A hirer’s guide to misting equipmentdust and odour control

Looking for air quality solutions but unsure which will be most effective? Air Spectrum explains the benefits of the most commonly cåused misting equipment on-site.

Dust Cannons:

Used for large areas with a heavier water consumption rate, not suitable for indoor use. Cannons are mobile pieces of equipment, used to soak areas to prevent dust clouding and bring large amounts of dust out of the air. Our Cannons projection offerings are from 30m up to 100m.

Atomisers: Atomisers produce much finer mist and are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use and can treat both dust and odour. Atomisers are effective at treating odour when used in conjunction with a liquid odour-neutralising additive. Atomisers can be mobile/ self-contained or fixed in place and connected to mains. Our Atomiser range offers projection from 15m up to 25m.

Boundary Systems: Boundary systems are designed to surround the concern at hand, whether that be dust clouding or offensive odours leaving the area. They can be used both indoors and outdoors and can be attached to a mobile water bowser or connected to mains and in a fixed position. Boundary systems consist of a flexible high-pressure hose with an option to choose your desired spacing of misting nozzles, they are typically spaced every 2 metres.

At-source Suppression: Sometimes the most effective way of controlling dust or odour is to target the output very specifically. To do this, a fixed system is installed with very targeted, larger nozzles using pressurised air to create a powerful stream of mist to stop the dust/odour at source. These are usually used for long-term hire solutions. Mobile at-source suppression is also available with a range of attachments.

Air Spectrum Environmental are a UK manufacturer of dust and odour control equipment. They also provide expert air quality advice. Offering a ‘full circle’ approach, Air Spectrum can offer a full air quality assessment and provide a cost-effective solution for your site, as well as excellent after care and support.

Environmental impact is key for Air Spectrum Environmental, and they are the first to offer nondiesel, battery-operated misting equipment. The range – ‘ecotech’, currently includes Atomisers and ensures zero emissions, as well as much quieter operation. Offering both short and longterm hire, Air Spectrum can provide a solution for your air quality needs. n

Air Spectrum Environmental are a UK manufacturer of dust and odour control equipment.

They also provide expert air quality advice. Offering a ‘full circle’ approach, Air Spectrum can offer a full air quality assessment and provide a cost-effective solution for your site, as well as excellent after care and support.

For further information please visit: www.airspectrum.com

Global resource management company Veolia has exceeded the target savings for Dublin’s Mater Misericordiae University Hospital following the first year of operations. The results, including an additional €44k of savings, were achieved after the extensive energy efficiency upgrades completed under the first Carbon Energy Fund, CEF, contract for a hospital in Ireland.

The 15 year Energy Infrastructure Project Agreement will reduce the hospital’s carbon footprint by approximately 72,000 tonnes, cut imported electricity from the national grid by 77%, and deliver €26 million in guaranteed energy and operational savings. At the end of Year 1, the data indicates savings of €1,565,759 have been achieved against planned guaranteed savings of €1,521,868, resulting in additional savings of €43,891. By 2025, the Mater Hospital is aiming to have moved energy efficiency gains from the current 37.2%, ahead of the 33% target set by the Government, to over 50%.

A secure and cost efficient energy supply is essential to maintain a modern patient care environment for the Hospital which has more than 600 beds and treats over 360,000 patients each year. To meet the energy demand and achieve carbon savings of 35% Veolia’s specialist energy teams managed a wide range of energy efficiency projects covering the design, delivery, installation, commissioning of a range of energy upgrades. These included installation of 2,600m2 of double-glazed windows, fitting 3,800 new energy efficient light fittings and a new 2MWe Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant to generate around 13.8 GWh of electricity a year. Supporting these measures is an upgraded Building Management System (BMS) covering the energy installations on the site, and managing the heat distribution through the 1.7km of installed district heating network that delivers heat to nine existing boiler houses across the campus.

To ensure patient care could be maintained during the lighting and window upgrade projects, the renovation of each ward was delivered with a 5-6 week turnaround per ward, and a decant or “floating” ward was created to enable patients to be transferred during the upgrades. While the energy infrastructure was being upgraded the hospital also took the opportunity to carry out other work including replacing floors and ceilings as well as redesigning wards to provide, for example, new nursing stations and improved bathrooms. This gave the hospital a unique opportunity to fully renovate a 40 year old building, and once the renovation work was completed the wards were cleaned and sterilised to infection control standards and patients returned back to the refurbished wards.

