Dust Suppression

With dust, especially silica dust gaining more focus from regulatory bodies, pressure is on process operators to keep dust down. Clearly the best solution is to avoid creating it or try to trap it at source.

Nevertheless, some processes do generate dust that cannot be trapped. It becomes airborne and must be suppressed. A dusty workplace damages machinery and can harm the workforce. COPD and Silicosis are linked to dusty working environments. High dust levels are unlawful under the Health and Safety Act and Environmental Protection Act. Regulators can serve Improvement Notices and in some cases, a Prohibition Notice.

High pressure mist can suppress dust whether indoors, or outdoors. In warehouses, loading areas and factories or at site perimeters and boundaries.

Suppressing dust in the factory

Suppress dust in the process area.

In a High pressure system, pressurized water is forced through laser drilled nozzles. This creates a fine mist. The fog quickly mixes with the air. Dust particles and water droplets combine and fall out of the air. One can visibly notice that a dusty building clears in a matter of minutes when the mist starts. Nozzles can be fitted in the roof to suppress dust within the building or close to transfer points and load-out points where dust is often generated.

Purchase and running costs are much lower than alternative techniques, such as dust extraction and dust collection. Power consumption is far less too when compared to other approaches.

Suppressing Dust with Fog

Will the fog wet the product or my process area?

One might assume that misting would make an area wet or damp. In many dust generating processes there is a great need for the process area to remain dry.

Our pumps ensure appropriate water pressure control and selection of nozzles to ensure fog is fine enough to prevent the area becoming damp while effectively suppressing dust.

Advanced Misting Systems is an industry leader in dust suppression. We have a very broad range of long term experience in chemical and minerals industries. High pressure is used in vegetable and dry powder packing where products being processed must not become wet.

Suppressing Silica Dust at loading point

Silica dust is a particular area of focus for regulatory bodies due to the carcinogenic effects of respirable crystalline silica dust. There is widening pressure to reduce the workplace exposure limit for respirable crystalline silica dust levels to 0.05mg/m3.

Fog is an essential tool to suppress dust to these levels. High pressure systems can effectively remove breathable and fugitive dust in the range 0.1 to 1000microns.