Cleaning overhead beams and cranes

I work for a company that manufactures food packaging. We are trying to come up with the best ways to regularly clean dust off of the overhead crane rails and off the I beams that support the roof. These surfaces are directly over the machines that produce our product. I would appreciate it if anyone would share how they approach cleaning these surfaces.

I was able to find a local cleaning company that came in and vacuumed off every single beam and crossmember in our shop ceiling. They were able to do it all in a weekend and didn't affect production in the least.

Dear filesburgt,

I can remember seeing 2 previous discussions here on similar queries in recent years.

Unfortunately, I think the general conclusion was that (for oneself) "it's difficult" which you know already. Obviously false ceilings and such things alleviate the problem and procedures like previous post but on a frequent basis, hmmm.

Maybe someone has found a solution in the meantime ?

Rgds / Charles.C

We have already had one estimate from a local cleaning company and it was in excessive of $8,000. We are trying to see if there is a company that maybe makes equipment specific for reaching and cleaning these surfaces on a regular basis.

WOW 8k? You must have a much bigger place than we do! Our total ran just over $3000. My only other solution to this was to purchase some of the backpack style vacuums and give some shop employees some extra overtime on the weekends.

Nilfisk makes a line of vacuums that have long and relatively light attachment poles and hook brushes that reach most standard 20' ceilings.
While it's not a perfect solution, I've used Unger telescoping poles and run an air hose down the middle of the pole. To that I attach a 3/8 inch curved pipe with holes drilled in it. Attach a hook brush to that and you have an air blow off with some agitation from the brush.

Marshall

Nilfisk makes a line of vacuums that have long and relatively light attachment poles and hook brushes that reach most standard 20' ceilings.
While it's not a perfect solution, I've used Unger telescoping poles and run an air hose down the middle of the pole. To that I attach a 3/8 inch curved pipe with holes drilled in it. Attach a hook brush to that and you have an air blow off with some agitation from the brush.

Marshall

I'll look into the Nilfisk vacuums and extensions, but for our purposes we are trying to avoid blowing the dust off. Blowing the dust creates too large of a risk of contaminating our machines used to make the packaging. Thanks!

We had ours done recently for a few hundred quid. It shouldn't be costing $8k, if it was, I'd hire a cherry picker once a year and do it myself!

Oh and cover the machines while you're doing it. Even if you pay someone they will either be using vacuums or cloths, unless the $8k is magicking the dust away (in which case it would be worth every penny! )

I totally agree with GMO. some companies down under either use a cherry picker or scissor lifts and perform the task adequately and much cheaper to hire the equipement and do it yourself.

Oh and cover the machines while you're doing it. Even if you pay someone they will either be using vacuums or cloths, unless the $8k is magicking the dust away (in which case it would be worth every penny! )

Absolutely! Remember, few contractors are going to do a better cleaning job than you will. Even if they do well, as GMO points out, you're still cleaning up after them.

In the past, I have used scissor lifts and vacuums, then Unger extension poles and brushes/dust cloths for areas we could not reach with vacuums. A new scissor lift can be had for $13,000 US.

Well, I had call one local company they first vacuums the beam and they also have steam cleaner for steam cleaning. Finally they give me estimate of $50 for one time cleaning. Also gives guarantees of good result.

Nilfisk makes a line of vacuums that have long and relatively light attachment poles and hook brushes that reach most standard 20' ceilings.
While it's not a perfect solution, I've used Unger telescoping poles and run an air hose down the middle of the pole. To that I attach a 3/8 inch curved pipe with holes drilled in it. Attach a hook brush to that and you have an air blow off with some agitation from the brush.

Marshall

I know this is long ago....can you give a few more details on how you were able to stick and keep the air hose in the pole?  We are going to try DYI'ing.  Or better yet, have you found anything that you can commercially purchase that works - we fight dust hard in our feed mill and looking for options.

This is long ago  :shades:

 

The Unger telescoping poles I mentioned have a green handle at the bottom. We cut that out to expose the interior of the pole.

We then ran the female end of the air hose through the pole and out the top locking collar of the pole.

We attached the pipe (with hook brush) to the quick disconnect of the air hose and then duct taped it so it would not fall back down the orifice of the pole.

 

Certainly not elegant, but it worked.

 

I'm years out of the Sanitation game so sadly have not kept up with current products.

I will say though that the expendature in a Nilfisk (or whatever brand) of commercial/industrial vacuum would be worth the cost.

 

Our DIY solution worked fine, but all it did was disloge the dust and blow it around some. A vacuum system would be much better since you are dislodging the dust and actually capturing it.

 

Marshall

***ZOMBIE THREAD***

 

Now I've worked in safety as well, using cherry pickers kind of terrifies me.  Lots of working at height regulations in the UK.  Make sure you risk assess it well...

 

But also now I've worked somewhere else with this problem, do you know what the dust is?  And can you prevent some of it?  Can you work out over time where it's coming from (it's almost certainly from your process).  Then put in some vacuum lines so the dust is being removed before it settles?  The other reason for it is because if it's routinely settling on beams, it's going into your employees' lungs as well...

Marshall - followed you for years - your posts have been gold.

Always happy to help.

 

Marshall