THE CHALLENGE
Anytime a workforce is required to wear respirators, morale and productivity suffer. At one aluminum plant, leadership sought guidance in creating a safe environment where employees could work without the need for face masks.
Inside the plant, airborne carbon dust floated: fine, black and flammable. Workers would finish shifts covered in dark granules. It was clear to anyone: without respirators, this work area was hazardous. The plant was also an incredibly complex system.
THE SOLUTION
Our design-build a dust collector system that would eliminate the need for respirators and capture fugitive carbon dust. This was a total turnkey package. At the same time, the aluminum plant couldn’t halt productivity during the new system’s integration.
We identified several dust pickup, transfer and suction points throughout the plant to minimize dust escape. We also coordinated all of the design and procurement of equipment with the manufacturer, in addition to coordinating with the engineer, plant operators and construction crew. There were scheduled shutdowns, but the main install occurred while the plant was still in operation.
RESULTS
The Artisan solution reduced the amount of airborne dust to levels that allowed employees to work without respirators.