APTIM Discusses Hurricane Preparedness
It only takes one hurricane to devastate an area. Therefore, having a strong support system ready when needed this hurricane season is key to safety and recovery. BIC Alliance member companies’ varied offerings can bring you sustainability and peace of mind in hurricane preparation and response.
Ready to assist Accuform knows having a plan in place for when severe weather strikes can not only prevent confusion but also save lives. One of the key components of being prepared for a hurricane is having clearly marked evacuation paths that lead workers to safety. You can achieve this by placing Accuform’s Severe Weather Map Holders throughout your facility. These map holders are simple to use (just print out a map of your building and insert it into the holder) and mount to walls with adhesive foam strips. The bright red border commands attention, making it easily spotted in even the most dangerous of situations. Prevent panic and unnecessary injury in the case of a hurricane or other emergency by clearly marking routes to safety inside your facility with Accuform’s Severe Weather Map Holders.
Alliance Safety Council offers after-hours support to plants and contractor companies during emergency situations. In those instances, Alliance provides training beyond its traditional business hours. Those in need should call Alliance’s toll-free number. To contact Alliance outside standard hours of phone operations, a form can be submitted. This form can be found under the “Services” tab on Alliance’s website. Whether preparing for, responding to or recovering from a hurricane, think APTIM for a comprehensive suite of hazard disaster services. APTIM provides emergency planning, implementation and management; operational continuity planning and management; facility hardening; and process turnaround services. Response services encompass emergency response services, staff augmentation and logistics support, and contamination and debris cleanup and disposal. Recovery services include turnkey construction services: disaster-related construction of new facilities, repairs, retrofitting, mitigations, upgrades and expansions. In addition, APTIM provides environmental services. APTIM maintains a 24-hour Emergency Response Hotline to call for a rapid response to disaster-related issues. AT-PAC Complete Scaffolding Solutions has the products and services you need for hurricane preparedness and response. With branches strategically placed around the U.S., AT-PAC can react efficiently and effectively to customers’ requests. AT-PAC keeps large inventories of its proprietary Ringlock System Scaffold and Tube and Clamp Scaffold components available for purchase or rental at each branch. AT-PAC offers unique value to customers, with a highly experienced and well-qualified Technical Services Team ready to assist clients with questions and help address other additional needs.
Austin Industrial Inc. is directly impacted any time a hurricane makes landfall. Action plans covering pre-storm and post-storm activities are in place to ensure its employee-owners and customers are safe and the impact is as minimal as possible. After a storm hits, Austin Industrial places an immediate focus on aiding impacted employee-owners and expediting project recovery for its customers to return to normal operations. It also has an assigned team of highly trained personnel for each project and an office that is readily available for disaster relief.
Burrow Global is ready to respond and provide support in both hurricane preparedness efforts and post-hurricane recovery. Its plant services team offers resources to supplement your staff in implementing hurricane preparedness plans. During recovery efforts, Burrow Global’s industrial buildings division offers assessments and recovery plans, and its inspection services team verifies plant equipment operational readiness. Burrow Global’s automation and instrumental and electrical (I&E) construction groups get your I&E and control system infrastructure repaired and operational. Burrow Global’s engineering team provides design support and consulting services as needed. From preparation efforts to comprehensive recovery support, Burrow Global is here for you. Chet Morrison Contractors provides construction and assessment services assisting in rapid response efforts. With over 30 years of experience responding to clients’ urgent needs along the Gulf Coast, Chet Morrison Contractors has the resources readily available to coordinate and respond to clients in emergency situations. Through a phased approach, the company is prepared to protect and stage assets far in advance — and is positioned to respond once the dust has settled. With priorities set on protecting personnel, securing property and resuming operations as soon as possible, Chet Morrison Contractors’ disaster recovery plan considers every aspect of the company’s and client’s safety — from establishing emergency communication protocols to developing a specialized response team responsible for employees and assets during the aftermath.
Deployed Resources offers all of the products and services required for provisional life-support facilities for displaced populations. The need for climate-controlled, engineered shelters, food service, drinking water and sanitary facilities are the basics. Turnkey facilities may also be required to fulfill the needs of blast-resistant buildings. With a large inventory of strategically staged assets, in-house transportation capabilities and proven experience, Deployed Resources is ready to respond.
