One of the biggest challenges that warehouses and large industrial spaces often face is to try to stay well-ventilated. Not only is proper ventilation crucial to workers’ health and safety but it also helps extend the longevity of tools and equipment. As experts on steel building ventilation, our team at Design Components has come up with a list of things that you should consider for your warehouse ventilation.
Why Good Ventilation Inside Your Warehouse Is Key to Creating a Great Working Environment
Whether it’s natural or powered, proper steel building ventilation is important to the facility as it performs various functions, including:
- Brings fresh air from the outdoors into your space while drawing out the stale air from the inside.
- Removes or dilutes airborne pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, mold, pollen, etc.
- Hinders the spread of respiratory diseases.
- Controls humidity levels
Some people view a warehouse as a place of temporary storage as goods rotate in and out, but in fact, this is where many workers work 8 to 12 hours per day, year in and year out. Therefore, keeping up with ventilation to ensure good airflow, temperature, and humidity is highly recommended.
Three Steel Building Ventilation Factors to Consider
Steel building ventilation plays a major role in keeping a facility running smoothly and boosting productivity. Check out below the 3 things to consider when you are looking to improve the ventilation inside your warehouse building.
Temperature
Has the temperature in your warehouse been well regulated? Besides the weather outside, the level of machinery’s activity at your warehouse directly contributes to the facility’s temperature. Besides great options like exhaust fans or HVAC systems, you can also follow the suggested actions below:
- Open the windows during the day.
- Switch machines off in the evening when they are not in use.
- Replace your dark roof with a white one (it helps reduce the level of heat that the warehouse absorbs.)
Air Quality
Poor ventilation can lead to stagnant air within the building. This then could lead to harmful chemicals and pollutants that are detrimental to employees. If the ventilation system is not doing its duties, that only increases the likelihood of problems. Talk to the workers at your warehouse and if you receive many complaints about musty, unpleasant odors or stuffed air, it is high time that you take a look into the issue and find ways to improve your air quality.
Humidity
Could you imagine how difficult it would be to work in a place where the air is humid all day? Besides causing inconvenience, humidity can also havoc on the infrastructure, equipment, and technology inside your warehouse. If not addressed in time, humidity can result in mold and mildew, which negatively affects the health and safety of all the occupants inside your warehouse.
Upgrade Your Steel Building Ventilation
Though the OSHA has no specific guidelines on temperature regulation, they recommend maintaining a reasonable temperature throughout the building. This is where powered ventilation shines and it helps ensure steady airflow and consistent temperature throughout the building. At Design Components, we offer both wall-mounted and roof-mounted fans, depending on the ventilation design and airflow requirements of your particular warehouse.
Powered Fans are a vital part of a complete steel building ventilation solution. These fans force hot air out of your building while occupied. Our wall fans come in a pre-assembled metal building kit that includes the Fan, Motor, Wall Housing, Gravity Backdraft Damper, and OSHA Guard as needed. DCI also offers roof fans. These fans offer many of the same options and go great with our custom-built roof curbs.
Another choice that you can consider is gravity ventilation. In general, gravity ventilation works on the principle that hot air rises. As the inside of your building heats up during the day, that excess heat is released naturally through the vents. If this is something that you would prefer, we have a few options available for you. Our gravity vents come with a number of options, such as Galvanized Steel, Galvalume Steel, or Aluminum construction with optional painted finishes along with manual or motor operation.
Guard Buildings – Your Trusted Steel Building Ventilation Experts
Overwhelmed by all the options ventilation equipment available in the market? Look no longer because we are one of the best in the market when it comes to steel building ventilation. To learn more about products and experience our unmatched customer service, call us today at (800) 868-9910 or contact us by email at sales@desgincomponents.com.
