HafcoVac has been impacted by the October snowstorm and is presently without power / phones.

However, we are standing by on LIVE chat (lower right of your screen) or by email to answer any questions you may have.  Any orders placed will receive expedited processing as soon as service is restored.

Please use our chat system below, or email info@hafcovac.com  We will respond promptly during our regular business hours.

HafcoVac Vacuums to the rescue!

HafcoVac is offering all customers requiring equipment related to cleanup from Irene related storm damage and flooding a 10% discount off your order.  Most orders will ship the same day from our NJ warehouse, meaning you can have equipment as early as tomorrow to facilitate cleanup in this difficult time.  We’re here to help.

Our most popular vacuum models for flood water cleanup are the HafcoVac Compressed Air Complete Units, available in either 55 gallon or 30 gallon configurations.  These vacuums are well suited for either wet or dry operations.  They are safe to use in wet locations, such as a facility which as suffered flood damage, as they use compressed air, NOT electricity.  If your facility has operational compressed air supply capable of delivering at least 60 CFM of air, or if you have a gas powered compressor, such as a tow behind, you can accelerate your cleanup operation with HafcoVac.  Please read more about compressed air requirements.

In addition to the 10% discount, for the duration of this offer for storm cleanup operations, HafcoVac will allow the substitution of a liquid shut off in place of the standard filter, free of charge. When the flood waters have receded and you return to operation, you will have a superior vacuum with a lifetime warranty at the ready for your regular facility maintenance tasks.

We understand your requirements are time sensitive, please call us for prompt product consultation and immediate shipment.  Most shipments to DE,CT,NY,NJ,PA and VT will arrive next business day, though schedule may be impacted by road or depot closures in your area.

Discount offer valid through September 15th, 2011.

Accelerate your cleanup operation and get back to business faster with HafcoVac

In July 2009 the the U.S. Chemical Safety Board, the CSB, made a new safety video, “Combustible Dust: An Insidious Hazard” and testified in Congress about the dangers of combustible dusts. They had released their Combustible Dust Hazard Study” in 2006 which calls for regulation and enforcement by OSHA. “No company wants to see its facility blown up and destroyed and its employees killed,” former CSB Chairman John Bresland says in this powerful video.  The CSB study concluded that good engineering and safety practices to prevent dust explosions have existed for decades, but there was no comprehensive federal standard requiring adherence to these well-known safety practices.

Often cited are the National Fire Prevention Association’s (NFPA) Combustible Dust Hazard Codes and Standards in the video.

A Plea for OSHA Combustible Dust Standards

Amy Beasley Spencer, of the NFPA, believes if there was a national OSHA requirement dealing with dust explosions that the incidents would be significantly decreased. NFPA standards emphasize safe cleaning methods, such as utilizing explosion proof vacuums in concert with proper training.
One of the case studies is the dust explosion and fire that damaged the CTA Acoustics plant on February 20, 2003 in Corbin, Kentucky. The Kentucky Department of Labor published and distributed the educational alert bulletin Combustible Dust Explosion Hazards.

Complacency Vs. Health and Safety Practices

Why these explosions continue to happen is a mystery to many experts when the information is out there about the dangers of combustible dust. Expert James Dahn appears in the CSB video to warn industry and workers against complacency: “I mean we’ve been operating for 40 years and never had a problem,” Mr. Dahn states. “That kind of logic is one that can guarantee you will get into trouble.”

Combustible Dust: By the Numbers

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis is featured announcing in 2009 that OSHA would begin the rule making on combustible dust.  Worker Protection against Combustible Dust Explosions and Fires Act of 2011 (H.R. 522 Feb 8, 2011) is in Congress now. OSHA reported in a trade news release dated April 28, 2011 that since 1980 nearly 150 workers have been killed and more than 850 injured in combustible dust explosions. They held a Combustible Dust Expert Forum on May 13, 2011. Attendee Jeffrey Nichols posted his notes on the conference here..

According to the NFPA, a catastrophic explosion can occur from “as little as 1/32 of an inch of accumulated dust, around the thickness of a dime, covering just 5% of a room’s area.” One of their recommendations is to perform rigorous housekeeping to remove any explosive dust that does build up.

Further Pleading for Combustible Dust Standards

According to the CSB chairman John Bresland, the problem is that although the NFPA standards have often been adopted at the State and the local levels, they are not enforced in any regular way. He goes on to say that there needs to be better communication to and education of workers on the dangers of combustible dust and that should be done with improved information  on material safety data sheets (MSDS).

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. For more information on combustible dust please visit CSB.gov.