If you find yourself impacted by the weather this hurricane season, DISA Global Solutions is still there for your support. DISA mobile units can come to you and easily provide professional services through on-site testing. DISA also provides after-hours assistance for a wide range of needs, including post-accident, emergency and general client services.
Excel Modular Scaffold takes a preemptive approach to hurricane preparedness. All facilities currently utilizing the Excel product are treated with a bimonthly inspection of all long-term standing scaffolds to ensure decking is properly secured in the event of high winds. New scaffolds erected during months subject to hurricanes have all decking assembled to avoid any flying debris should severe weather strike. Excel is swift to act once repair efforts have begun following a storm. Project management is accustomed to the increased manpower required to get each facility back in operating order. Over the past seven years, Marathon’s Garyville, Louisiana, refinery has been hit by severe weather on numerous occasions. The culmination of severe weather efforts required five of the main vessels in excess of 180 feet to be completely scaffolded and boarded out for repairs. Hunter has designed and developed a storm shelter that meets the guidelines of FEMA 320/361 and the International Code Council®/National Storm Shelter Association Standard for the Design and Construction of Storm Shelters (ICC-500).
Hunter storm shelters are made to withstand the impact of a projectile object propelled horizontally up to 250 miles per hour, which corresponds to an EF5 category tornado. Hunter offers several sizes to choose from, with the company’s largest standard storm shelter having a maximum occupancy of 142 people.
Hunter storm shelters can also be customized to meet your specific needs. Every design comes equipped with fire extinguishers, emergency lighting and gravity ventilation. Hunter storm shelters can be placed on the ground and are easily relocated depending on the location of the threat. These combined features make Hunter’s storm shelters a safe choice for all of your inclement weather needs.
The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers and employer- ironworker partnership IMPACT have established a fund to bring relief to members in case of a natural disaster. The Iron Workers Disaster Relief Fund allocates funds to the respective Iron Workers District Council to be disbursed to affected local unions and their members in the event of a natural disaster. The Iron Workers provides a workforce of over 130,000 ironworkers with extensive training through 157 training centers throughout the U.S. and Canada to ensure job readiness and safety on the job site. IMPACT offers its ironworker members and partner contractors a wide range of training and resources to maintain their competitive edge in the industry.
When hurricane season strikes, Industrial Scientific is ready to provide gas detection equipment for rent on short notice. First responders have relied onIndustrial Scientific to provide rugged, durable and accurate gas detection equipment after some of the most catastrophic weather events, including Hurricane Katrina. By renting gas detectors for short-term use, you can get top-quality safety equipment without the cost and commitment of a traditional purchase. Moreover, Industrial Scientific’s local service center in Houston ensures the time it takes to get your equipment along the Gulf Coast is minimal.
Whether you need to rent area monitors to establish a safe zone around a gas hazard or outfit first responders with wearable gas detectors, Industrial Scientific has a range of rental products and accessories to meet your needs in the moment when you need them most.
International Cooling Tower USA Inc. has three material storage yards located strategically across the U.S. It inventories large quantities of wood/fiberglass-reinforced plastic structures, critical parts and components ready to be expedited for hurricane response or general emergency repairs. International Cooling Tower USA has a trained world class field services group of 500-plus experienced cooling tower craftsmen ready for emergency repairs or quick turnaround projects. The company can expedite materials and manpower wherever the emergency occurs domestically or internationally.
Delivering solutions for a more connected, sustainable world, Jacobs provides resiliency planning services to its clients globally for various scenarios, including comprehensive Emergency Response Plans (ERP) to support plants during major storms and hurricanes. Jacobs’ integrated resiliency services include vulnerability assessments, adaptation planning, resilient design, green infrastructure, climate and population change analyses, emergency management and program delivery.
With experience in oil spill cleanups after major disasters, including Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike, K-Solv subsidiary OMI Environmental Solutions has a thorough plan in place to help organizations land on their feet after hurricanes strike. OMI provides waste removal services, containment booms, vacuum trucks, professional crews and more to aid in disaster cleanup. OMI recommends companies have a contingency plan in place, calling when the hurricane hits the Gulf rather than after a spill occurs to ensure the company has equipment and acrew on retainer. The early investment of calling ahead is well worth avoiding the cost of acting too late and risking a lackof available equipment to clean up spills fast enough to minimize damage.
