What is dust extraction? To put it simply – dust extraction refers to the collection and removal of airborne dust.
If you can see dust around you, you are likely breathing it in, which can be detrimental to your long-term health. Whether you have a home woodworking shop, or an industrial factory, for your health and safety, your working environment requires a reliable dust extraction and control system to minimise the potential risks of dust exposure.
A good quality dust collector is an essential investment for your business, mandatory across a range of industrial sectors, from woodworking to engineering, food processing to pharmaceuticals, dust extractor systems protect people, property, and production from the harm of dust, debris and shavings generated by manufacturing processes.
As the leading providers of dust extraction systems and servicing, Searose Environmental are the experts in environmental engineering and minimising the risk of airborne dust pollutants. Within this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive deep dive into why dust extraction systems are so crucial to the safe and efficient functioning of Australian businesses.
What Is a Dust Extraction System?
An industrial dust extraction system is a type of air pollution control equipment designed to process air-borne dust and debris through a filtering system to control, reduce and eliminate potentially hazardous matter and fumes from the air and surrounding environment. Used across various industries, in factories, plants, woodshops, warehouses and other industrial and commercial settings, dust extractors area critical component of any manufacturing or construction process necessary to meet Australian environmental and workplace safety regulations.
Dust extraction equipment is specifically designed to purify and filter harmful dust particles and fine contaminant matter that compromise the safety of the work environment, released into the atmosphere during manufacturing and production processes, and deposit them into a collection area. A local exhaust ventilation system is fitted onto the specific application to capture dust creation.
A dust control system is designed to combat high-volume dust loads generated by a range of activities: excavating, demolition, drilling, blasting, woodwork, transporting, loading, and tipping. The machines increase productivity across a range of industries, maintain system and machinery performance, and ensure the safety of your working environment.
The components of a dust extraction system include:
- Cleaning systems
- Industrial fans
- Inlet design
- Explosion relief
- Filtration velocity
Why Is Dust Extraction Important?
An efficient dust extractor is profitable and responsible. A good quality system for proper dust control will protect employees’ health, increase safety, reduce maintenance and operating costs, increase productivity, and reduce site emissions that impact the environment.
So, are workshops in Australia required to have dust extraction? In most cases, yes – for a number of the following reasons.
1. Health
All airborne dust is hazardous to human health. However, dust generated during manufacturing and construction processes, in particular, can be detrimental to your wellbeing. Acceptable dust levels vary from industry to industry; however, due to the chemical composition of exposed and airborne dust, a dust extraction system is vital for the safety of your workers.
Prolonged dust exposure is responsible for various health problems, particularly the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The main dust-related diseases that affect construction workers are asthma, silicosis, heart disease, chronic pulmonary diseases, and forms of respiratory cancers. Arguably, the most significant danger that dust poses is that it can remain undetected for years, building up in the lungs progressively over time. The damage may be irreversible when you finally recognise the harm dust has caused to your system.
The three key factors that determine the impact on your health is the type and size of the particles you are exposed to and for how long you have been exposed. Demolition work, for example, can involve asbestos-contaminated dust that has been linked to mesothelioma, lung cancer and other cancers when ingested.
Dust control measures are imperative for workplaces to function safely. A dust collection system will systematically collect dust, dirt, and debris from the air to support a healthy and efficient working environment.
2. Safety
When dense dust clouds arise from land disturbance, demolition, and other construction activities, it can reduce on-site vision, creating a safety hazard. Furthermore, surface road dust reduces traction, leading to vehicular accidents. And over time, dirt roads that are unpaved and untreated can deteriorate more rapidly.
In enclosed spaces such as workshops and mines, airborne dust can reduce visibility and put you at higher risk of workplace injury. Fine particles can be a significant safety hazard with occurrences such as stockpile fires and coal dust self-combustion.
3. Productivity
Air-borne dust particles, debris, and dirt can significantly impact the efficiency of your machinery. Dust build-up can damage your manufacturing equipment, increasing the need for maintenance and repairs, and in turn, causing downtime, and in extreme cases, can increase the risk of fires or explosions.
Dust control systems can also prevent the build-up of dust throughout the manufacturing process that compromises the quality of your product. Extracting harmful dust from the work environment ensures a consistent, high-quality finish, saving you money in the long term by reducing the amount of financial loss on damaged goods.
4. Environmental
Dust generated by the industrial and commercial sectors may be contaminated with heavy metals, chemical compounds and asbestos that affects the health and amenity of surrounding communities. With dust extraction systems, air pollutants are adequately contained, purified, and deposited to ensure they don’t contaminate our waterways and endanger human, animal and plant life.
Dust extraction systems are vital to negating the environmental impact of dust pollution from construction and production activities. However, traditional dust controls and suppression additives, while specific dust controls and suppression additives minimise airborne dust particles, they may still harm the environment. Dust suppressants can gradually leak into groundwater and have negative impacts on agriculture.
Choose Searose for Your Dust Extraction Systems
Dust extraction, collection, and suppression are essential to maintaining a healthy air quality standard in many industrial workplaces. The bottom line is that your health and wellbeing are paramount. A good quality dust extraction and collection system will improve the health and safety of your facility to protect your workers. What’s more, proper dust collectors increase productivity, preventing dirt, dust and debris from interfering with the mechanics of your equipment.
Searose Environmental is the leading supplier of industrial dust extraction, control systems and products in Sydney and Brisbane, providing tailored solutions and considered recommendations to meet the demands of your business. For dust extractor servicing and dust control you can trust, we’ve got you covered. With over 40 years of experience, the Searose Environmental team are the industry experts in dust control services, providing professional design, supply, installation and repair solutions to ensure you harness the magnitude of benefits your dust control solution can provide.
Contact the Searose Environmental team today for a free no-obligation quote. Give us a call on 1300 484 849 or enquire online, and we’ll provide you with a price estimation for your new dust extraction system.