Information Center — The Workplace

Ventilation is crucial in the warehouse environment for a number of reasons. Perhaps most importantly, however, proper ventilation protects workers from hazardous airborne chemicals or flammable vapors by moving such potentially contaminated air out of the work area and replenishing the same area with clean, fresh air.  But ventilation equipment isn’t prone to malfunction, which makes proper care and maintenance of such components critical, for both your facility’s operations and employee health. There are three types of ventilation equipment – for indoor air quality, for dilution and for local exhaust. While each type of system has its pros and cons,...

In the home environment, thermostats are designed to keep the indoor environment at a pre-set temperature, helping to keep the structure cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Today, homeowners can even purchase advanced thermostats that limit the use of the heating and cooling units during hours when nobody is inside the home, saving further money on utility costs. These same basic principles of thermostats can also be applied to the industrial environment, only in addition to controlling heating and cooling units (if applicable), they can also help maintain exhaust, air make-up and circulation fans to keep the...

The right ventilation in a hospital, notably an operating room, or OR, is crucial. In fact, indoor air quality if perhaps none more crucial in such a medical environment that often treats patients with life threatening situations. Hence, ventilation requirements are recommended by the American Hospital Association and all hospitals must have certain ventilation standards set in place. Why? Because in the OR, all devices need to remain sterile to best avoid complications during surgery. Think about it – even the surgeons and nurses in the OR are required to wear special masks, gloves and scrubs to minimize the spread...

On a hot, muggy or humid day, a little bit of air circulation can make a big difference in terms of comfort. Many of us accomplish this through central air conditioning, while either it be at the office or at home. But larger, more unique workplaces such as the gym, bakery or warehouse have a tendency to get hot and stay hot, making central air conditioning inefficient in terms of a cooling source. That’s where oscillating fans come into play. These simple and common types of fans are often run on a single electronic motor, circulating air in the immediate...

Exhaust fans are essential in any bathroom, whether it be in your home bathroom or your factory employee restroom. They serve two primary purposes – removing bad odor from the room and also removing moisture and humidity from the area. While the former role of bathroom exhaust fans is more for convenience and comfort than anything, the later role they serve is more important. That’s because running faucets and showers within a confined space, such as the bathroom, add moisture and humidity to the air. And too much moisture build up can lead to mold and mildew growth, which is...