OVERVIEW
Moreton Bay Recycling (MBR) is a specialist concrete recycling centre based 30 minutes north of Brisbane, just off the Bruce Highway. They accept clean concrete waste from local demolition and construction projects and process this into quality recycled concrete aggregates, which are used in road base, pathways, driveways, drainage, retaining walls, decorative features, and mulch.
With customers coming from all over Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, their waste recycling facility is a hive of activity 6 days per week. They accept multiple truckloads of waste materials into the yard each day, as well as crushing and processing waste. Plus, they load any pickup and delivery orders for recycled aggregates.
SITUATION
Dust problems pose a very real risk for MBR’s business operations.“We have to be so careful because of what we do - if people complain or report us for dust, they could close us down. We have to do everything we can do suppress our dust,” says Hilary Dold, the General Manager at Moreton Bay Recycling.
Containing dust onsite and keeping it out of the air as much as possible is important for the health and safety of employees, customers, and neighbouring businesses and communities. But MBR’s facility has the potential to become very dusty, thanks to constant processes, like:
- Unloading waste materials from trucks
- Loading waste into the crushing plant
- Crushing concrete waste
- Moving and loading concrete aggregates and crusher dust
- Trucks coming and going throughout the day
SOLUTION
Unfortunately, keeping a facility free from dust isn’t as simple as sweeping it up regularly. In fact, this can make things worse by stirring up the dust and making it airborne. Better, safer methods recommended by Worksafe Queensland include hosing down or mopping surfaces, using water misting systems to keep waste materials damp, and using ride-on floor cleaners that have HEPA filters or use water scrubbing. MBR already had water misting systems onsite, but needed to implement further controls.
In mid-2019, they approached Tennant Australia for recommendations on machines that could help them with dust control. After an onsite demonstration and test drive in the yard, MBR decided that the S20 Sweeper was the right machine for the job. The S20 is a mid-sized ride-on sweeper that easily picks up cement dust and debris - even particles as small as 0.5 microns - all in a single pass. It’s ideal for reliable, industrial strength indoor and outdoor dust control, which makes it perfect for Moreton Bay Recycling’s needs.
With its built-in SweepMax® Plus cyclonic air filtration system, the S20 makes it easier than ever to improve air quality, removing 90% of dust particles from the air before they even reach the filter. That way, filters last a lot longer and require fewer cleans.
OUTCOME
Before purchasing the S20, MBR’s General Manager, Hilary Dold, would dry sweep the car park area manually. With a busy work schedule, this (understandably) didn’t happen very often - just when it had to.
“The S20 has made a huge difference. Now we sweep all the concrete areas everyday because the machine is so accessible and easy to use,” says Hilary.
“This is the beginning of a whole range of dust control measures. We're in the process of attaching 150m of sprinkler systems along the boundary, as well as establishing more trees to try and keep the dust in.”
Moreton Bay Recycling are working hard to minimise their dust, improve their workplace health and safety, and look after their local environment. We’re so glad that the S20 has been part of that solution and we look forward to working with MBR ongoing to ensure they get the most out of their new machine.
Tennant Australia & NZ offers you a partnership you can depend on.. Value beyond the machine means our National Sales and Service support network aim to deliver maximum value from your machines. We offer ongoing Factory Direct Servicing throughout Australia & NZ,with 40+ direct and indirect service vans on the road everyday. And with TennantTrue® parts and consumables, you receive best-in-industry servicing and repairs, every time to maximize uptime of your machines and business.
