Large fans can reduce condensation and prevent falls

If you have ever worked or spent significant time in an industrial facility in Pittsburgh or anywhere else in the country, you are probably well aware of the condensation that so commonly accumulates on concrete floors. In fact, condensation is one of the leading causes of slip and fall accidents in warehouses and other industrial spaces. Many people believe that preventing such condensation is a complicated, costly process, when in fact, doing so takes one simple piece of equipment: a fan.

According to the website Manufacturing.net, high-efficiency, low-speed, large-diameter overhead fans are one of the most effective methods of preventing condensation and its resulting slips and falls in industrial facilities. This is because they continually move air throughout such buildings, which prevents condensation from building up on floors and other surfaces, and in doing so, prevents dangerous slip and fall accidents from causing injury to workers and visitors.

Condensation occurs any time warm air comes in contact with a cold surface. As such, there are many common reasons for condensation in an industrial facility. In general, concrete slabs are about a month behind the weather, so when the weather warms in the spring, the concrete remains at the temperature of winter. Similarly, when cold products are taken off a cold truck and into a warm building, the resulting temperature disparity often creates a slick surface.

Low-speed fans, which can have a diameter of up to 24 feet, keep the warm air from stagnating on the cold surface before it turns into condensation. This can keep employees safe from slipping on unexpectedly wet surfaces.

Source: Manufacturing.net, "Air Movement Reduces Condensation, Improves Workplace Safety," Erin Hsu, Oct. 8, 2012