, heating and cooling equipment, fans, ductwork, and air distribution registers.
The exhaust system has an air intake area, ducts that move air from one area to the next, an air cleaning device, discharge stacks, and fans. Both “ends” of the system work together to remove a wide range of contaminants from the area.
There are two basic types of ventilation systems for industrial work areas:
Dilution Ventilation: This reduces the amount of contaminants in the air by mixing contaminated air with clean, fresh air. The method usually involves putting large exhaust fans in the walls or roof of a building or room. This type of system is used when air pollution is not very high, and the toxicity level is low to moderate. Dilution systems require less maintenance and are the best ventilation choice for mobile or dispersed contaminant sources.
Local Exhaust Ventilation: This system captures air impurities and contaminants at or near the source and expels them outside. It requires a hood or other opening that will capture the pollutants at the source. A duct system moves the chemicals through the system, away from the inside.
Quality air filter systems clean the air as it moves. This system is used in areas where contaminants are higher and pose a greater risk to employees and others inside the workspace. This system can handle removing many kinds of pollutants including metal fumes and dust. It uses less energy than dilution systems.
Health and Safety
When health and safety are major concerns – and they should be after all – efficient ventilation systems are absolutely necessary. Even in an office setting, microscopic debris can create a full-scale petri dish during the fall and winter seasons. A sneeze here or a cough there and suddenly the whole office is sick.
Keep the air moving or suffer the lost days or weeks of productivity. Even turnkey systems like window fans can help, but won’t provide much relief in larger areas. Consider very large industrial or manufacturing facilities that work with chemicals or produce copious amounts of dust and airborne particles. A window fan – or 10 or 20 – just won’t cut it.
Need an industrial ventilation system for your new production facility? Need to upgrade to something much more efficient? Or has steady growth demanded a complete overhaul? Consider reaching out to Storee Construction.
Our team at Storee has worked with industrial and commercial clients since 1966. We can help you choose the ventilation for your plant. Then, we’ll design, build and install the upgrades. Contact us today for more information!
