Warehouse ventilation is an extremely important topic in today’s world. You take your health and safety seriously. Not only your health, but also your employees’ health. Creating a safe work environment is no longer a luxury; it is now a necessity.
Warehouse employees work a shift anywhere between 8-12 hours in length. When an employee is spending that much time inside a warehouse, they should have a comfortable and safe environment to work. Creating this type of environment will improve safety and health concerns. It will also increase the overall productivity of your warehouse employees. The initial cost of increasing ventilation in your warehouse will quickly pay off. People will come to work ready to go and in better spirits. And with that, your bottom line gets a major boost!
Why Does Ventilation Matter?
Ventilation in a warehouse can be a major health concern for your employees and your building. Yes, you heard correctly…your building’s health, too. Dangerous conditions can erupt in your building, such as Sick Building Syndrome and Sweating Slab Syndrome, if you do not pay close attention to temperature, humidity, and ventilation. Poor building conditions can cause major health and safety concerns for your employees if they are ignored. Learn more information on the risks of poor ventilation in this MacroAir blog: The Effects of Poor Ventilation in the Workplace.
On top of health concerns, poor ventilation causes people to feel uncomfortable. The warehouse space is a very hot and muggy environment with a lack of effective airflow. Yuck! Who would want to spend the day in such a space?
So, How Do We Fix It?
We’ve provided three easy tips to help you in your quest to easily increase ventilation. And as an added bonus, you will also increase your warehouse’s energy efficiency!
We suggest that you:
- Check your HVAC unit
- Consider your humidity level
- Add exhaust fans
- Open it up
- Add HVLS fans
Each of these tips is simple to implement and will save you money while increasing building health and ventilation. Let’s get to it…
Tip 1: Check Your HVAC Unit
One way to combat ventilation issues is by maintaining your HVAC unit. Proper maintenance will ensure that your HVAC is working properly and efficiently in your space. It is also crucial that your HVAC is the right size for your facility. If you have a unit that is too small, it can cause it to work harder than it should. This can drastically reduce the lifespan of your unit. If you have a unit that is too large, it can also cause issues. It can cause your unit to short cycle, which, ultimately, will not adequately ventilate your space. In addition, HVAC shortcomings are also a contributing factor to humidity levels being out-of-whack.
Tip 2: Consider Humidity Level
Humidity levels should stay between 40%-60% in your building. If they vary from this ideal range, comfort and ventilation will be affected. This is bound to deliver adverse health effects to your employees. They can experience anything from heat exhaustion to headaches and trouble concentrating. You can combat warehouse humidity issues by installing HVLS fans. Big fans will not only help regulate humidity levels but also keep your employees healthier and safer in the workplace.
Tip 3: Add Exhaust Fans
Warehouse air quality is of the utmost importance. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA has set standards for indoor air quality to keep people safe and healthy in the workplace. Exhaust fans work well along with an HVAC unit because they are usually ducted. In a ducted exhaust fan, you are able to obtain a boost in ventilation and comfort. They also help to reduce moisture and pollutants in the air. Beyond OSHA’s indoor air quality expectations, airflow is also playing a growing role in documented heat illness prevention plans. See our guide: OSHA Heat Illness Prevention: Where Airflow Fits Into Your Safety Plan.
Tip 4: Open It Up
Another sure way to increase cross ventilation is by opening doors and windows in a warehouse whenever possible. Cross ventilation is an awesome natural cooling method. It will help increase the airflow coming into your building and move the stale, hot air out. Cross ventilation is even more effective when HVLS fans are running overhead.
Tip 5: Add HVLS Fans
Let’s talk HVLS fans. High Volume Low Speed (HVLS) fans use huge anodized airfoil blades to generate massive amounts of air movement in a warehouse or other facility. They not only move immense amounts of air, but they also push unhealthy, stagnant air out of the space. That stagnant air is replaced with fresh air that is healthier for you and your employees to breathe. Additionally, HVLS fans will work alongside your HVAC unit to effectively cool off your warehouse. Plus, they save you major money in cooling and heating your building. In fact, you can save up to 30% on your energy costs just by adding a warehouse fan. Yes, you heard me right: they will help cool and heat your warehouse.
Proven Results
The Air Movement and Control Association International (AMCA International) studied how large-diameter ceiling fans perform in enclosed spaces like warehouses, with findings that remain relevant for any facility focused on air quality and employee health. The study found that running HVLS fans reduces the concentration of airborne particles in a warehouse setting, supporting cleaner, healthier air on the floor year-round, not just during flu or cold-and-flu season.
In addition to running HVLS fans in a downward direction, you should open doors and windows in a warehouse whenever possible to increase cross-ventilation. This cross-ventilation is even more effective when HVLS fans are running overhead.
Let’s Get Started!
Poor ventilation is a major problem-one that affects employee comfort, health, and productivity every single day. Don’t waste time putting off a solution.
The fastest way to improve your warehouse environment is with a MacroAir fan. Shop our selection now and find the right fan for your space, or simply contact us for help in finding the right solution for your building’s needs.