warehouse employee productivity related to temperatureAccording to a study at Waseda University in Tokyo, productivity drops by 2% for every degree rise in temperature above 77 degrees Fahrenheit.  This means that at 90°F, productivity is down by 12.6% – just from the heat alone. And heat isn’t just uncomfortable; it can also cause numerous heat-related injuries that could put your employees out of work.

According to OSHA, the most common heat related disorders include heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat collapse, heat rashes, and heat fatigue, and that’s only a few. Do you really want to leave the health of your workers to chance? Doing so could leave you with costly worker compensation claims, even lawsuits.  Surprisingly enough, OSHA’s recommended solutions for controlling your facility’s temperature isn’t to dish out more spending on your HVAC system—it’s ventilation and airflow.

Sounds easy, right? But wait before you go and buy an army of basket fans to line your warehouse with, because conventional fans only push hot, stale air around and do nothing for ventilating or improving airflow and provide no noticeable improvement in comfort.

Is saving energy while keeping everyone happy and comfortable even possible? Yes! Luckily, there are multiple types of fans out there that can provide this cooling and ventilation for you; some of them can even provide heating in wintertime.

Types of Fans That Create a Cooler Facility

1. HVLS Fans

High volume low speed (HVLS) fans destratify air, which means that it mixes the air within a facility to eliminate stratified layers of air to create an even, ambient temperature.  These fans are best suited for high ceilings (since there is a minimum clearance required above the fan) and large floor areas. They work by providing these areas with constantly moving airflow to create an evaporative cooling effect. Well-made fans usually have some type of technology that allow them to move more air with fewer blades, which gives them better efficiency than basket fans, and are usually much less expensive to operate than HVAC systems.

Some HVLS fans can be run in reverse for winter heating—in reverse, the fans push down hot air—but if you’re looking at a fan for heating purposes, then make sure you do your research because not all HVLS fans are able to be run in reverse. Some fans will be damaged, and some will run less efficiently in reverse than normal, and in some cases reverse operation will even negatively impact or void your warranty. Make sure that if you want a reversible fan, they’re actually able to be run that way.

2. Directional Fans

These types of fans are great if you can’t accommodate a large HVLS fan in your building, have ceiling restrictions, a smaller facility, or want another type of fan in addition to your HVLS fan. Again, we’re not talking about rotating basket fans here—these are large, heavy-duty fans that cover a large floor space and are actually able to make your employees feel cooler. Their higher velocity also helps keeps floors dry so your employees don’t slip and hurt themselves on spills. You’ll want a fan that has a variable frequency drive, so you can run it on low even in the winter and high in the summer.

3. Exhaust Turbines

These are essential for actually getting rid of the hot air in your building, and when combined with a fanning system, can actually reduce temperatures by 10 degrees because the fans cycle cool, natural air that is brought by the turbines. Even better if you can get wind-driven turbines, which don’t require any electrical or wiring costs.

Want To Learn More?

Do you want to learn more or are you interested in buying one or more of these fans? We have all of them, including wind-driven turbines and completely reversible HVLS fans. We’ll even give you a free consultation so we can be sure that your needs are met. Give us a call at 1-800-803-1083 or send us a message to speak with a specialist in your area.