Negative air filtration is used to trap and contain hazardous particles. By passing the air through a high-efficiency HEPA filter, harmful airborne particles can be removed from the workplace. Because the particles are often microscopic in size, it is not feasible to expect a temporary wall alone to contain these particles. Mold, lead dust, smoke damage, and other common interior problems often require negative air filtration. As part of remediation efforts, a system of temporary barriers and air filtration is often necessary.

While remediation work may seem complex at first to the layman, it can be a DIY endeavor. Any instance where workplace particles must be physically separated from the rest of a room or building, negative air filtration is required. Fortunately, negative air filtration concepts are easy to learn. The standard procedure for encapsulating, containing, and removing any contaminant is as follows.

A physical barrier is first needed to separate the work area from the rest of the building. For small home projects, systems like ZipWall, which rely on plastic sheeting, retractable clamps and ZipDoors, are an inexpensive, easy and simple solution. However, for large-scale commercial projects, more substantial barriers are needed. The use of temporary barrier systems such as Edge Guard is the ideal method for commercial scale projects.

Edge Guard can be assembled quickly, meets all required safety standards, has the necessary exhaust ports to run negative air machines, and includes a self-closing door to ensure particulate containment. Once the Edge Guard is installed and the negative air system is up and running, it effectively becomes a non-invasive door, and normal operation and business can continue in the same building without hindrance.

Once a suitable barrier is in place, ensure all return air vents and any other potential sources drawing air from the workplace are sealed. If the air is coming from the workplace being cleaned, the encapsulation effort is rendered useless as the particles spread throughout the building.

With a workplace now sealed, negative air machines with HEPA filtration can begin to clean the air. By continually extracting contaminated air from the workplace, filtering it, then exhausting it through a HEPA filter and out of the workplace through clean barrier exhaust ventilation, negative air machines begin to improve air quality. of the closed space. Once air cleaning has begun, it is important that the air cleaner draws more air from the enclosure than is supplied to it, in order to maintain negative pressure.

When used in conjunction with manual remediation efforts such as stripping affected paint, disposing of contaminated materials, and using aerosol foggers, abatement work can be done easily and safely without affecting people or other rooms in the building affected. These products can be purchased directly, as well as rented through services like Northwest Abatement Rentals.