Where does dust come from? 4 sources to monitor in your warehouse

If you work in a warehouse or storage facility, you know that dust ends up everywhere – it can dirty up your products, cause machinery to break down, and even lead to serious health issues for your employees. Though dust may seem like a small problem, without a solution, it threatens your business reputation and can cause customer satisfaction levels to plummet. 

But have you ever wondered, where does dust come from? 

Here are four of the main sources of dust that you should be monitoring if you work in the logistics industry. 

"Dust isn't that big of a deal." 

Have you heard someone say this in the warehouse or industrial facility where you work? Even if they're joking, this attitude suggests you might be in a workplace that isn't thinking about what causes dust and what its consequences might be.

To be clear, dust buildup: 

• Puts your employees' health at risk 
• Causes your cleaning costs to skyrocket 
• Leads to poor quality goods and upset customers 
• Can bring production to a total halt 

Fortunately, there is a solution that can take care of your dust problems once and for all. The first step to getting ahead of the problem is to answer the question: What causes dust? 

1. Cardboard packaging and pallets 
   Cardboard boxes and pallets are two of the biggest enemies in your battle against dust. Cutting, folding, filling, and transporting boxes are all actions that contribute to what causes dust. 
   
   
2. Forklifts and other indoor vehicles 
   Forklifts may be a major part of your operation, but they also could be what's causing dust to spread at your facility. As forklifts and other vehicles move about, they stir up dust that's already settled on the floor, shelves, and boxes, and they also create new dust with the friction of their tires on concrete. These vehicles carry dust from one part of the facility to another, where it has a chance to settle into your employees' lungs. Dust can also decrease the lifespan of your forklifts and cause more frequent breakdowns. 
   
   
3. Loading ramps and open gates 
   If you're loading and unloading cargo every day, it's common to leave gates and doors open to make it easier for workers to move efficiently. Unfortunately, the areas around loading ramps are some of the dustiest places in your facility. Leaving doors and gates open allows dust to travel indoors, where it can linger in the air until it's inhaled or settled on your machinery and products.
   
   
4. Shipping of goods
   According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the transportation of goods leads to dust building up in warehouses, because products often arrive covered in dust from their journey. If this is what causes dust in your facility, chances are you're also passing on dusty products to customers, which could permanently damage your business reputation.

You've taken the first step to research the question, "Where does dust come from?" Now that you know how prevalent of an issue it is, it should come as no surprise that dust can lead to:

• Serious illness for employees, including chronic respiratory diseases like COPD
• Broken down machinery that needs to be replaced more often
• Cleaning costs through the roof, just to keep your warehouse free of dust