Alan Sharp, CEO Mater Hospital said: “The energy project has delivered more than the savings we expected based on its current performance. We’re extremely thankful we took the decision to start this project, especially with concerns over energy supply and the increasing cost of energy.”

Fergus Elebert, Regional Director, Veolia Ireland added: “This project highlights the success of this approach for decarbonising the healthcare sector. A major element that contributed to the success of the infrastructure upgrades was the high level of teamwork between the Hospital’s facilities team, the medical teams, Veolia and the contractors and suppliers. We look forward to extending this success at the Mater as we move towards achieving a net zero goal.”

With a track record spanning 84 years in delivering energy management to healthcare, Veolia currently provides the energy services for around 110 hospitals across Ireland and the UK that support the care for nearly 10 million inpatients each year. n

Lots of us start the new year with grand plans for the year ahead. Some of us make New Year’s resolutions, ranging from getting fitter, eating healthier to taking up new hobbies. This year, why not consider making recycling your electricals part of your resolutions?

Recycle Your Electricals has provided some top tips for making your New Year’s resolutions greener by turning them into ‘New Year’s Eco-lutions’. From saving money to giving back to those in need, these ‘eco-lutions’ show us just how easy it is to recycle our electricals by turning traditional resolutions into green ones!

“We are calling on UK householders to recycle their electricals as part of their New Year resolutions. Some of the best New Year resolutions are ones that are easy to achieve, and recycling electricals is one simple step all householders can make to do their bit for the planet. My New Year’s resolution is to declutter my house

Cash strapped January?

If one of your resolutions is to save a bit of money, especially after Christmas and during the current cost of living crisis, then why not gather up your old working electricals and sell them? Recycle Your Electricals’ research found that you could make up to £620 per household by selling your old electricals. On average, the UK has one unused laptop and one unused tablet per household. The average price that could be achieved by selling a secondhand laptop is £165 while a tablet could fetch an average price of £110. Mobile phones can command an average of £110 and games consoles £125. Find out how to make money from selling your old tech here: recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/sell-second-

Recycle while running!

Getting fit is one of UK householders’ top New Year’s resolutions, with research showing that 43% of people chose this as their top commitment. Try incorporating doing good in your gym activities by including recycling into your fitness frenzy by collecting up your old cables, headphones or phone, popping them in a bag, and heading to Recycle Your Electricals’ postcode locator to find your nearest, or farthest recycling drop-off point. Remember, the more electricals you carry the more calories

– so I’m going to finally clear out my cupboard and recycle the old cables and printer I have in there,” said Scott Butler, Executive Director of Material Focus.

E-waste is the fastest growing source of waste in the UK and in the world – with over 155,000 tonnes of household electrical waste thrown away every year and 527 million electrical items hoarded in UK homes. 80% of us already think recycling e-waste is the right thing – therefore, it seems fitting that recycling your old and unwanted electricals is one of your new year’s resolutions.

New you, new skill?

2023 could be your year for learning new things. Learning to repair your old electricals that seem a bit tattered is a great way to learn a new skill. There are Repair Cafes across the UK where you can meet and learn all about repairing things. In each one you’ll find tools and materials to help you make

Giving back to those in need – Give Back January.

You may want to consider donating your old and unwanted electricals as one of your New Year’s resolutions. Especially in the digital age we’re in, this is a wonderful way to give back to those less fortunate – after all, that’s what the festive season is all about. Last Christmas 40% of UK adults bought nearly 40 million items of household tech from Black Friday to Christmas, resulting in 4.2 million unwanted electricals being abandoned. Some 2.2 million of these abandoned electricals are hoarded away, with 2 million of them thrown in the bin. If we donate these items to those in need, the value would be £136 million. Find more information on donating your old electricals.

Being more eco-conscious

The environment is at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds right now, and recycling your electricals is a simple way of fulfilling your environmental New Year’s resolutions. If we recycled all our old electricals we would cut as much CO2 as taking 1.3 million cars off the road. Recycling electricals would also create hundreds of new jobs in electrical reuse and recycling – and save valuable raw materials from being lost forever like gold, copper and steel. Recycling your electricals has never been easier –simply head to Recycle Your Electricals’ website and pop in your postcode to find your nearest drop-off point.

Spreading the message of recycling electricals is just as important as recycling them. Do this by telling your friends and family that ‘anything with a plug, battery or cable can be recycled’ and letting them know about the Recycle Your Electricals’ Locator. A great way to start 2023 would be working together to stop the e-waste problem. For more information on how to prepare your old electricals for recycling, selling or donating please visit www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk