Why Dust Suppression is Essential
Dust suppression is a crucial aspect of environmental and workplace safety management. Uncontrolled dust can have far-reaching consequences for air quality, water resources, soil health, wildlife and operational efficiency. Proper dust control not only enhances safety and productivity but also ensures compliance with environmental regulations.
The Consequences of Uncontrolled Dust
Human Health
Excess airborne dust contributes to poor air quality by increasing particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) levels. Prolonged exposure can lead to respiratory diseases such as silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and occupational asthma. Additionally, certain types of dust, such as crystalline silica and asbestos, pose carcinogenic risks.
Environmental Damage
Dust can settle into nearby water bodies, affecting aquatic ecosystems and contaminating drinking water sources. Similarly, excessive dust deposition on land can alter soil composition, reducing fertility and impacting plant growth.
Commercial Factors
In industrial and construction environments, excessive dust can damage machinery, leading to increased maintenance costs and operational downtime. Furthermore, dust clouds reduce visibility, increasing the risk of accidents for workers and vehicles on-site.
Legal Compliance
Many industries are required to meet dust control standards to comply with environmental permits, workplace safety laws, and air quality regulations set by governing bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Environment Agency (EA) and local authorities. Failure to control dust can lead to complaints, legal action and financial penalties.
Tungsten Tanks’ Customisable Dust Suppression Solutions
Tungsten Tanks provides highly versatile and effective mobile dust suppression solutions, offering a range of bowsers that can be customised to meet the needs of various industries. Whether used on construction sites, in quarries or mining operations or in any dust-prone locations, these mobile solutions ensure effective dust control.
Mobile Dust Suppression Systems
Mobile dust suppression systems are designed for flexibility and ease of deployment. Mounted on towable or skid-mounted water bowsers, they can be easily transported to different areas within a site. The two main types of mobile dust suppression systems are mobile water spray systems and mist cannon (fog cannon) systems.
Mobile water spray systems
These produce large droplets ranging from 100 to 1000 microns, making them best suited for surface dust suppression. They are effective for wetting down roads, stockpiles and material handling areas. However, they consume more water and are primarily used for controlling dust on unpaved roads and construction sites. These systems are mounted on towable or skid-mounted bowsers and are equipped with spray bars for targeted application.
Mist cannon systems
Also known as fog cannons, these systems produce a fine mist with droplet sizes between 10 and 150 microns. They are ideal for covering large areas, with a range of up to 100 metres, and are particularly effective for airborne dust control. Mist cannons consume less water than traditional water spray systems, making them more efficient. They are often powered by diesel generators and are used in industries such as demolition, mining and bulk material handling where suppressing airborne dust is essential.
Customisable Bowsers from Tungsten Tanks
Tungsten Tanks offers a variety of bowsers suitable for dust suppression applications.
Highway tow bowsers are designed for road transport and comply with highway regulations
Site tow bowsers are ideal for off-road and construction site use
ATV site tow bowsers provide compact and highly manoeuvrable solutions for remote locations
Skid-mounted bowsers serve either as stationary units for fixed dust control points or can be temporarily carried on a truck or trailer bed as a mobile unit.
All of these bowser types can be customised with water spray systems or mist cannons to ensure maximum effectiveness in dust suppression.
Contact Tungsten Tanks for Your Dust Suppression Needs
Effective dust control is essential for maintaining a safe and compliant work environment. The Tungsten Tanks range of customisable bowsers ensures efficient dust suppression across various industries.
Contact Tanks-UK, the UK’s Tungsten Tanks specialists, to find the perfect dust suppression solution for your site.