Ben Wulf, vice-president of marketing and international sales of Port-A-Cool*, stresses that evaporative cooling is not only an
effective solution but also one that is economical, environment-friendly
and healthy.
WHEN temperatures approach 32 deg C, the potential for heat stroke
and other heat-related health conditions become a real concern. Heat
poses a danger for not only workers in high temperature environments,
but also for livestock and agricultural environments.
‘High temperature environments’ generally refer to those where
temperatures are more than 31 deg C for light work, over 28 deg C for
moderate work and over 26 deg C for heavy work. According to the US
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other agencies,
employees required to work in high temperature environments should be
allowed frequent breaks in a cool place to avoid symptoms of heat stress
including nausea, dizziness, cramps, confusion, fainting, seizure and
even death.
Ventilation is often recommended by these agencies to offset the
effects of heat. Some specifically recommend evaporative cooling where
available, citing the high cost of installing and operating central
air-conditioning, and the additional benefit of evaporative cooling.
Evaporative cooling units, like Port-A-Cool units manufactured in the
US, can lower the ambient temperature by as much as 14 deg C, turning a
restrictive 32 deg C area into a cooler working environment, reducing
employee heat-related health issues and increasing productivity.
These units provide spot cooling where it is needed most with no
harmful chemicals or refrigerants and cool economically with efficient,
effective resource use.
In addition, Port-A-Cool portable evaporative cooling units provide
fresh cool air and require nothing but tap water and 220 to 240 v 50 Hz
of electricity to operate. Furthermore, evaporative cooling is up to 50
per cent cheaper to install and three times cheaper to run than
refrigerated cooling.
Port-A-Cool units can be found worldwide in high-profile industries
like oil and gas, steel, building construction, airport projects, race
horse stables and various other applications. They have for more than 20
years, proven effective in reducing temperatures in applications
ranging from agricultural and horticultural, manufacturing, industrial,
business, entertainment, and sports, to home and hobby uses – anywhere
that cooling is needed, and traditional air-conditioning is impractical
or cost prohibitive.
Evaporative cooling has also been proven to improve indoor air
quality because of the introduction of fresh air and moisture that the
unit produces.
Beyond the primary concern of health safety for workers and
livestock, there are economic benefits to be derived from cooler
environments.
According to OSHA ‘rest period’ recommendations, if a staff of 100
workers takes just one additional 10-minute rest period per day, the
cost to the company will be 16 hours and 40 minutes in lost production
time per day or 83 hours and 20 minutes per week. At $18 per hour pay
rate, excluding overtime and including benefits, the cost to the company
will be $1,500 per week or $19,500 over the course of a 13-week summer.
That is for only one 10-minute rest period per day per 100 workers.
Mentally, workers can become drowsy, unfocused, moody, and the
effects of heat stress have been shown to contribute to accidents, work
slowdowns and walkouts, according to the US organisation Southwest
Michigan Coalition on Safety and Health.
The benefits of evaporative cooling extend into livestock applications as well.
Green aspect
In addition to being healthy and economically smart, evaporative cooling is also environment friendly.
The world is becoming more sensitive to the term “green” and what it
means to the environment and the health of our planet. Many companies
are rushing to redefine their products and business practices to go
green. Some companies such as Port-A-Cool, however, have always been
green because it was just the right thing to do.
Evaporative cooling is a natural process. The ancient Egyptians used
the same principles to cool their homes by hanging damp mats in the
doorway and allowing the wind to evaporate the water and provide
cooling.
Port-A-Cool units utilise the same natural cooling methods, but have
implemented state-of-the-art technology to perfect the process. The
water, held in a sump tank inside the unit, is pure enough to water a
garden. Only tap water and 240 v 50 Hz of electricity are required to
operate the unit.
Because the Port-A-Cool unit uses a natural cooling process, no
harmful greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide expelled from traditional
air-conditioning systems, are released into the air to harm the ozone
layer.
Evaporative cooling is the healthiest way to cool because it replaces
stale air with clean, fresh air many times an hour – doors and windows
remain open. The air is never re-circulated, which means smells and
airborne germs are expelled.
In addition, Port-A-Cool units feature a one-piece, rotationally
moulded plastic housing, which is leak and rust proof and produced at
the company’s manufacturing facility. The company recycles all scrap
plastic from the manufacturing process and uses recycled plastic in the
mould, reducing waste and harm to the environment.
So, can a cooling technique that has been around since the dark ages
still be effective in today’s high tech society? Not only can it provide
effective cooling solutions, evaporative cooling can do it without
harming the environment with ozone-depleting chemicals.
Source of the full article: Gulf Construction Online
