Slip and falls are the leading cause of worker compensation claims and they also are the primary cause of lost days from work. Most of the time these accidents are preventable. Air curtains are one of the best solutions to help prevent these accidents. Many business owners have walk-in freezers where water can build up on both the outside and inside of the freezer.
Walk-in freezers are a prime spot for slip and fall accidents due to the nature of moisture buildup. Your employee will be running in and out of the walk-in freezer and any amount of water could be enough to cause them to fall. It can be very problematic when a restaurant or place of business is constantly opening and closing the freezer door, which lets a bunch of warm, humid air into the freezer.
It might be helpful to understand how moisture even forms in the first place. Condensation is water’s change of state from water vapor to liquid water. Consider a cold can of soda on a hot day and the moisture that builds up on the outside of the can. This will happen in front and inside of a walk-in freezer because the warm air from the outside comes into the freezer. The warm, humid air will collide with the floor and metal directly inside of the freezer. That material will have a much lower temperature than the air.
The water vapor in the air is converted into liquid water when it contacts the material on the inside of the freezer. The floor and inside door of the freezer will be below the dew point where condensation occurs. The dew point is the temperature where air is saturated with water vapor. The more humid the air is, the higher the dew point is — which causes further problems, particularly in areas with tropical climates.
So, how can we prevent condensation and moisture from building up inside and outside of the walk-in freezer? There are several different solutions out there on the market. One of the least expensive and most effective ways is to install an air curtain. Most business owners do not even consider this solution and it is often overlooked. Air Door Distributors has a large selection of quality air curtains that will solve this problem.
Air curtains prevent the warm, humid air from mixing with the freezing cold metal and floor in your walk-in freezer. Air curtains create a flow of air in the downward direction, which will prevent both the cold air from escaping the freezer and the warm, humid air from entering the freezer. An air curtain can potentially reduce the rate of heat and moisture through the walk-in freezer door by 60% to 80%.
The air curtain will activate every time that the walk-in freezer door opens. This will help prevent the air from entering the freezer and creating moisture. Especially when your place of business is extremely busy. Stopping the warm, humid air from causing havoc on your employees and business is possible with an air door.
Your freezer will also be more efficient if you install an air curtain. The walk-in freezer will not have to work as hard because it will not lose as much cold air with an air curtain. That will save your business money in the long run. A study performed on an Arby’s freezer showed that an air curtain will save the business $447 each year. The freezer compressor had to run 27% less over the course of a week.
The savings do not just stop at energy. The average cost to defend and slip and fall case is about $50,000. An air curtain will decrease the likelihood of your business having to defend yourself in court.
Make sure that you install the air curtain on the outside of the freezer. The freezing cold air could cause the motor to seize when it tries to run. That is an expensive and preventable mistake that you do not want to make. The air curtain will be positioned above the freezer door, which will prevent air from flowing in and out of the freezer.
An air curtain can save your business thousands of dollars in workplace injuries and workers compensation. Air Door Distributors has all the necessary air curtains for your walk-in freezer needs. Contact us today at (866) 402-1642 or fill out our online contact form to find an air curtain that will be perfect for your walk-in freezer and cut down on your workplace injuries.