We have a very big Heavy Machine Shop where the floor is of concreat.We would like paint this flooring of this shop with synthatic Enamil paint to give a good look. What are the Aspect/impact and Hazards we have to consider.Can some one suggest the alternate Paint to avoide the above Hazards or impacts?.

sarasheed

google this term:
"epoxy floor finish"
I used such a finish for my own machine shop - stopped "chalking" and staining of the concrete
meant no concrete dust contamination of parts or machines.

what are the hazards involved in using this epoxy? Check the MSDS and as Wes said, research its potential impacts.

Is there a significant impact on your air/water/land quality? What are the positives of using the paint? Are they significant? If using the paint is bad, you need to minimize the aspect. If using the paint will help to maintain the environment, then you can count it as a positive impact.

Most floor painting projects are preceeded by floor cleaning/scarifying to remove built-up oils/grime, to improve paint adhesion and durability. This is usually done by an outside contractor and involves either a wet process or a dry process where the dust is vacuumed. So you may have concrete dust/residue from floor prep as a new aspect that you have to arrange to dispose. Likewise, you may have a new contractor on site that you have to ensure properly manages his wastes on your behalf.

We were [clever or lazy, pick one.] We interviewed several contractors who gave us checklists of all they would do in terms of preparation, environmental considerations, etc.

We moved out everything to the four walls and put in new floors (*broke up old concrete and put in new drains), dropped in new electric in troughs in the ceiling to drop lines down to machine placements regardless of any future machine relocations, new machines, etc. We put in new high efficiency lighting system which increased lumens but reduced annual lighting cost. Drains had filtration system to trap any hydrocarbons or noxious fluids before going to municipal drain system.

We went from being an "average" machine shop to looking like a machine tool showroom. Because the floor was easy to clean, we found everyone "naturally" making an effort to wipe up any fluids and pick up any debris even before the regular floor maintenance guy came around. The reflective surface (non skid, too!) help increase ambient light throughout.

The initial cost is not cheap, but our cost analysis showed long term benefit. (First one was in office carpet cleaning once no more dirt and grime was being tracked in from production area!)

Heck, even the hand soap consumption went down once employees were no longer getting filthy while working.

We went from being an "average" machine shop to looking like a machine tool showroom. Because the floor was easy to clean, we found everyone "naturally" making an effort to wipe up any fluids and pick up any debris even before the regular floor maintenance guy came around.

:agree1: I've seen the same phenomenon; the combination of good modern lighting and a new floor w/epoxy coating can work wonders for the appearance of a shop, and really does make people more careful about housekeeping.

How has the durability been on epoxy floor coating? We put down a poured floor covering in a couple of our production areas a couple years ago. It looked good new, but was very easy to scuff, and stains tend to soak into it. I'm not sure what the base material of the stuff is, but I don't think it's a hard epoxy.

At the old Goodyear Aerospace they used a clear epoxy covering that wore like iron. It reminded me of the "conformal coatings" we used on the Printed circuit boards. When it did finally give up it would break up into strips that began peeling away. I was told at the time that it was the best they ever came with. Sorry I cannot recall the name.

Ours wore well, too. Today, I would investigate new formulations, not depend on 10 year old info like mine from the 90's. I remember being pleasantly surprised at the possibilities in the 90's compared to when I had looked at similar stuff in the early 80's for a different company. The guarantee/warrantee was better and the price (considering inflation) was actually less per square foot.

We took advantage of the down time in production by sending production staff to training or out on the road to meet with suppliers and customers. Everybody was on the payroll and worked throughout the period. We even managed to get some production done by having two employees run jobs on new equipment we were in the process of leasing (this means we were still negotiating price!) from a machine tool supplier. The equipment was set up at the supplier's showroom to run our part and "prove" the production rate. The supplier was thrilled to be able to bring in other prospective customers to watch the machines in action and talk to our guys about whether they liked the machine or not.

When our floor was ready, we just had machinery movers pack it all up and reinstall on our floor.

Hi,

We are a machine shop. Our shop floor absorbed oil in past years. Should we clean it before starting 14001 certification?
If we don't what would be the effects of this oil on enviroment.

Thanks in advance..

Hi,

We are a machine shop. Our shop floor absorbed oil in past years. Should we clean it before starting 14001 certification?
If we don't what would be the effects of this oil on enviroment.

Thanks in advance..

Cleaning the concrete will not change the effects the oil has had in the past, will it? How much oil? Oil is absorbed by concrete all the time. Has the oil gone through the floor into the bare earth below? How much? Is there water pollution because if this? What are the legal requirements of your country. I am not sure that most of us here could give you a finite answer. There are too many variables. Yes, you should at some point probably clean the floors, but I'd be much more concerned with what has happened where you cannot see it.