Background

3M is a global leader in innovation, but their roots in North Carolina are firmly planted in the Industrial Minerals Products Division. At the Pittsboro plant, 3M has spent decades producing the vibrant, reliable granules that protect roofs across the United States. With nearly a century of experience, 3M’s culture is built on a simple philosophy of continuous improvement to ensure world-class Occupational Health and Safety for their employees.

Problem

The process of creating roofing granules begins with extracting and crushing heavy rock, which naturally generates significant amounts of industrial dust. The primary challenge for 3M was the direct safety of their personnel. Any worker exposed to these airborne particles is at risk of inhaling them, which can lead to serious, long-term respiratory issues such as silicosis. Keeping these front-line individuals safe is the top priority.

Beyond direct exposure, 3M identified a second critical challenge: secondary exposure. Workers were inadvertently carrying hazardous dust on their clothing as they moved the crushing plants into shared spaces like crib rooms, workshops, and offices, potentially exposing colleagues who don’t usually work around dust. To ensure the health of the entire site, 3M needed a way to contain dust.

Solution

To address both the direct health risks to front-line staff and the threat of secondary exposure, 3M integrated the Bat Booth® into their daily workflow as a comprehensive engineering control.

  • The booth was installed directly along the main thoroughfare between the quarrying site and the office facilities, effectively intercepting dust before it could reach clean zones.
  • Understanding that operational downtime is critical, the system replaced the need for complicated PPE changes with a simple 10-second cleaning cycle that workers can use multiple times a day.
  • By following NIOSH guidelines for de-dusting systems, the Bat Booth uses air jets to blow dust off high-vis uniforms and collect it via HEPA filtration for safe disposal.

Result

Completed in February 2020, this solution has since transformed the daily routine at the Pittsboro plant. By giving every worker a fast, reliable way to clean their clothes, 3M has cleared the air for the entire facility. This proves that the most powerful safety solutions are often the simplest ones to use.

Ready to see how a 10-second change can protect your entire team? Contact us today.