Cleanliness is essential in industrial facilities because your production depends on everything running smoothly. You may think your industrial facility is pretty clean, but have you looked up recently? One of the most commonly neglected areas of cleaning is high surfaces because these areas are out of the line of sight. That makes it easy to forget about them. But when high surfaces are ignored for too long, they can cause a number of problems for your business.
Here are four of the most common problems caused by dirty high surfaces:
1. Fire hazards
If your industrial facility handles anything hot or creates a lot of dust, you want to make sure your high surfaces are regularly cleaned. Many people don’t realize just how many materials, when in dust form, are easily combustible. This includes materials like:
- Sugar
- Flour
- Grain
- Wood
- Metals
- Plastics
All it takes is the right conditions, and you can have an explosive fire in your facility that can damage your equipment, stop your production, and even injure or fatally harm your employees. This is why it is incredibly important for the safety of your workers and your facility to ensure every surface is thoroughly cleaned, including the ones up high that you can’t see.
2. Contamination
Dust and other debris can also fall from high surfaces in your facility and contaminate your manufacturing process. This is a problem for all kinds of industries, not just food manufacturing, because contamination can affect the integrity of your products and impact the performance of your equipment.
Unhandled dust and other contaminants can fall from your high surfaces and may throw a wrench in the works if it lands on any sensitive technology or hinders the movement of an important piece of your machines. Because of this, regular indoor high-surface cleaning can actually save you money that you otherwise would’ve spent on wasted product and equipment repairs.
3. Mold growth
High surfaces with lots of dust and dirt are breeding grounds for bacteria, mold, and mites. These organisms can thrive on your high surfaces without you even knowing—at least until they fall down to your production floor or start making employees sick. Plus, these organisms can attract other pests to your facility, including:
- Rats and mice
- Mold mites
- Termites
- Fungus gnats
- Cockroaches
- And others
If you’ve noticed that your employees are suddenly experiencing a lot of illness, respiratory trouble, or even allergies, you should suspect hidden fungi on your high surfaces. You should call our professionals right away to get this handled to protect your employees, your customers, and your livelihood.
4. Damage to HVAC systems
One of the most important things you can do to maintain your HVAC system is to keep the air intake and outtake systems clear of dust and debris. When these systems become clogged, your HVAC system has to work harder to operate, which leads to excessive wear and tear. This not only means you’ll need more repairs to keep your system running efficiently, but it can also shorten the lifespan of your equipment.
Not only that, but when your HVAC system has to work harder to put out the same output of air, you’ll see it in your energy bills, which will start going up for no reason you can spot. In order to keep your air cool and clean and keep your business expenses down, you should call professionals to take care of your routine HVAC cleaning.
Protect Your Investment with Routine High-Surface Cleaning
You can protect your industrial facility, your equipment, and your employees from the problems listed above by having your high surfaces regularly cleaned by experienced professionals. Our crews at Advanced Environmental Cleaning Services are specially trained to handle cleaning dust, debris, mold, and other contaminants from all kinds of high surfaces, including:
- Pipes
- Beams and structural support
- Rafters
- Light fixtures
- Racks and shelves
- Walls
- And more
Regular high-surface cleaning is a simple preventative measure that will help keep your facility safe and running smoothly.
Call us at (818) 399-2417 today to schedule your inspection and estimate, and we’ll take care of your high surfaces for you.