Think back on some of the greatest innovations in our history -- fire, the wheel, electricity, the telephone, and the computer, to name a few. What made these innovations successful is that they were developed not out of a mere desire to innovate but out of necessity -- a need for warmth, mobility, light, and communication.
As it relates to the industrial cleaning industry, there have also been some ground-breaking innovations -- slip-resistant floor coatings, quiet and maneuverable machines that can be used any time of the day or night, scrubbing technology that uses less water. These innovations, too, were developed out of necessity -- a need for improved safety, improved productivity, and reduced operating expenses.
Because safety always ranks very high on the list of priorities for maintaining any type of facility, this article addresses what innovations to look for in plant maintenance equipment if you want to improve safety -- specifically safety for maintenance personnel, plant occupants, the facility itself, and the environment.
Safety of Maintenance Personnel
When considering the safety of maintenance personnel in an industrial environment, several factors come into play, including reducing distractions, improving ergonomics, reducing onboard risks when operating maintenance equipment, avoiding contact with cleaning chemicals, and reducing risks associated with working around moving machinery. But recent innovations in industrial cleaning machines address each of these factors.
Gone are the days of complicated controls that require thick manuals to understand. Many of today's industrial machines offer simple, coordinated controls that allow operators to focus on their driving and not on figuring out what buttons to push. Such simple controls can have a dramatic impact on reducing operator distractions. They can also improve operator ergonomics, as can an ergonomically designed operator compartment with adjustable arm rests, a retractable seatbelt, and a propel pedal, all of which allow for hours of operation without fatigue.
A heat sensor located within the debris hopper reduces onboard risks such as fire hazards in the hopper due to a cigarette or hot materials. And thanks to pre-measured concentrated detergent cartridges that easily snap on and off of industrial scrubbers, machine operators can safely handle and dispose of chemicals.
Safety of Occupants
Many industrial plants operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Because machinery is always in operation and employees are always on site, they face a number of risks every day. Not surprisingly, slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents. The problems are so prevalent that OSHA has created specific requirements regarding floor maintenance in industrial facilities. Fortunately, several key advancements in the design and manufacturing of industrial maintenance equipment address these risks.
Without question, dry, clean floors can greatly reduce the risk of slips, trips, and falls. A cleaning system that is certified by the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI) to improve floor traction by removing slippery and sticky chemical residue, leaving just-cleaned floors immediately dry and safe, is perhaps the most dramatic example of an innovation designed to improve safety for plant occupants. A scrubber with a parabolic rear squeegee designed for exceptional water pickup will also help leave floors drier to improve occupant safety.
In addition to slips, trips, and falls, building occupants and employees also face hazards when they are simply working or walking in the vicinity of moving machinery such as large industrial cleaning machines. A quality scrubber-sweeper that can quickly and efficiently clean the floor through technologies that enable it to sweep and scrub simultaneously, for example, will reduce the amount of time the machine is in use. A machine with a large debris hopper and a large solution/recovery tank will also reduce the amount of time the machine is in use in and around occupants. And a machine with small but important features like a horn within the steering wheel and a backup alarm will ensure operators can quickly get the attention of building occupants if necessary.
Safety of the Facility
Just as the safety of maintenance personnel and facility occupants must be addressed when considering how to care for your facility, so, too, must the safety of the facility itself. Not only does routine maintenance pose a risk to the structure -- walls, columns, floors -- but it also poses a risk to other components within that facility -- shelving, product, assembly lines.
While older industrial cleaning machines were bulky and square with sharp corner points, some of today's best built industrial scrubbers and sweepers are highly maneuverable and include corner rollers that "grip" a wall or stationary object and roll the machine forward. In addition, headlights improve operator visibility to help avoid bumping into walls, columns, or other obstacles.
Safety of the Environment
Protecting the environment has become an integral part of many commercial and industrial maintenance programs. With new information on the negative impact of some chemicals, airborne particles, and even noise, many new industry standards and regulations actually mandate environmental sustainability. Fortunately, many recent technological advancements in sweepers and scrubbers make protecting the environment effortless.
Scrubbing technologies available on some of today's scrubbers and scrubber-sweepers use 70% less water and 90% less detergent, which reduces a facility's reliance on wasteful cleaning solutions. Other technologies include dust control systems that filter dust particles as small as 0.3 microns to improve indoor and outdoor air quality; emissions systems that meet the stringent requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resource Board to dramatically reduce emissions and improve air quality; and reduced noise levels that ensure machines operate at or below the OSHA-recognized 85 dBA on average over 8 hours.
Without question, the industrial maintenance industry has seen many ground-breaking innovations in the recent past -- innovations that dramatically improve safety for maintenance personnel, facility occupants, facilities themselves, and the environment. With these and other advances in technologies, putting safety first is smart business.
