Employers usually recognize the benefits of maintaining a safe and healthy workplace: reduced absenteeism, increased productivity, reduced employee turnover, and increased employee morale. Unfortunately, dust is among the biggest threats to a safe work environment, and plenty of employers deal with it every day. As per a 13 month study by American researchers, 4,800 surfaces in the office are officially dirty. Fortunately, there are various steps you can take to keep your workplace dust free. Below are some effective tips for getting rid of dust in your work environment.
- Design a dust free work environment
A dust-free workplace starts with a purpose-built design to eliminate or reduce exposure to dirt. This design should minimize or eliminate unused flat surfaces to make sure dust has nowhere to accumulate. Therefore, consider implementing some of the popular dirt-removal designs if your work environment undergoing renovation or reinforcement. In this way, you’ll control one of the biggest workplace hazards while reducing the time your staff spends on household tasks.
- Catch dust at its source
Dust is common in virtually any work environment, but some industries are more risky than others. Indeed, sectors such as construction, manufacturing, recycling, healthcare and food processing generate more dust than any other industry. For these sectors, experts highly recommend capturing dust at its source as probably the greatest ways to maintain a pollutant-free work environment. For example, you can install an industrial dust collector with a hood and downdraft table to catch dust at its source. Similarly, a packed blast chamber worth investing in if your operation involves abrasive blasting. Catching dust at source ensures that debris doesn’t escape and settle on flat surfaces in your facility, thereby controlling worker exposure.
- Remove the vacuum
A reported 40-50 million vacuum cleaners are sold annually in America, and your office should certainly invest in a vacuum cleaner to combat dust effectively. Vacuuming is probably the greatest ways to remove dust from every type of surfaces. A vacuum cleaner works by sucking up particles and storing them in a compartment that you can clean later. You can vacuum walls, ceilings and other surfaces such as furniture and fabrics in addition to floors. It is best to invest in a cordless vacuum as they’re easy to move and ideal for stress-free cleaning in small spaces. Also, remember to clean the vacuum cleaner’s dust compartment and wash the brush kit after each use to keep the unit clean.
- Use a damp microfiber cloth when cleaning
Regular office cleaning is, without a doubt, an incredible way to keep your work environment dust free. However, it is extremely important to use the right materials and tools to reduce the problem rather than making it worse. For example, many cleaning agents push dust around without removing it from surfaces. As a result, it is extremely important to use a microfiber cloth that’s designed for dusting when cleaning. Microfiber cloths trap dust and stop particles from flying to other surfaces while you clean. You can dampen this microfiber cloth with water to improve its performance on surfaces such as walls and furniture. On the other hand, it is suggested to use a dry microfiber cloth to remove dirt from laptops and other electronic devices. Then, clean the device with a cloth lightly moistened with rubbing alcohol to make it smooth.
