News

API 756: There’s compliance. And then there’s compliance with 360-degree service.

December 15, 2015 by turnaround logistics

We’re all working to create a safer work environment for our industrial friends, family, and colleagues. Hence, API 756. Across the country, compliance with the recently published standard is increasing by the month. We get calls every day. However, these calls just aren’t about how to comply with API 756, but what is the best way to comply with API 756 and all of the related challenges that it presents.

Meeting all of the specifications of API 756 is just the beginning. That’s where service comes in. Quality products and special levels of service never seem to matter until you have a problem. Below is a helpful list of questions we recommend you ask before buying or renting a blast-resistant shelter to make sure you can comply hassle-free from Day 1 of implementation…and every other day.

What is the setup and takedown time?

We just assume “get it up, get it done right, get it done the fastest.” We recommend teams of 4-10 trained specialists to complete installation and dismantlement, especially when servicing customers with short timelines or installing the largest shelters. Also, having the flexibility to have our experienced supervision work with both nested site contractors, or come prepared to perform a turnkey installation, is definitely a bonus; our teams can work either way.

Is at least one technical supervisor on-site during setup, on my schedule?

You would think this is a given, but it’s not. Some shelter vendors don’t always send a specialist with the right on-site technical expertise and experience out to the field. Not at Turnaround Logistics. Proper blast shelter setup could mean the difference between additional costs for the customer or compromising safety. You can count on at least one technical supervisor on-site when we set up a blast-resistant shelter or module, or an entire installation crew; you make the call.

Is there a service that can manage the storage of my blast-resistant shelter and protect my investment?

Blast-resistant shelters are just one of the many product investments our customers are handling. When not in use, the cleaning and storage of a blast-resistant shelter makes the difference in the longevity of the product. Our specialized team is readily available to provide services such as removing blast-shelters off-site and adequately cleaning, boxing, and storing the shelter for the customer until it is needed on the next project. This service “closes the loop” between purchase, setup, takedown, and storage; a true turnkey approach.

What are the regular maintenance requirements?

Just like a car, blast-resistant shelters require routine maintenance. We have heard a lot of stories about what happens when a shelter is neglected and not maintained in a timely manner: water damage, mildew or mold, insects, animals, and misaligned doors are commonplace. The best way to keep your blast-resistant shelter in tip top shape is to enforce a timely routine inspection. Since we are specialists, customers appreciate removing this from their plate and putting it on ours. Our routine inspection includes observing operating equipment, column air pressure, door alignments, the condition of the indoor and outdoor flys, and more. We recommend your inspection includes these items, routinely and frequently.

Are complementary products available as a turn-key solution?

You’ve got your blast-resistant shelter. Now you need everything else that goes with effective and efficient man-power accommodations. Yes, you can get that all in one place – from a specialist. We provide logistics products inside and outside of the shelter, including tables, chairs, refrigerators, microwaves, utility vehicles, turnstiles and more.

Have more questions? We’re here to help. This is what we do; we’ll be happy to talk with you. Please contact us.

API 756: Do you comply?

August 27, 2015 by turnaround logistics

Keep workers safer, closer to the job. Or, in the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) words, “manage the risk from explosions, fires and toxic material releases to on-site personnel located in tents.”

API 756 provides guidance for these risks for use at refineries, chemical and petrochemical operations, natural gas liquids extraction plants, natural gas liquefaction plants, and other onshore facilities. The goal – mitigate hazards for tent occupants near process areas.

“API 756 suggests a soft-walled temporary structure inside an over-pressure zone of 0.9 psi (or greater) should comply with specific regulations. The only company in the world right now that can meet all of the regulations is Dynamic Air Shelters.” [i]

So, does your facility comply? As a distributor of Dynamic Air Shelters and solutions provider, here’s how Turnaround Logistics can help you maximize your compliance and safety:

Blast Resistant: Certified to withstand exposure to explosion-induced waves with pressure exceeding 5 psi and durations over 200ms. Ballistic resistant when tested with 81mm, 104mm, and 155mm shells.
Heat Flux Resistant: Unique fabrics and features mitigate risk to workers from situations of flash fire caused by accidental hydrocarbon combustion.
Superior Portability: Utilize minimal space with a two to three hour inflation time for large structures.
Multiple Configuration Options: Various amenity and deployment options for modular, expandable, multi-unit complexes and may include electrical, lights, HVAC, air filtration systems, and flooring.
Extreme Climate-Ready: Can withstand regulated snow load, wind forces minimum of 130 Km/hour (80 mph), and category 3 hurricane. Capable of withstanding extreme temperatures ranging from a staggering 45ºF to 158ºF (7ºC – 70ºC).

