Flexiscreen dust containment for hygiene-critical manufacturing

Strict hygiene standards during building works

Northwood Consuma Tissue manufactures everything from toilet rolls and facial tissues to kitchen towels and catering products. Producing hygienic products requires tightly controlled production processes, making contamination control non-negotiable.

When Northwood needed to demolish and replace an ageing concrete floor within the facility, it was vital that airborne dust and debris did not spread into live production areas. Left uncontrolled, concrete dust can quickly become airborne, putting staff at risk, contaminating hygiene-sensitive tissue products and potentially damaging precision production machinery.

With production required to continue throughout the works, Northwood needed to create a secure physical barrier between the demolition zone and the production line. The solution had to create a dust-tight seal at ceiling level and around building penetrations, preventing dust migration while maintaining safe, efficient operations.

A dust-tight solution

Having worked together previously, the team at Northwood already had confidence in Westgate Global’s ability to protect live, high-risk environments without disrupting production. Westgate Global specified and installed Flexiscreen, an engineered, floor-to-ceiling screening system designed to contain airborne dust and contamination in sensitive environments.

Following a full survey, Flexiscreen was custom-manufactured to fit and suspended from the building structure. With no need for additional supporting frameworks, the solution has a small footprint and can be installed cleanly and efficiently around existing machinery and infrastructure. The system formed a secure seal around ducts, pipes and structural elements, delivering over 99% protection against dust spread and preventing contamination of adjacent areas during demolition and rebuilding. With a choice of fire-rated and antibacterial options, Flexiscreen is ideal for use in hygiene-sensitive facilities that operate to strict standards.

In addition to dust containment, Flexiscreen delivered significant noise-control benefits. During concrete breaking, sound levels outside the screened-off area decreased by 16dB, from 93.5dB to 77.5dB. This improvement helped protect staff welfare, creating a safer and more comfortable working environment while the works continued.

By combining proven dust containment with rapid, low-disruption installation, Flexiscreen enabled Northwood Consuma Tissue to keep production running while protecting employees, machinery and hygiene-sensitive products. As a temporary, reusable system, it also provided Northwood with a practical, cost-effective solution that can be reconfigured and redeployed for future work.

Learn more about Flexiscreen