Safety Considerations For Industrial Draught Fan Operations

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Safety Considerations For Industrial Draught Fan
Operations
Neel Rao Writes on Reitzindia massive industrial
fans, Induced draft fan or ID fans and FD fans
from Reitz india.
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• Industrial draught fans are among the most
  important elements of many factories and plants.
  It is due to the presence of these fans that many
  processes get completed smoothly in these
  facilities. At the same time, safety is a highly
  pivotal consideration when speaking of operating
  draft fans. There are several moving parts housed
  in any industrial fan. Any negligence can gravely
  jeopardize the well-being of several employees.
• It could sometimes also lead to life-threatening
  situations for the people working in the
  plant/factory so the safety aspect has to be
  given the required attention.
• Firstly, the blades of the impeller that are
  rotating are denoted as being the most hazardous
  elements of draught fans. Even a slight contact
  with the blades can seriously imperil the very
  life of the particular individual. Therefore,
  suitable guards for impeller as well as for shaft
  must be fixed for these blowers they markedly
  reduce the risk of such mishaps.

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• On some occasions, even when the draught fan is
  not turned on, the blades can start rotating due
  to just a slight wind. And, this small movement
  can pose a big risk for the people around, too.
  Hence, before beginning any maintenance work, a
  key precaution should be taken. It must be
  ensured that the blades and other moving parts of
  the fan remain stationary until completion of the
  job.
•  The schedule of maintenance specified by the fan
  manufacturer has to be carefully followed. In
  this respect, even a minor deviation can lead to
  potentially risky situations for people working
  in the plant/factory. This point ranks among the
  most salient guidelines applicable to all
  facilities having draft fans.
• When the draught fans are switched off, it is
  always better to wait for some time before
  stepping inside. This is not without a valid
  reason. As these blowers continuously handle hot
  flue gasses, they take a little time to get
  cooled even after they are turned off. Any
  attempt to handle the fans before that is not
  advisable for safety reasons.

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• It must be made sure that things like small metal
  pieces, tools, and debris are not there near the
  blowers. Otherwise, they could either get sucked
  in or be blown towards people in proximity at
  high speed. Both these possibilities are
  dangerous.
• An exhaustive risk assessment has to be carried
  out under the supervision of experts. These
  experts thoroughly examine all the blower
  components like belts, blades, and shafts.
  Thereafter, appropriate measures to reduce the
  operational risks of draught fans are listed by
  the experts.
• Many models of these fans are now available on
  the market. So, its preferable to choose those
  variants where the operator is not required to
  frequently handle the blades and other internal
  elements. Reduced exposure automatically brings
  about a decline in the corresponding risks.

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• While checking draft fans for any possible
  defects, its always safe to depend on the
  correct personal protection equipment. Here, the
  employee/operator must not discount the
  significance of protective gear like gloves and
  safety goggles.
• Whenever maintenance/inspection work is being
  done for fans, it should be made certain that
  there is sufficient ventilation within the
  premises. With this, the employees are
  safeguarded against excessive exposure to noxious
  gases and other contaminants.
• Apart from what has been mentioned above, there
  are many more safety considerations. All those
  could not be included here due to a paucity of
  space.

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Reitz offer idealistic Centrifugal Fan and
Centrifugal blower design that can be used in all
large scale process industries like cement, iron
steel, power plants, fertilizers/ chemicals and
more. Thank you for spending your precious time
in reading this article!