Every facility’s needs are different. Contact us at (281) 478-4670 or sales@turnaroundlogisticsinc.com to discuss the best Dynamic Air Shelter solution for you.

[i] “API756 Blast 2015 Dynamic 264.” Dynamic Air Shelters YouTube Channel. Dynamic Air Shelters, 15 June 2015. Web. 31 Aug. 2015.

You Know Where to Find Us: AFPM Reliability & Maintenance Conference 2015

May 15, 2015 by turnaround logistics

Just look for the blue booth (#428) with all of the people standing around – that’ll be us. We’re looking forward to catching up with all of our colleagues, customers, and industry buddies. Please stop by so we can talk shop and learn more about how we can service your personnel logistics needs and get you into a brand new blast-resistant shelter.

API Approves RP 756 Guidelines for Blast-Resistant Shelters

April 16, 2015 by turnaround logistics

The API Process Safety Committee approved “Management of Hazards Associated with Location of Process Plant Tents” in September. This recommended practice (RP 756) had been anticipated by the industry beginning in 2013. The report provides guidance for managing risk from explosions, fires and toxic material releases to on-site personnel located in tents. The API committee’s report evaluates recommended practices concerning five different types of tents utilized, including air-inflated structures.

Tents included in the tent siting evaluation study are intended for occupancy and may be used for breaks or meals, weather shelters, change houses, orientation, training, meetings, tool stations, offices, laboratories or equipment assembly, just to name a few. API 756 suggests tents for these uses and others will be required to meet the owner/ operator’s tent siting evaluation criteria, and mitigate consequences or risk where required. Air-inflated structures, or Dynamic Air Shelters (DAS), are considered to be the solution to minimize these risks and comply with API’s newly recommended practices.

Many industrial plants began purchasing DAS ahead of the approved practices to avoid the rush. As the leading distributor of DAS and a turnkey logistics services provider, Turnaround Logistics is currently helping turnaround managers and logistical planners comply with API 756 through supplying DAS, while increasing wrench time in the process.

DAS’ Director of Sales and Marketing Aaron Knape said, “Dynamic Air Shelters is proud to have Turnaround Logistics as a distributor of our products.”

As more industrial plants work to comply with API’s suggested safety guidelines, Shawn McGee, CEO of Turnaround Logistics, continues to see an increase in inquiries about the air-inflatable DAS and how plants can best comply while approving efficiencies.

“There is a lot of work to do to inform the industry about the importance of these shelters, how they improve safety and wrench time, and which shelter products best comply with RP 756,” he said. “As product experts, it is our job to help educate turnaround and safety managers on the best solutions to comply with API. Most shelters that are considered to be ‘blast resistant’ are actually not able to meet the high blast ratings DAS can.”

DAS is a soft structure designed without ridged beams to completely mitigate the risk of a metal beam falling on workers and becoming more dangerous than the pressure of the blast itself. While labeled as “blast resistant,” other tents’ structures still utilize ridged beams.

Turnaround Logistics is one of just a few providers for DAS, but the only provider with innovative logistical solutions both in and outside of DAS, and where you might least suspect it. The company creates logistical efficiencies where others do not through complementary custom services and products, including on-site catering, all types of lunch and break tents, specialty rentals, parking lot management and transportation, premium hygienic facilities, utility vehicles, generators, ice makers, cool down huts and alternatives to troublesome busses.

Turnaround Logistics’ experienced team prides itself on being able to use its extensive industrial experience and premier workforce accommodation products to work with customers to not only comply with RP 756 but to create innovative logistics solutions that help customers maximize their resources as their “turnkey solution partner.”

For more information about Turnaround Logistics and how they can service your next turnaround, call (281) 478-4670 or email sales@turnaround logisticsinc.com.

API 756 suggests updated guidelines for tent siting evaluations: Blast, toxin, and weather-resistant

April 28, 2014 by Turnaround Logistics Leave a Comment

There had been speculation that the American Petroleum Institute (API) was evaluating existing practices for tent siting evaluations, and this was confirmed when the API Process Safety Committee released a draft report titled, “Management of Hazards Associated with Location of Process Plant Tents,” at the end of 2013. This recommended practice (RP 756) provides guidance for managing risk from explosions, fires, and toxic material releases to on-site personnel located in tents.

The API Committee’s draft report evaluates recommended practices concerning five different types of tents utilized, including air-inflated structures.

Tents included in the tent siting evaluation study are intended for occupancy and may be used for breaks or meals, weather shelters, change houses, orientation, training, meetings, tool stations, offices, laboratories, or equipment assembly, just to name a few. API 756 suggests tents for these uses and others will be required to meet the owner/operator’s tent siting evaluation criteria, and mitigate consequences or risk where required. [i] Air-inflated structures, or Dynamic Air Shelters (DAS), are considered to be the solution to minimize these risks and comply with API’s newly recommended practices.