Aftermath of the Chengdu dust explosion. Photo: intomobile.com

Explosive Dust Kills Three in China

An explosion at a factory in the Chinese city of Chengdu has killed three workers and injured almost 20 others. This catastrophic explosion on May 20^th, 2011 has been attributed to combustible dust accumulations, according to initial examinations by local authorities. The dust explosion led to the partial shutdown of the plant. Officials in Chengdu said the explosion had been caused by combustible dust in an air duct at a polishing workshop. Foxconn, a division of the Hon Hai Group of Taiwan, is the operator of the facility and occupies a golden position as one of Apple’s largest suppliers. The Chengdu facility appears to be a new factory and Foxconn boasts of hiring almost 100,000 new employees.

Warning Signs of a Dust Hazards

The Hong Kong-based labor watch-dog group called ‘Students and Scholars against Corporate Misbehavior’ had noted a problem with potentially combustible dust accumulations throughout the factory in a report on working conditions issued only 2 months ago. The group said workers at the Chengdu factory had complained this year that the ventilation of the polishing department to be wholly inadequate. Workers in this section of the factory are charged with polishing iPad cases and the polishing process produces copious amounts of explosive dust on a particulate scale near microscopic. Workers are forced to inhale this explosive dust even though they are wearing respirators. The particulate is so fine that when workers take off their cotton gloves, their hands are completely coated with this combustible dust. After the release of these findings, Foxconn issued a response; stating that it was unfortunate that S. A.C.O.M. was seeking to capitalize on insignificant findings.

Workers from the Foxconn plant show just how much explosive dust accumulates on their person during an average shift
Video by S.A.C.O.M., courtesy of Youtube.com

Corporate Damage Control

Apple issued a statement after the explosion, saying that they regretted the tragic accident and that the cause of the blast was under investigation. Foxconn has recently been expanding its operational reach all across China to keep up with production demands. Apple has a deep relationship with Foxconn; which has had to cope with several recent worker suicides. Labor rights groups believe the suicides were the result of harsh working conditions. Foxconn, however, insists employees are respected and are treated well. After the suicides, Foxconn took steps to mitigate internal stresses; hiring counselors and even installing nets on some buildings to prevent suicide attempts. Apple has praised Foxconn, saying the company has definitely saved lives.  Apple; which has an established and well documented code of conduct for international suppliers, audits plants annually, but has had to deal with continuing problems that propagate in China’s industrial sector.

Unforeseen Consequences of Combustible Dust Explosions

The subsequent shutdown has stirred fears of production/ supply interruptions for the latest iPad. IHS iSuppli, said that the explosion at the Chengdu facility “could result in the loss of production of 500,000 Apple iPad 2 tablet computers during the second quarter of this year.” IHS iSuppli said that while most of the iPad production was actually being completed in the city of Shenzhen, the concern is that the Shenzhen factory might not be able to compensate for the disruption in Chengdu.

The Necessity for Combustible Dust Mitigation Practices

The Chengdu incident brings to light the need for adequate combustible dust training procedures and effective housekeeping measures; such as employing dust cleaners, in order to eliminate the possibility of catastrophic combustible dust explosions in every sector of the manufacturing industry. HafcoVac Explosion Proof vacuums are compressed air powered and completely anti-static. No electricity means no possibility of ignition by proxy and can provide peace of mind for manufacturers and factory operators who truly care for the health, safety and well-being of their employees.

The basic design of wet/dry vacuums is very simple. Air streams through a wider area of the vacuum on the way up and loses speed in the narrower portions of the vacuum. This difference in speed is what is responsible for the suctioning of liquid particles and heavier dirt particles.

It is not only for heavy duty vacuuming and mopping up of liquids for which these vacuums are of great use. These vacuum cleaners can also be used to unclog difficult sink drains. Instead of calling a plumber for this task, individuals with wet/dry vacuums can use it for unclogging drains.

The wet/dry vacuums are great for use after parties. Not only are they great in vacuuming fallen food crumbs but they are also great for suctioning spilled liquids. The multi-purpose dimension of these vacuums makes them a great hit with most homeowners.

Homeowners who live in cold states where it snows will love the wet/dry vacuums because it can remove snow from floors and steps. This helps remove some of the drudgery and hard work involved in shoveling.

Finally, the wet/dry vacuums are also great finding stuff that gets stuck in the sink as well as for inflating toys and inflatable swimming pools. Of course, these are some of the more creative uses to which the wet/dry vacuums can be put through.

The main reason for its popularity is that it has great power and is a very efficient cleaning system.

Industrial vacuums generally have long cords so that getting around the house can be easy. Also, with a right sized cord, a person will not have to worry about unplugging and plugging in the cord numerous times.  For the same reason that industrial vacuums are made durable, they are also powerful. This is why many people like to haveindustrial vacuums in their homes because they have so much power, so a person’s house will always be clean. Also, the maintenance of industrial vacuums is easy because they are designed that way.  The vacuums have easy to access parts and they can be easily replaced without much work.

