Mobile Carts for Ceiling Access, Wire Pulling, and Dust Control

Dust containment carts increase efficiency, save time, and contain harmful ceiling dust. 

Facility managers have to keep buildings safe and efficient on a tight budget. Let’s say facility manager Frank needs to prevent harmful ceiling dust from circulating through the facility when workers open ceiling tiles for maintenance or construction projects such as wiring pulling. Any budget-minded facility manager would start by considering the least expensive, in-house ceiling access option first

Unfortunately, at many facilities, the thought process stops there. What seems like the cheapest solution becomes routine, causing opportunities to be missed. For reasons ranging from budget pressures to institutional inertia, tried-and-true sometimes win out over potentially higher-performing solutions that could yield lower overall cost.

But imagine Frank was smart enough to step back and look at the long-term costs of not just materials, but labor hours, amount of disposable waste generated, and cleanup. A quick analysis makes it apparent that a one-time investment in a reusable dust containment cart for above-ceiling work made perfect sense. 

Where portable dust containment carts really shine is when workers must repeatedly remove ceiling tiles for access to above-ceiling utilities, releasing ceiling dust into the air. The two-minute setup time and takedown time of a HEPACART®  or DUSTBUGGY® cart becomes absolutely essential in such jobs that require dust control.

As important as efficiency and time savings are, there are more reasons to use a dust containment cart, such as more easily meeting essential safety protocols, providing a patient-friendly appearance, and making a better, cleaner work environment.

HEPACART Vs. DUSTBUGGY for Dust Control

Let's take a closer look at two dust containment carts. 

The HEPACART, our flagship model, is, in simple terms, a lightweight aluminum box attached to a sturdy boxed aluminum frame, to which four non-marring heavy-duty swivel casters are mounted. Its upper portion consists of a fabric curtain that rises to meet the ceiling (you hand-crank it on the standard model or push a button on the Auto Lift model, which raises the top faster than a 1948 Ford convertible can). One worker can easily roll the cart down the hall to a point directly beneath a ceiling tile, raise the curtain to meet the ceiling as high as 10' 6" (or up to 14' with extensions), and be at work within minutes.

A standard HEPACART has room for a ladder, tools, and work materials, so there's nothing to move between work points but the cart itself. When plugged into a 110-volt wall outlet (a 25-foot cord with reel is built-in), it provides interior LED lighting, power outlets, and a clean, safe place to work. A built-in negative air machine keeps dust from escaping in sensitive environments that may have auto compromised patients, elderly residents, or young students. 

The DUSTBUGGY, also ideal for dust control, can best be described as a HEPACART without the negative air machine. It's useful for ICRA category I and II work in less critical areas of a hospital and still can be connected to an external negative air machine whenever necessary. It also can be field-retrofitted with an on-board negative air machine to handle ICRA levels III and IV, effectively converting it into a HEPACART. 

HEPACART and DUSTBUGGY are similar in that both units save time and money while offering superior dust control. To quote the FAQ from our website:

• Both take less than two minutes to set up and take down.
• Both have convenient interior storage for ladders, tools, and work materials.
• Both save time, lower labor costs, and increase productivity.
• Both can be equipped or retrofitted for job flexibility (lower wall access panels, floor access, multiple tile adapters, lockable tops, etc.).

Customize HEPACART for Specialized Dust Control

Up to this point, we've discussed dust containment carts as if they were a one-size-fits-all solution to a problem. But the truth is, the world is a messy place, no two projects are alike, and you would not believe how many requests for special modifications we've received. And we have enjoyed responding to every one of them because we manufacture these carts ourselves, which allows us to customize them for specialized applications.

For example, we:

• Developed a taller cart for walls and ceilings with 40% more workspace for a healthcare contractor who needed to install hundreds of emergency telephone boxes in the walls of a major hospital.
• Developed a dual-entry ceiling access cart to allow entry from both sides with HEPA filtration in the center for an international healthcare contractor who needed two crew members on a dual ladder for a project.

Here are some other customization requests to which we've responded by building special, turn-key dust control equipment:

• Micro mobile containment cart for tight spaces
• Silica dust blowoff cabinet
• Operating room heater/chiller containment
• Mobile containment with floor access
• Mobile containment with multiple doors
• Linked mobile containment carts (end-to-end or side-to-side)
• Carts designed to reach ceilings up to 16 ft.
• Mobile containment unit compatible with overseas electrical standards

Obviously, not every job is about ceiling access. Some jobs involve access to walls or the floor. Some jobs require a large cart with a door at each end. The variations are endless, and so is our willingness to work with customers to customize our carts.

If you're interested in learning more, explore HEPACART & DUSTBUGGY, shop our online store, or talk to a team member about a customized option.

For maximum efficiency, consider pairing one of our Cabling Access Point (CAP) wire pulling tools with either a HEPACART & DUSTBUGGY.

More reading:

• ​​HEPACART articles
• DUSTBUGGY articles
• Dust Containment articles