Poor air quality = Poor productivity

Welding without proper ventilation
is a health-risk

A British lighting company has been prosecuted for subjecting its employees to poor working conditions. 

Despite specialists giving recommendations on how to improve standards, and a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector uncovering multiple areas where the company was not meeting health guidelines, it continued to function under the same circumstances for at least eight more months. 

The company was recently fined for sub-standard bathroom facilities, defects in the electrical system, little to no heating in the building, and no ventilation in the welding and powder-spraying sections.

These failings highlighted the extreme risks workers took when going to work every day. One inspector even stated he had never seen such poor conditions in the ten years he’d been an inspector. 

This company is representative of poor indoor air quality sometimes found in the industrial sector. Many health hazards surrounded the workers, such as bacteria from the bathrooms, the risk of being electrocuted by the faulty systems, catching various colds or flus due to a lack of proper insulation and heating, and breathing in toxic fumes in both the spray booths and the welding area.

In 2010/2011, statistics revealed that work-related illnesses affected approximately 100,000 people in Yorkshire and Humber, England.

Source: Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

Indoor Air Quality in the Industrial Sector

Working in the industrial sector can be very stressful. Many people are faced with tasks that involve welding, sawing, electrical work, and/or the handling of toxic chemicals. Working with such materials requires a safe and healthy environment. 

It is the companies' responsibility to provide clean and toxic-free working conditions so employees will work more efficiently, and absenteeism, due to work-related illnesses, will be minimized. 

A healthy working environment makes for a happier and healthier employee.

Improving a company’s indoor air quality

Electrocorp's Fume Extractor

If you’re a company that is predominantly in production or manufacturing, and many duties involve welding, soldering, sawing, etc…, the best way to mitigate poor air quality is to use Electrocorp’s Fume Extractor series of air cleaners. With metalwork, it is recommended that each person have a Fume Extractor by his or her side. 

The units have a spark arrestor as well as a maneuverable arm and intake hood which can be moved close to the fumes and sparks. The hood allows the toxic chemicals to be absorbed from the source and immediately taken out of the ambient air, thus providing a healthier indoor air quality for all employees. 

The units use 40-80 lb activated carbon filters to adsorb the toxic chemicals, and HEPA filters help extract particles from the air.

Have you ever been ill from poor air quality at the workplace? 

Do you run a company where you make sure the quality of the air keeps your employees healthy? 

We want to hear from you. Tell us your stories, or feel free to ask any questions. We’d be happy to respond.

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For more information on Electrocorp, please contact us.