How piab automation can reduce respiratory illness in food processing

Respiratory disease is common in this sector.

Firing Industries Ltd. supplies vacuum-conveying equipment by piab for the food-processing sector. One benefit of these automation products is that they help reduce the risk of respiratory illness among workers in this industry. These devices offer a hygienic solution that limits the spread of food dust, thereby reducing allergens.

By replacing manual conveyance and feeding of ingredients with closed systems, piab vacuum conveyors create cleaner, healthier work environments.

Redesigning of production lines required

Respiratory illnesses (e.g., allergies, asthma) accounted for roughly 2½ per cent of recordable illness distribution in the American food-processing sector in 2016. Although better work practices and respiratory equipment can help, it is vital to redesign production lines, especially the conveying systems. This can be accomplished with piab vacuum equipment.

Pesticides and fumigants are among the irritating and allergenic materials used in food production, but other materials should also be kept under strict control. Many food-processing plants rely on processes in which employees inhale dust particles that cause negative reactions. Sometimes, even cereal flour from wheat or rye are somewhat harmful, and work-related asthma can result from aerosols of flour, green coffee, castor beans, or seafood. Long-term exposure can cause serious lung disease, to the extent that farming, milling, bread making, cereal handling, and grain cleaning are considered high-risk jobs. In addition, artificial flavouring has been linked to bronchitis.

When workers manually pour flour or other materials into mixers and agitators, harmful dust can form in the vicinity. piab vacuum conveyors from Firing Industries transport powder in enclosed tubes to mixers or blenders through sieves. These materials are retrieved from barrels, drums, or sacks, which eliminates the dust risk and also creates a more ergonomic work environment.

piab vacuum conveyors also improve the feeding of seasoning and sprinkling units, reducing exposure to dust while ensuring the required quality of the final product. Another common risk is when spilled raw material emits allergens into the air. piab equipment reduces the number of spills and automatically reclaim spilled material, while redirecting damaged product to scrap.

To learn more, contact Firing Industries’ application-sales engineers at ddubuc@firing.com or (877) 688-0974.

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