Parking: June 2010 - 20

Safety Management for  Parking Professionals kathy Phillips
Providing Effective Parking Lot Sweeping Using Regenerative Air Sweepers
Parking lot sweeping is necessary for any business. The first value that can be achieved from parking lot sweeping is aesthetic value—a very important factor for any business. The second and most important benefit from parking lot sweeping is health and safety. Aside from debris and dirt, parking lot sweeping vehicles are equipped to collect the particulate matter that accumulates from vehicle wastes. Particulate matter is one of the known toxic inhalable particulates and compromises a major part of air pollution. Parking lot sweeping vehicles works similarly to road sweepers only that they have smaller hoppers or containment tanks. Most recent models of road sweepers have smaller hoppers but have the same powerful regenerative air systems that older models of road sweepers have. Having this type of powerful system is important especially if the parking lot is situated in close proximity to a residential area or neighboring businesses. A majority of regenerative air systems uses a close-loop air cycle where the same air is used repeatedly. First, air is vacuumed into a pressure chamber where it is pressurized to a high pressure to be used to loosen any debris on the ground. Then that same air is suctioned inside the machinery again, only that it has collected dirt and debris in it. Compared to older models, regenerative air sweepers do not use water to loosen dirt, thereby conserving resources. Flushing water on the ground also helps control dust. However, aside from using water, most regenerative air sweepers use rubber flaps or curtains to control dust. Incidentally, the rubber flaps also work to maximize the suction force of the vehicle. Another important feature that the regenerative air system has is its capability to suction particulate matter. The high velocity air can loosen both dirt and inhalable particulate matter off the ground while the powerful suction is capable of collection these air pollutants. Inside the hopper, filters are installed to ensure that these dine particles of air do not escape into the environment again. First the dirt containing air is welcomed by a flush of water so larger particles immediately fall to the bottom. Finer particles on the other hand are sifted through the cartridge filters located just before the air exit of the hopper. Aside from the main features of regenerative air sweepers, other special options available can make using it a lot more convenient to both operator and individuals in the vicinity. The first option is a noise minimizing kit that reduces the overall noise that the machine makes while in use. This is useful when the unit is used alongside restaurants, hotels, offices and other businesses in close proximity to the parking area. In addition, some sweepers have magnetic pickup bars that can be mounted just before the blowers. This very useful option can pickup metals that can harm machinery if it tries to process them.

National Parking Association PArkINg June 2010

Parking: June 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Parking: June 2010