It is unknown as to the exact date that API 756 will be approved and begin to be recommended, but industrial plants are already beginning to purchase DAS ahead of the recommendation of these practices and ahead of the rush. As the leading distributor of DAS and a turnkey logistics services provider, Turnaround Logistics, Inc. is currently helping turnaround managers and logistical planners comply with API 756 through supplying DAS, while increasing wrench time in the process.

Turnaround Logistics’ unique product pairing of premier blast-resistant, DAS and diverse logistical planning services is catching the attention of turnaround management and executives responsible for maximizing wrench time, transportation of personnel during turnarounds, workforce accommodations, and safety compliance.

Customer, Don Francis, Material Planning and Logistics Lead at BP, says, “Turnaround Logistics provided us shelters and support that enabled us to work inside the blast zones during the 2013 FCC turnaround event. This brought personnel closer to the event, and minimized delays in travel time with each trip to the shelter.”

Turnaround Logistics’ experienced team prides themselves on being able to use their extensive industrial experience and premier workforce accommodation products to work with customers to not only comply with the approaching API 756 recommended practices, but to create innovative logistics solutions that help the customer maximize their resources as their “turnkey solution partner.”

Shawn McGee, CEO and General Manager of Turnaround Logistics, says, “It is very rewarding having a team that recognizes the needs of the petrochemical industry. We value our long-term relationships with our customers and enjoy being with them in the field learning first-hand what their daily challenges are. Our goal is not to just sell a product, but to solve problems for our customers and create the best solutions for them, some of which may not have even been done before.”

View this article published in BIC Magazine (March 2014).

More information regarding API 756 can be found at www.api.org.

[i] Management of Hazards Associated with Location of Process Plant Tents. Rep. American Petroleum Institute, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2014. http://ballots.api.org/ProcessSafety/RP756Draft11.pdf.

Exxon Mobilizes the Texas Chemical Industry

July 12, 2013 by Turnaround Logistics Leave a Comment

As natural gas came booming onto the energy scene, it suddenly became much more affordable to fuel large plants and factories. Texas’ Barnett and Eagle Ford shale formations have played a considerable role in the energy boom, especially within Texas itself. Bountiful shale oil and natural gas deposits sit underneath the Lone Star state and are now being tapped with new technologies and techniques. Companies in the area have recently announced close to 100 new chemical projects thanks to the low cost of natural gas. One of these companies is Exxon Mobil, planning a multi-billion dollar expansion of its Baytown chemical production complex.

The sudden skyrocket in chemical production has been great for the local and national economies. However, there is one big problem with the massive growth. The Houston area has thousands of new jobs to fill and not enough skilled workers to do so. Taking matters into its own hands, Exxon decided to help recruit and train these new workers to employ at the newly flourishing chemical plants. The energy giant will be coordinating and helping to fund programs at nine Texas community colleges and organizations to get people trained for these new positions. This is good news for the Texas chemical industry, which could have as many as 46,000 permanent jobs to fill if all new projects are completed. Some experts predict as many as 1.2 million jobs could be added by 2020 as an indirect result of chemical industry expansion. The average salary for a trained and skilled employee of the chemical industry is $86,000.

The Whirlwind U.S. Energy Boom

June 19, 2013 by Turnaround Logistics Leave a Comment

The United States may soon be able to say goodbye to foreign oil. According to the International Energy Agency, U.S. shale oil will meet most of the new oil demand from all around the globe within the next five years, even if world economies pick up more steam. Where did all of this new fossil fuel come from and how do American energy companies plan to handle the influx?

Oil shale can be refined and used for the same purposes as products derived from crude oil, which is what makes the shale oil boom globally significant. Natural gas can be processed into ethane, propane, butane, and other forms of fuel, and can also be found in shale reserves. Thanks to new and advanced technologies, the United States has located new reserves of these fuels or can now attain reserves previously believed unreachable. Hydraulic fracturing (or “fracking”) and horizontal drilling are new technology applications that have made reaching shale oil and gas possible.

The Marcellus Shale bed, a geological formation located across West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York, was once thought to be exhausted, but it is now known to hold an estimated 160-500 trillion cubic feet of untapped resources. Similarly, a recent United States Geological Survey revealed an estimated 7.4 billion barrels of oil in the Bakken and Three Forks shale in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. Texas’ Barnett shale consists of sedimentary rocks well over 300 million years old and has launched Texas into the forefront of shale oil and gas production. It has been estimated to contain the largest producible reserves of any natural gas field in the U.S. Texas is also home to the Eagle Ford shale play, which is one of the most actively drilled formations in the entire country due to the ease of hydraulic fracturing in the area. Eagle Ford is considered to be a huge economic development for the state of Texas, ranking as the largest oil and gas development in the world based on invested capital.

