Air filtration systems: How they protect industry workers and improve production efficiency

Installing and using properly designed and compliant air filtration systems mitigates the industry’s environmental impact, enhances production efficiency, and even saves lives.

Factories and pollution

There's a clear link between factories and pollution. Factory workers are more affected by air pollution than other working groups and suffer more than others from harmful health problems. Industry workers in dusty environments may also be exposed to fire and explosion risks if combustible dust is not handled in a safe and efficient way.

Beyond this, if pollution from industries is not captured at the source in the factory, it will eventually spread outside, and affect the nearby community. According to the Council of the EU and the European Council, industries are responsible for emitting 20% of all pollutants into the air and water, and 40% of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.

How are industry workers affected by bad air quality in their workplace?

No one should be sick or injured from working. Yet, some working groups are among the most exposed to harmful emissions that they breathe in, one breath at a time, every day they go to work.

• Welders, have according to the International Institute of Welding, an excess risk of getting lung cancer because of the hazardous fume emissions that are generated from welding.
• Car mechanics are exposed to toxic vehicle exhaust when running engines inside the car workshop.
• The same goes for firefighters. You may believe it´s only the fire and smoke in case of an emergency that is the reason for affecting firefighters' health and lungs. In reality, the diesel exhaust from the fire trucks starting inside the fire station before leaving for the emergency, spreads harmful fumes and particulates around the firefighters' residency where they eat, sleep, and train..
• Construction workers breathing in silica dust from concrete are at risk of chronic silicosis, a deadly occupational disease so recognisable to concrete workers that it is commonly known as "grinder’s asthma".
• Dentists and laboratory workers are at risk of various types of contamination, infection, or diseases when handling patients and substances.
• Manufacturers dealing with wood dust, composite/plastic dust, and dust within the food industry such as grains, flour, sugar, different kinds of powders and spices, etc., are all exposed to what is called combustible dust, or explosive dust.

These working groups are just a sample of the many industries that are exposed to health and safety risks from poor air quality in their workplaces. So, how do we protect them?

Air filtration systems as the solution

The installation and correct use of compliant air filtration systems in all industries is a proven solution. There are several systems specially designed for each industry's unique needs for extraction and filtration of welding fumes, exhaust fumes, oil mist, gases, or combustible dust, customised for the industry's production, capacity, size, and other needs.

Air filtration systems extract and filter the air to capture all the harmful pollution, leaving clean air in the work environment. Clean air not only reduces the risk of serious diseases, factory explosions, and the negative impact on the environment, but is also proven to increase operational and energy efficiency.

With less accumulation of dust on machinery, electrical cabinets, and inventory, the machines work more smoothly with less risk of unnecessary production stops, reduced maintenance and lower housekeeping costs. A clean air environment also makes fans and motors work more easily with less energy consumed. On top of this, it´s well known that clean and healthy working environments boost workers' productivity through increased focus and motivation and reduced absences from work.

What is the most efficient air filtration system?

The most efficient air filtration system depends on your needs. The most important factor is to use the air filtration system correctly adapted to the work and make sure that the extraction is as close to the source as possible, to capture the particles before they spread and reach the workers' breathing area.

In many cases, an extraction arm is the answer. An extraction arm can be mounted flexibly to fit industry's unique needs, it can be a single arm or several to have one for each work station. The arms are connected to a ducting system to transport the dust and dirty air to the filter.

For some welders, the solution can possibly be an on-torch or integrated welding fume MIG gun that extracts the fumes directly from the welding torch.

What is the best air filter media?

There are several types of filter technologies available and the best filter media depends on the application and the size of the dust.

Blended paper and spunbond polyester medias have been used in air filtration systems for decades and are still used in most dust collectors and fume extractors.  With different treatments added to these medias, almost any dust application can be addressed. With today´s advancement and availability of nanofiber treatment added to the filter media to enhance its performance, these filters are now able to collect more and smaller particles than ever before, clean easier and reduces use of compressed air, and overall save operating costs which makes nanofiber filters some of the most efficient and cost effective for collecting the smallest particles and improving worker safety.

As a final polishing filter or as a safety before air is returned indoors to ensure the air entering is clean of smoke and particulates, a High-Efficiency Particulate Air filter (HEPA filter) is commonly used to help meet local indoor air standards and provide the cleanest air possible.

As a world leading air filter manufacturer and a pioneer in air pollution control, we evaluate what filter media is the best option for every single product and every customer's unique needs. To always ensure a clean, safe, and efficient workplace.

World leading in developing air filtration systems

Founded in 1944, Nederman has extensive experience in developing air filtration systems and solutions to handle emissions inside production facilities. We are in constant development to innovate new products and techniques to protect workers' health and improve workplaces all over the world. Because we know that air filtration systems are the solution to protect people, planet and production from the harmful effects of industrial processes.

Do you want to learn more about air quality challenges and air filtration systems for your industry? Visit our industry pages where we talk more about the challenges with dust and fumes within specific industries, or contact us to book a meeting with one of our clean air experts.