Sweeping change sees brooms bite the dust
January 1st 2006 When push comes to shove, mechanised sweeping can be much cheaper and more effective than its manual predecessor, claims Charles Browning, of SweepEx supplier, Broadwood International
Manual sweeping does remove a large percentage of dirt and debris but in the process allows residual dust to become airborne usually settling where it is least wanted, causing annoyance and discomfort. The process also requires a lot of physical effort, first to manually sweep the area and then get rid of the debris. One of the highest costs in business today is the employment of staff, so using staff for manual sweeping is a waste of an expensive resource and there is very little guarantee of 99% removal of debris. To quantify the costs of using manual labour for sweeping one needs to include all the costs including reliability, consumables and personal protective equipment in order to compare accurately with a mechanised process.
Mechanised sweeping, such as the SweepEx modular broom system, is not only more efficient and cost effective but also removes 98 - 100% of debris in most applications. Such systems remove the problems of dust creation, save employees time and help meet health and safety regulations. Productivity and costs are directly related to quality, maintenance and operator skills. Mechanised sweeping is more economical than manual sweeping and has the advantage of enhanced results.
Choosing a sweeper
When choosing a sweeper it is important to assess a number of key factors: - Reliability and cost effectiveness
- Simplicity of use
- What is the 'cost of ownership'
- The level of regular maintenance required
- Can the sweeper be used in all weathers
- Does the supplier have a reputation for customer service and reliability
When analysing the cost of ownership of a sweepings solution it is necessary to quantify the initial outlay over the useful lifespan of the machine. This will be dependent on a number of factors including the frequency and extent of usage. The running costs must also be budgeted into costings such as replacement bristles, bearings, chains and other sundry items as well as the labour costs of repairs over the machine's lifespan. This will help to quantify the costs per month or day of 'owning' a particular machine.
It is also important to ask a supplier to assess the application and recommend the size of unit needed and to see the sweeper in action to check that it is capable of performing the task required.
There are now several alternative types of sweeper available including rotary sweeper collectors and push brooms.
As well as expensive ride-on road sweepers there are now sweepers that can be attached to existing vehicles such as forklift trucks and tractors, loaders, skidsteer loaders and municipal vehicles so that the host vehicle becomes a multipurpose tool. These attachments are available in a range of widths varying from 1.2m to 3.5m to suit a wide range of applications. They normally also have a wide variety of optional extras to expand them into a complete cleaning system.
These include water-spray system, hydraulic bin tipper, hopper collector, hydraulic side brush for curb sweeping and heavy-duty wheels for rough surfaces.
Not only do these sweeping attachments cost substantially less than ride-on rotary sweepers, by utilising existing power sources, they are also far quicker and more economical to use than manual labour.
Before making a final decision on the type of sweeper best suited for an application consider the following: - Cleaning efficiency
- Quality of structure and components
- Design
- Safety
- Manoeuvrability
Case Study
Broome Brothers has used the Broadwood SweepEx modular brush system for 3 years.
The company has only just bought its first set of replacement bristles despite using the brush several times a week to sweep the twoacre site. Used on a forklift truck, Broome Bros, has found it has increased productivity by obviating the need for manual labour for sweeping and has also reduced the amount of dust and debris in the atmosphere, which becomes airborne when manual sweeping is carried out. Now, when Broome Bros produces concrete blocks, the Broadwood SweepEx is quickly and simply attached to the forklift and the debris is easily swept up into a pile ready for a loading shovel to collect for recycling.
"We were initially sceptical that the system would work because it is so simple", says Kevin Lees, Site Manager at Broome Bros.
"But it does work extremely well and manual sweeping has become a distant memory for our staff."
Prior to buying the SweepEx, Broome Bros had used to collect the fragments left from production using a loading shovel, but found that this was wearing away the bucket edge.
Afterwards the area still had to be manually swept to remove smaller debris and to stop dust being blown around which was not only time consuming but also brought into consideration health and safety issues. The Broadwood SweepEx now is used to sweep up the production and stock areas and also the roads surrounding the site.
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