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Industrial Fallout

Industrial fallout is any contaminant that lands on a car from any industrial or human activity, usually commercial in nature.

This is the important distinction because it may imply negligence to take precautions against contamination and a commercial enterprise may be liable.

Fallout is generally any substance, wet or dry, which has got into the air, or fallen from above and usually occurs on factory estates or near building projects.

It is fairly common within the trade to use "industrial fallout" and "rail dust" interchangeably, because they often amount to the same thing, which is ferrous metal particles adhering to your car's paintwork. However, industrial fallout is not limited to metal contamination.

Examples of Industrial Fallout

Here are some examples, all of which we have encountered.

  • Paint and coatings overspray and splatter: This includes resin paints used on lampposts, railings and bridges. Road marking paint, wood stains and varnishes etc.
  • Soot: This can come from factory chimneys, ships at dockyards, or as a result of fires.
  • Limescale: This can come from contaminated water dripping from buildings and is a hazard of underground parking.
  • Chemical spillages: Usually a result of traffic accidents where lorries have spilled their load and could be anything from diesel to detergent.
  • Adhesives: Many adhesives, silicone sealants and insulation materials are sprayed, meaning they can get into the air.
  • Tar and bitumen: Commonly used to seal building roofs, this can stray from building sites.
  • Concrete and cement: This can include wet concrete and plaster, or dry cement powder, plus debris from demolitions.
  • Metal particles: This is contained in soot and exhaust, but can also be belched out by extractor fans, or caused by welding, grinding, or many other industrial processes.
  • Firework damage: What goes up, must come down, and spent fireworks may still be hot can cause burns and stains. Likewise, soot from bonfires can be considered fallout.

Written by . Last updated 16/12/2022 16:48