These new found fuel reserves have helped the U.S. import much less foreign oil as refineries increase production and new refineries are opened to process the influx of new resources. The U.S. is also exporting more oil and gas to other nations. Many energy companies looking to get in on the boom scrambled to get a bid in on the new reserves found in North Dakota. Refineries all over the country are in high gear and North America is soon expected to be number one in oil production out of the 12 members of OPEC.

Never Underestimate the Importance of Safety

May 23, 2013 by Turnaround Logistics Leave a Comment

The tragic explosion at the West Fertilizer plant in Texas has raised many questions about chemical safety. While a fertilizer plant would not normally fall under our typical clientele, it is important to take this opportunity to discuss the need for caution and protection in the petrochemical industry.

Any time that combustible or explosive materials are present, safety must be priority number one. For example, some of the most dangerous situations can occur when a unit is being drained or taken down for maintenance. Planning ahead and taking the appropriate amount of time to prepare carefully can ensure the well-being of your employees and your business. Planning ahead can also help avoid any miscommunications or gaps in the turnaround process. If everyone knows their roll in the procedure then there is less risk that a problem will go unnoticed or an important step will be neglected.

Proper ventilation is also an important aspect of the turnaround process. When a plant is undergoing repairs, cars and trucks may be parked where they normally would not be. Exhaust fumes from a running truck can cause serious complications if they are accidentally taken in with the air supply. A simple way to avoid this is to plan safe parking places for vehicles that are far enough away from workers, equipment, trailers, and plant traffic.

Besides the obvious chemical dangers and blast risks, the warmer weather can also put your employees in danger. Surprisingly, spring weather has a high potential for causing heat stroke due to quick escalations in temperature. The human body generally needs a few days to adjust to hot weather, but in the springtime the thermometer can jump 20 degrees within a day. Providing shade and/or shelter is an easy way to protect your workers. Everyone should be alerted of the warning signs of heat stroke and how to prevent it.

Top 3 Tips for Industrial Operations Planning a Turnaround

April 10, 2013 by Turnaround Logistics Leave a Comment

Experience is the best teacher of all, and if you do something long enough, you’ll eventually get good at it. So we’ve learned a thing or two over the years from working with our customers.

We have a policy that our customers are always right, and there’s nothing we won’t try to do to satisfy their requests — within reason, of course. But sometimes, we’ve found, a customer will get a little confused about how to best proceed with a company offering logistics services. So here are a few tips to help guide you in meeting the logistical needs of your plant turnaround.

Whoever you use as a supplier, make sure they are basically capable of whatever product or service you are looking for. Check out the supplier’s website and follow up on the phone with a customer service rep.
Plan ahead for whatever services or equipment you need. Don’t wait till the last day to place an order. Typically, it will take a supplier a day to round up the people and equipment you need for a function and another day to set everything up.
You should always take into consideration the placement of temporary facilities, whether they are tents or office trailers or sanitation units. If you situate temporary equipment in a place where it will interfere with another business activity in the interim, you’ll have to add an additional cost to your invoice by asking the supplier to come back and move the temporary equipment. Try to know exactly where things should go beforehand.

The best piece of advice we can give you when it comes to your turnaround needs is: Think things through and plan ahead. (That holds true for a lot of problems.) And please feel free to contact us for any other questions you have when you’re doing your planning. That’s what we’re here for.

New Year, New Website…Same Great Service

March 21, 2013 by Turnaround Logistics Leave a Comment

If you’ve visited our website recently, you may have noticed something different about it: a complete makeover. We’re a modern company offering some of the most highly respected clients in the country complete, state-of-the-art workforce accommodations, and we decided our website should better reflect that. We officially launched it in October, and so far, it’s gotten a wonderful response.

One of the first things you’ll notice on the home page is that it’s sleeker and more visually appealing. Beyond that, though, are many changes that are built to make your experience on our site better. It’s much more user-friendly than our old website, and includes a lot more valuable information on our services. Click on any of the links and you’ll find full descriptions and informative areas of information, all of it as easy to navigate as it is useful.

You’ll also notice we’ve added a “Request a Quote” function that allows you to easily receive a quote through our website. This added feature has not only proven helpful to our site visitors, but to us as well; we’ve gained many new contacts through this link. And did you know we are very active on social media? Now you can reach our Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and LinkedIn pages, as well as our blog, directly through our website. Want to check out examples of our past work? They’re right there on our home page.

We’re very excited about our new and improved website, and encourage you to check it out. We think it better represents who we are, what we do, and how we’re constantly evolving and moving forward. Check it out and let us know what you think!