Industrial vacuums are economically priced, so anyone can afford an industrial vacuum. However, it is hard to find a great deal on these vacuums, because they are not advertised nearly as much as regular vacuums used in the home.  The one stipulation that a person should keep in mind as far as industrial vacuums is that they are not made for looks, only for function. If function is all that a person is looking for, then industrial vacuums are the way to go, both functionally and cost wise.

A supervisor of a warehouse looking to buy heavy duty vacuum cleaners need to examine the vacuums before buying them. This will help protect the investment.

The most important feature that a supervisor needs to examine while buying vacuum cleaners is the suction. This is probably the most important feature that an individual needs to look while buying the heavy duty vacuum cleaners. The supervisor can check on how strong the vacuum cleaner is by running his or her hand under the vacuum heads. Then they need to test its strength on different appliances and objects.

Supervisors looking to buy heavy duty vacuum cleaners also need to check the filters. Most industrial vacuumcleaners use has hepa filters. This kind of filter reduces the amount of dust and dirt that the cleaner spits back into the air. Hepa filters are available in two forms-disposable and washable. Supervisors who are on a budget should try and buy washable vacuum filters.

Supervisors also need to check on how noise the different vacuum cleaners are. Supervisors need to buy vacuum cleaners that do not whirr too much or cause too much of a distraction. It is the common characteristic of industrial vacuum cleaners to be noisy. Supervisors need to choose ones that make the least sound but which have a lot of suction power.

If an individual finds that the vacuum cleaner does not sound all right or does not work properly, it is probably because the fan belt has been worn out of the suction hose that is clogged. The individual could buy vacuum partsand repair the cleaner by himself/ herself/. However, in the case of a heavy duty vacuum cleaner, the individual may want to give the cleaner to a repair shop.

An individual who wants to replace the fan belt in vacuums should lay the cleaner on its side. Then they should check to see if the roller in the vacuum cleaner is spinning. Most times, an individual can get the belt in a vacuum parts store and replace it easily.

If the vacuum cleaner sounds clogged then the individual may need to replace the vacuum head or the suction hose. Both these are easily available at the vacuum parts store. It is very easy replacing the hose of the vacuum cleaner.

The individual also needs to examine if the vacuum bag needs to be replaced. A clogged filter will shorten the life span of your vacuum. Make sure your filter is back in place or replaced, and reinstall the vacuum bag or dirt cup.

Most office complexes and large commercial properties use the wet/dry vacuums for their cleaning. The capacity of these cleaners varies, however, most offices choose from 30 gallons or 55 gallons capacities.

The biggest advantage of wet/dry vacuums is that individuals do not have to shift from one kind of cleaner to clean. The vacuum is as efficient in cleaning dry dirt as it is in mopping up wet spills.

Wet/dry vacuums have made cleaning up spills much easier and less time consuming. These cleaner are designed to pull the spill out of the carpet with more power and amps than a regular vacuum cleaner. These vacuums usually have a rolling canister. There is no bag but just an empty canister for sucking the spill of the floor.

Most wet/dry vacuums have a filter cartridge that is located in the vacuum to help clean the air blowing back out of the vacuum and into the environment. The filter is generally hand washable and should be cleaned regularly.

The basic design of wet/dry vacuums is very simple. Air streams through the vacuum on the way up and loses speed in the narrower portions of the vacuum. This difference in speed is what is responsible for the suctioning of liquid particles and heavier dirt particles.

Wet/dry vacuums can be put to multiple uses. It can be used in homes as well as in offices. More and more homeowners prefer to use wet/dry vacuums for homes as it prevents the need for multiple cleaners.

The suction power of industrial vacuum cleaners is probably the most important feature a person should check for when looking at different options. It is important to have a strong suction power since they will need to handle a lot of cleaning.  In addition to this, the suction power will need to be strong enough to handle large areas, and in some cases, areas of high dirt traffic.  When looking at different industrial vacuum cleaners, it is important to take note of the different strengths of vacuum cleaners.

It is important to buy an industrial vacuum cleaner that has hepa filters. This kind of filter reduces the amount of dust and dirt that your cleaner spits back into the air. There is an industrial vacuum that allows for disposable hepa filters, which can be changed with every cleaning session. Or, a person can choose those that can be washed repeatedly.

The best industrial vacuum cleaners are those that do not cause a great disturbance. It is the common characteristic of industrial vacuum cleaners to be noisy. Choose the one with the least amount of noise. These can be more expensive, but, at least, they won’t cause a major disturbance.