Aerospace engineering, although necessary for many industries, can come with many risks and hazards for workers. And if you oversee an aerospace engineering lab, you need to consider the different safety measures you can put into place to improve workplace safety. One example includes the use of soundproof curtains.
In this article, we will discuss the logistics of engineering labs and the risks they present for workers. We will also dive into how you can use soundproof curtains to reduce some of these risks, especially when you invest in the curtains we provide at Singer Safety.
What is Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace engineering labs handle many production needs, including designing, developing, and testing rockets, airplanes, spacecrafts, satellites, and more. Generally, it focuses on creating technology for extreme conditions by using aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering.
Aerospace engineering requires extreme attention to detail using mechanical engineering, thermodynamics, electronics, and materials science. Due to the nature of the products being developed, aerospace engineering can come with many risks and challenges. Especially for workers exposed to hazards while handling the developing and testing stages of manufacturing.
Common Concerns in Aerospace Engineering Labs
Aerospace labs tend to create high-risk environments since workers may find themselves exposed to a variety of safety hazards. Many of these hazards are quite common for most types of labs, but others may be more specific to the aerospace industry.
Understanding the most common risks can help you better prepare and create an environment that keeps workers safe.
Equipment
Aerospace engineering uses many types of electrical equipment, creating significant risks for any nearby workers. Electric equipment can lead to burns or electric shocks if not operated correctly or if it isn’t maintained.
Environmental & Chemical Exposure
Aerospace manufacturers and engineers are usually exposed to a wide range of environmental and chemical hazards. These types of labs often have extreme temperatures in certain zones where forging, welding, or heat treatments are going on. So, the risk of injury becomes quite high for any workers exposed to these processes.
Additionally, chemical exposure presents a variety of risks due to things like flammable fluids, airborne contaminants, solvents, and pressurized fluids. Many of these chemicals aren’t easily noticeable and can become airborne, which can lead to burns, eye problems, and respiratory issues.
Other hazards that put workers at risk include things like glass, metal, plastic, and fiberglass that can become airborne during blasting and grinding processes.
Loud Noises
As you might expect, aerospace labs often generate significant noise. If workers aren’t wearing the necessary protective equipment, long-term exposure to this noise can lead to hearing problems and even total hearing loss.
The risks become that much greater for workers regularly exposed to loud noises above 85 dBA.
How Safety Curtains Benefit Engineering Labs
Once you have identified the safety risks in your engineering lab, the next step is to find safety solutions. And the good news is that acoustic curtains and soundproof curtains provide one of the best cost-effective and flexible safety options.
Industrial curtains provide all of the benefits of permanent walls, without the commitment or limitation.
Hazard Containment
As we discussed above, labs present a variety of hazards from things like chemicals, airborne contaminants, and extreme temperatures. Industrial curtains can help with this by sectioning off the most hazardous work zones, creating non-permanent partitions. This can help shield workers when more hazardous processes are going on, such as welding, forging, grinding, and blasting.
Industrial curtains also act as barriers, containing hazardous materials, which can help reduce the risk of workplace injuries, respiratory issues, eye damage, and burns. However, keep in mind that safety curtains do not take the place of personal protective gear.
Safe Zones
Aside from sectioning off the most hazardous areas of the lab, curtains can also create safe zones. Typically, aerospace labs create a very hazardous workplace due to the nature of the work being done. So, it’s absolutely necessary to provide workers with safe zones where they can get away from these hazards.
Safe zones allow workers to relax, take breaks, or work on more administrative tasks without the risks of airborne contaminants, chemical exposure, electrical equipment, or loud noises.
Sound Absorption
Whether workers are exposed to aerospace equipment or processes like forging and blasting, the noise level can become extreme. Not only does a noisy work environment reduce efficiency and communication, but it also comes with a variety of hearing risks.
The good news is that you can use acoustic curtains to reduce and contain noise since they are made with sound absorbing materials. You can create partitions around the loudest work zones, as well as create quiet zones for workers to retreat to.
Why Choose Singer Safety Industrial Curtains?
At Singer Safety, we pride ourselves on providing some of the best industrial curtains around. These curtains provide a suitable safety option for a variety of environments, including engineering labs.
Our curtains have the benefit of easy installation and flexibility, allowing you to take them down, put them up, or adjust them as needed. Gliding track systems provide reliable movement and secure locking, without having to commit to permanent partitions.
Depending on the curtains you choose, they also come with a variety of benefits, including:
- Climate control
- Sunlight control
- Increased security
- Privacy
- Dust containment
- Humidity containment
- Temperature control
Our curtains also come in all of the standard sizes, and if you can’t find the sizes you need, you also have the option of building your own custom curtains. So, whether you are looking for curtains for hazard containment or temperature control, contact our team at Singer Safety to learn more about the customization options that we provide.
Find the Most Effective Acoustic Curtains at Singer Safety
Wondering how you can better protect your workers when they are working on things like hypersonic aircraft, satellites, airplanes, or rockets? At Singer Safety, we provide top-of-the-line soundproof curtains specifically designed for harsh conditions. These heavy-duty curtains provide a wide range of benefits, such as sound reduction, increased privacy, climate control, and sunlight control.
So, if you want to invest in soundproof curtains for your engineering lab, contact us today at Singer Safety to learn more about our industrial curtains.
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