Safety Benefits of Industrial Curtain Walls

Manufacturing plants, warehouses and other industrial facilities can be hazardous environments, which is why specific equipment and safety procedures are implemented – to reduce risk. Permanent rigid walls have been used as an effective way to increase safety, but they come at a high cost and result in the loss of long-term flexibility for a facility’s layout. Fortunately, fabric curtain walls, or “soft walls,” can provide safety benefits for a wide range of applications from particulate control to noise reduction to temperature separation, but come with a flexible design that provides adaptability.

Air Particulate Control

Woodworking, painting, powdered foodstuff/spice mixing and packaging, ceramic cutting/grinding, powdered chemical processing and packaging are just a few of the applications where dust is generated. Beyond creating a mess, there are safety issues commonly connected with dust. Without proper ventilation and isolation, this byproduct can lead to skin irritation and potentially acute and/or chronic respiratory issues. In addition, there is the risk of fire and explosions from certain particulate build-up.

Installing industrial curtain walls, like the Zoneworks® SCL Fabric Curtain Walls or Sliding Curtain Walls from Rite-Hite, can provide an effective physical barrier and reduce the area that needs to be filtered by exhaust fans. This allows companies to utilize smaller fans with less total air movement required.

Preventing Cross-Contamination

If your facility deals with processes that include food, there is also the safety concern of cross-contamination to consider. Curtain walls help prevent dust particulate from leaving one area and contaminating another area. Additionally, odors also have the potential to affect other products they may come into contact with. Effectively sealing off these areas allows for appropriate ventilation to occur before the vapors and odors have the chance to enter an area susceptible to cross-contamination.

Noise Control

Another safety issue that can be addressed using curtain walls is noise control. Excessive noise levels can range from distracting to causing long-term hearing loss, and although proper ear protection can help prevent hearing damage, this method hinders the ability for workers to communicate effectively with each other.

A solution for creating a quieter working environment can be found in modular acoustic curtain walls that enclose noisy machinery or partition off entire areas for sound control, both with the flexibility to move whenever and wherever needed.

Temperature Separation

Many products and manufacturing processes require the right temperatures. Without it, products can be compromised and consumers might face safety concerns. Just one product recall can be devastating to a company. Insulated curtain walls offer up to 40 degrees F (22 degrees C) of temperature separation from one area to another. They can be used in many temperature applications including dividing coolers and freezers.

Safety in any manufacturing plant, warehouse or industrial facility is never to be taken lightly. Industrial curtain walls offer you the safety benefits you require while giving you the flexibility to resize and move them when needed.

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