Page 63 - OHS, June 2021

Cordoning Off Cool Air
Industrial curtain walls are another cost-effffective and flflexible solution for keeping air-conditioned areas cool. Traditional rigid walls can be expensive and time-consuming to construct, creating costly downtime and ineffifficiencies in workflflow. Fabric curtain walls provide a lower cost alternative, easily installed and moved for the needs of a workspace. Some are even specially designed to separate temperature variances as great as 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fabric curtain walls can be hung snugly from the ceiling, dividing air-conditioned areas from non-air-conditioned areas. Individual curtain panels of any length can be attached together using hook and loop fasteners, making a continuous barrier with massive flexibility. They can be reconfigured or maneuvered as often as desired, offering boundless possibilities for modifying room layouts should workflow and floorspace need change. They also prevent the movement of smoke, fumes, particles and noise, making the workspace an overall more pleasant and safe area.
Sealing the Perimeter with a System of Products
The loading dock presents the greatest opportunity for the loss of temperature control. Even when trailers are snugly secured to a loading dock, small 1- to 2-inch gaps often exist between the trailer and the edges of the dock opening that equate to a 2.5-square-foot hole at just a single dock opening. Getting a consistent, gap-free
seal along trailer sides, tops and corners, as well as at the bottom of dock door openings is essential to creating an environmentally secure and energy effifficient dock.
Dock shelter head curtains that utilize weight and gravity help seal gaps and create a seal at the top of the trailer. On the sides of the trailer, hooks on the shelter side curtains can keep exposed hinge gaps completely covered. Gaps below and around the loading dock leveler and dock bumpers present another challenge for energy loss, but they can be covered with an under-leveler seal and/or a combination of lip corner seals, filler pads and other components to help retain conditioned air inside.
Creating a Comfortable Environment
As the hot summer months bear down and shipping demand only increases the work pace, ignoring problems of excessive heat will become untenable. Working in excessively hot industrial spaces leads to employee health risks and preventable errors that every facility manager should take steps to avoid. While global factors such as e-commerce and climate change make the problem of heat stress increasingly daunting, these simple and cost-effective options can protect organizations from legal troubles, costly accidents and promote a cool, comfortable work environment.
Andy Olson is the director of marketing for Rite-Hite Engineered Solutions and DuctSox.
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