Obvious risks on the plant floor, like mechanical and electrical hazards, are often addressed first because of their high visibility. However, some of the most dangerous threats to a manufacturing workforce are invisible to the naked eye, making them easier to overlook and potentially even more consequential.
In our first article for June’s National Safety Month, we examined ergonomics and the impact repetitive bending and reaching can have on worker health and floor productivity. In this article, BPA’s Safety Team will weigh in on air quality and how airborne contaminants can gradually build up, creating short- and long-term health risks for workers exposed to them.
Work-related respiratory issues and chemical exposures make up a significant portion of long-term occupational illnesses, but many are entirely preventable through early detection and filtration. We’ll explore the following topics in this manufacturing air quality guide:
If it feels like air quality is being monitored more closely today, it may be because manufacturers now better understand the long-term consequences of poor indoor air quality (IAQ). According to OSHA, good IAQ includes maintaining comfortable temperature and humidity levels, introducing fresh outdoor air, and actively controlling airborne pollutants.
We asked the BPA Safety Team about the growing emphasis on IAQ tracking, and they noted:
“Air quality is being tracked more now because of the long-term effects that it can have on employees. Common contributors of poor air quality include mold, dust, aerosols and poor filtrations/ventilation.”
In a standard manufacturing or assembly environment, the most common IAQ hazards generally fall into two categories:
Facility-Driven Contaminants: These include stagnant ambient air, microscopic mold spores in high-moisture areas, everyday dust accumulation, and chemical particulates released through aerosol sprays.
Process-Driven Contaminants: These are direct byproducts of the work being performed on the floor. Some of the most persistent invisible hazards include fumes and gases generated through welding, grinding, and machining operations.
Without proper ventilation and air filtration systems, many of these microscopic particles can remain suspended in the breathing zone of machine operators and plant personnel. Under OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.1000, the agency has established Permissible Exposure Limits (PELs) for hundreds of airborne contaminants, including mineral oil mists, respirable silica, and welding fumes.
If manufacturing processes are not properly controlled, contaminant concentrations can gradually exceed these limits over time, increasing both regulatory risk and long-term health concerns for workers..
Poor air quality can impact an operator’s physical and mental capacity over the course of a workday. When an employee spends hours breathing in fine dust or machining fumes, their body has to work overtime to recover. This results in a heavy physiological strain that directly impacts cognitive performance.
A compromised breathing environment leads directly to an increased error rate, reduced work efficiency, and cognitive impairment. When an operator is suffering from sluggish decision-making or slower reaction times from poor air, the risk of a major safety incident on the line skyrockets.
The damage also manifests in immediate and long-term physical symptoms. As the BPA Safety Team explains: “Poor air quality can cause short-term effects like coughing, headaches, and throat irritation as well as long-term effects like respiratory infections, lung cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.”
If a full building-wide HVAC upgrade is not in the budget right now, our Safety Team recommends focusing first on localized air filtration near the processes generating the most airborne contaminants.
By placing filtration units near high-risk areas like grinding benches or welding bays, manufacturers can capture dust, fumes, and other particulates before they migrate across the facility. This targeted approach can improve IAQ and help reduce long-term exposure risks.
At BPA, we believe that you cannot advocate for safety to your customers unless you are practicing it, too.
To ensure our fabrication, welding, and assembly teams are thoroughly protected from invisible particles, we maintain strict filtration standards across our production facilities. We also utilize remisters in every CNC machine to prevent oil mists and fluid vapors from escaping into the air.
When it comes to our automated case packers, and robotic systems, we intentionally integrate design principles that help minimize air contaminants on our customers’ production floors. Examples of this include:
You cannot safely manage a manufacturing facility if you choose to ignore the threats that can't be seen. Clean air is a direct investment in your team’s cognitive clarity, physical endurance, and long-term health.
This National Safety Month, consider some of the ways you can help clear the air. Listen to your team when they mention persistent headaches or coughing, evaluate your localized filtration, and ensure your operators aren't breathing in the hidden costs of production.
Want to learn more about how BPA secondary packaging equipment can support a healthier environment on your production floor? Contact us today.