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| This Colt advert first featured in the Financial Times almost 40 years ago, and still rings true today! |
As the temperature rises during the summer months, it is important to asses your productivity levels. If your factory is too hot, then you will almost certainly suffer losses in production, as well as a whole host of other issues.
However, there is a solution.
How do rising temperatures affect productivity?
It is well known that productivity at manufacturing plants will plummet when temperatures persistently exceed 25oC, which only equates to a normal summers day. Surveys have shown that every degree above 20oC can reduce productivity by as much as 4 percent. That means a rise of just 5 degrees can cut your output by an eye-watering 20 percent!
When the working environment is too hot, people work far less efficiently, morale plunges, and accidents and absenteeism rise. Cooling the factory shop floor is essential to keep productivity levels high - and for the wellbeing of the people working in this environment. However, conventional cooling systems are not a viable solution as they are expensive, installation is costly, and so is the energy they use to bring the temperature down to desired levels.
The solution - harnessing the cooling power of water
Fortunately, new technologies such as evaporative cooling offer cost-effective solutions for production facilities. Evaporative cooling units are light, can be installed on any factory roof and have low maintenance requirements. The units also have minimal running costs as they rely on the cooling power of water and use little electricity.
What to do next
If you think productivity at your manufacturing operation may be suffering because of excessive temperature levels, the first thing to do is evaluate the degree of discomfort of the people working in your facility. Our whitepaper, A Productive Environment for Production Personnel, shows you exactly what to do. It explains the ISO 7730 standard, which governs thermal standards in the workplace. It also makes clear recommendations as to how you can achieve comfortable, highly productive conditions for your employees, based on the factors that influence their perception of comfort – temperature, humidity, air quality, air movement, clothing and effort.
Factory Survey
To find out how an evaporative cooling system could help improve your working conditions, a survey of your factory is needed to assess your current situation. At Colt, our engineers have been working with building owners and operators, solving their problems related to the indoor environment and helping improve their business for over 30 years.
Request a survey
Paul Langford is an Engineering Director experienced in product development, manufacturing & testing for HVAC, louvre and smoke control systems.
