MONTREAL
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide and overwhelm healthcare systems in many countries, businesses and individuals are contemplating what steps they can take once lockdown restrictions are relaxed to protect themselves from the respiratory disease and from serious health consequences. Beyond the measures that all governments are preaching, including social distancing, frequent hand washing and wearing masks, there are steps that can be taken by manufacturers to protect their workers from serious health consequences should they get infected.
Fine particulate generated from processes such as welding, grinding, sanding and cutting compromise the indoor air quality of factories and the people who work in them. Breathing in high concentrations of fume and dust causes reduced lung function and causes inflammation, negatively impacting the outcome of people struggling with a dangerous respiratory infection associated with COVID-19. Workers who are exposed to the hazardous air pollutants are at higher risk of developing the following respiratory illnesses which greatly affect their ability to recover from COVID-19:
Asthma
Bronchitis
COPD
Emphysema
Lung cancer
Metal fume fever
Pulmonary edema
Pneumonia
Many studies have demonstrated that people exposed to harmful indoor and outdoor air pollution are more susceptible to respiratory viruses such as the SARS-CoV2 virus. The solution to protecting people working in factories from the current pandemic is to make efforts to ensure that the indoor air is safe and clean. Using engineering controls such as capture at-source or ambient air cleaning systems to collect fume and dust before they enter a worker’s breathing zone prevents workers from suffering lung damage.
With decades of experience in the industrial air filtration industry, Diversitech can help ensure the air in your facility is clean and safe. We manufacture a full line of products designed to protect worker’s lungs including weld fume extractors, downdraft tables, dust collectors and ambient air cleaners. Contact Diversitech to learn more about our air filtration systems and the best way to keep workers healthy and safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, and into the future.
