In the construction industry, time is money. It’s essential to move heavy equipment as quickly as possible in order to complete a project on-time and within the budget. The problem is, doing things quickly tends to kick up massive amounts of dust — which is found in abundance on many construction sites.
When excavators, bulldozers, cement mixers and other vehicles cause a minor sandstorm in a city, it’s not just a nuisance — it’s a health hazard to anyone in the area. This dust often ends up in public roads, storm sewers, and even natural bodies of water. Temporary mat roadways create a barrier between vehicles and dusty worksites, serving as an effective construction dust control product.
Dust doesn’t just affect the environment, it affects your bottom line. Over time, large amounts of dust builds up on vehicle undercarriages. For construction companies that rely on heavy equipment to stay productive, it only takes one vehicle breakdown to alter a project timeline. You may have completed dozens of construction projects in the past without a hitch, but every bit of dirt that ends up in machinery can add up to a big problem later on. Keeping the equipment running properly may lead to a hefty maintenance bill and costly downtime.
In addition to equipment issues, it’s important to be aware of construction site rules and regulations that could lead to a fine. It’s not easy to hide dust problems at a construction site — and not worth the effort. On sites with exposed soil, or where it is necessary to haul a large amount of dirt, construction site pollution regulations such as the Clean Air Act are sure to come into play. Installing mats for heavy equipment helps you avoid these problems.
WORK ENVIRONMENT ADVANTAGES
Many construction sites create a large amount of dust that ends up in the air and eventually people’s lungs. Mitigating this dust is essential in preventing a wide range of respiratory diseases, and a mat is your first line of defense. There are many types of dust, and each brings its own types of risks. Dust is broadly divided into two categories — organic and inorganic, both of which tend to be found at construction sites.
While a person’s nose and throat effectively remove a good portion of dust before it reaches the lungs, tiny particles can still evade body defense mechanisms. Spending a few minutes at a construction site might not cause any issues, but a person who spends their career inhaling dust on a daily basis is at risk for siderosis, baritosis, mushroom worker’s lung and many other health-related issues. Nobody should have to deal with the effects of these diseases, so prevent airborne dust with mats before anyone inhales it.
Driving through the dirt is often not the most efficient way to get around at a construction site. When you rely on making your own path through a dusty worksite, that path can quickly disappear when rain falls. Dirt leads to mud, mud leads to stuck vehicles, and stuck vehicles lead to many of the economic problems mentioned above. When inclement weather arrives, don’t hope that your operations will continue running smoothly — expect them to with mats that keep your path clear.
Bad weather is often unpredictable, but so can be the scale of a project. Blueprints change and budgets grow, so your company needs to be ready to adapt. One big advantage to construction site mats is that they are extremely versatile. As your project changes in size, it’s easy to add or remove mats quickly and efficiently. What’s more, these types of mats are reusable, so you can move to a new construction site with the same supplies you used just days before.
GET SET WITH CONSTRUCTION MATS
If you frequently require dust control in construction site environments, our mats can provide a solution that works for your business.
Contact our team to learn more about how we can help you prevent dust problems at your worksite.