A leading steel manufacturer was eager to open a flat roll steel plant in southeastern Texas. Part of the company’s transformational growth plan, the brand-new facility was projected to add lasting long-term value through its emphasis on cutting-edge, innovative development, with an annual production capacity of three million tons. Despite high-hopes for its operational excellence though, the plant, like any high-activity production site, was faced with environmental and workplace challenges, like controlling industrial dust emissions.
As technologies progress, Midwest Industrial Supply knows there are still some obstacles — like dust control — that never change. Even so, we’ve adopted our own innovative approach to troublesome fines. Read how molecular science continues to benefit customers like this steel plant in mitigating particulate matter with comprehensive management programs like Earth Armour®.
Why Dust Emissions were a Cause for Concern
The flat-roll steel facility encountered significant operational issues due to excessive dust, especially in high-activity areas such as the scrap yard, load-out zones, scale areas, and high-voltage yards. For any operation, including the new steel facility, several concerns arose surrounding the challenge of controlling industrial dust emissions:
- Air Quality Regulation: Levels of particulate matter are monitored and regulated by agencies like the EPA and OSHA. Should they fail to comply, all operations, ranging from open-air to indoor to underground environments, can be subject to hefty fines, legal action, operational suspension, and, in extreme cases, closure.
- Worker Safety: Dust emissions can jeopardize the safety of workers. High levels of particulate matter can compromise visibility and air quality, creating short-term and long-lasting health concerns, from bouts of bronchitis to future lung cancer diagnoses.
- Water Conservation: Other fines management strategies like watering are highly unsustainable. Operations that rely on excessive water as their dust control method often experience significant operational costs and intense resource consumption. Once dried, the temporary fix has also been known to worsen the presence of fine particles.
Fortify Your Operation with the Earth Armour® Managed Service Program
Taking these challenges into account, the steel plant was determined to find a partner with an effective solution for controlling industrial dust emissions. True to form, Midwest Industrial was ready to answer that call with Earth Armour®, a Managed Service Program that provides a comprehensive approach to a long-term solution for dust suppression to improve your operational efficiency.
Unlike other methods, Earth Armour assists in controlling industrial dust emissions at the source by deeply penetrating aggregate as soon as it is applied. Whether clay, sand, gravel, limestone, or native soil, this solution locks fines from PM10 to PM2.5 to the surface for results that last through every season and any level of traffic.
Midwest Industrial leverages molecular science to develop thorough programs like Earth Armour to effectively reduce 80% of hazardous dust with less application sessions. And like all of our methods for controlling industrial dust emissions, it has been deemed safe for workers and the environment and will not corrode operational equipment, making it well-suited for application on everything from gravel roads to construction sites.
The Implementation Process
One of Midwest’s regional service locations assisted the steel yard in implementing its new Managed Service Program. Based on an assessment of the customer’s needs, challenges, and native soil profiles, Midwest determined that a structured monthly maintenance plan using the Earth Armour solution would yield the strongest results.
With consistent product application, particularly in high-impact areas, the steel facility could maintain an optimal dust control program that also reduced the need for frequent watering. Limiting applications to once a monthly also limited disruptions in the production line. Instead, the steel manufacturer could achieve an efficient rhythm while adhering the industry regulations.
Success in Controlling Industrial Dust Emissions
After implementing the Earth Armour program, the steel yard noticed immediate, measurable improvements in its core areas of concern:
- Reduced Watering Efforts: The program reduced the need for watering sessions. As a result, the operation was able to optimize costs and achieve its sustainability objectives.
- Enhanced Employee Safety: Improvements in the air quality and dust emission levels were immediately noticed, particularly in high-activity areas.
- Regulatory Compliance: The new program upheld the environmental responsibility of the steel manufacturer by complying to air quality measures set by regulatory agencies.
- Visual Improvements: By minimizing dust emissions, employees experienced a cleaner environment with better visibility, yielding a more efficient workplace.
Achieve the Best Results with Midwest
By integrating the Earth Armour® Managed Service Program into its operation, this steel manufacturing facility successfully overcame the challenges associated with controlling industrial dust emissions while also building its sustainability efforts through reduced water usage. By partnering with Midwest, the customer achieved its goals of maintaining a safer and more sustainable environment for the new facility.
Midwest is committed to solving every dust control and soil stabilization challenge. We develop effective and innovative products like Earth Armour using our complex understanding of molecular chemistry and the behavior of particulate matter. Through our strategic partnership, you can leverage our expertise to achieve dramatic improvements in efficiency, compliance, and employee well-being, just like this Texas-based steel manufacturer. Are you looking for a comprehensive dust management program? Contact Midwest today to learn about our lineup of solutions like Earth Armour.