Layher North America maintains a comprehensive scaffolding inventory at all branches, including its headquarters in Houston, and is ready to deliver scaffolding during hurricane preparation. For response efforts, Layher is equipped to deliver and can aid in arrangements for shipping. Layher recommends the Layher SpeedyScaf® for home reconstruction activities and the Layher Allround® for commercial and industrial efforts. Lather SpeedyScaf, with its rapid, bolt-free assembly, addresses the need for speed during a post-hurricane rebuild. The Layher Allround offers unbeatable adaptability and is the scaffolding of choice globally for commercial and industrial work. Layher Protect System Panels are fully compatible to keep your workers and site protected from wind, rain and the elements.
Mahaffey Fabric Structures has over 25 years’ experience working on hurricane and other disaster relief projects, offering temporary shelters, design and implementation of multiple-sized base camps, water and shower services, portable warehousing and storage space, business continuity facilities, and food services and dining facilities to help put your organization back in business as quickly as possible. These products are immediately available for rent or lease. Additionally, Mahaffey’s project management expertise ensures rapid response and customer satisfaction, and its crews travel fully self-sufficient with enough supplies to live and work comfortably for seven days. Mahaffey’s emergency response strategies and inventories provide effective and reliable solutions anywhere, anytime.
To prepare your industrial rack-andpinion elevator for hurricane conditions, one should take into account several factors. Is the elevator located within the expected flood plain or subject to expected flooding conditions? McDonough Elevators suggests the elevator be positioned above flood levels. In most cases, this would be at the second level but no higher than necessary to mitigate loads in high-wind conditions. After the parking location is determined, power should be disconnected from the elevator. This ensures the elevator will not be used in adverse conditions or returned to operation until a full inspection is conducted.
Mustang Sampling prepares each year for the summer storm season to better serve its customers in the event of an emergency. Equipment and service providers to the natural gas and power industries play an essential role to ensure short recovery times after major storms.
“It is essential to ship quickly from on-hand inventory and provide accompanying service,” said Kenneth Thompson, president and CEO of Mustang Sampling. Mustang Sampling has established a network of representatives from which to draw upon and developed close relationships with key suppliers to ensure immediate access to components.
“When our customers are operating in an emergency situation, they don’t have time to shop for parts or pieces,” Thompson said. “They rely on people like us to do that work for them.”
When the weather turns bad, an already danger-filled workplace has yet another hazard for your workers to navigate. Thankfully, NASCO Industries is ready for the challenge. Ready to help your workers fight the storm, NASCO stocks several arc and flash fire rainwear products that will keep your workers dry and safe. Ask for the new PetroStorm, the lightest-weight FR rain suit on the market, or the Sentinel, which offers a great combination of safety, comfort and value. Together with its Gulf Coast distributor partners, NASCO is prepared to help you weather the storm.
In the aftermath of a disaster, chaos can get in the way of sound decision making. Onpoint helps you establish and execute a plan while maintaining control over recovery costs and timely execution. Onpoint helps develop and manage the scope of work required, providing resources to create recovery planning packages, logistics plans, materials procurement/management and work schedules.
In the field, Onpoint also delivers the personnel and resources required to manage and monitor the work, including job planning, cost tracking and forecasting, execution coordination, safety technicians and attendants, schedule management, materials distribution and management, recovery workforce transportation and safe drinking water distribution.
ProAct Services Corp. has a large number of treatment systems available for control of water and vapor discharge and is ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Located all across the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, ProAct provides turnkey, high-flow water treatment services at flow rates of up to 10,000 gallons per minute. ProAct’s turnkey services include equipment delivery and setup, media loading and extraction, system operation, media disposal, discharge monitoring and final project reports. Treatment systems are tailored for specific site conditions and take into account specific contaminants, general water quality, discharge permit limits, water volume and flow rate requirements.
RedGuard, maker of blast-resistant buildings that have been keeping worksites safe for years, now offers storm shelters through its SiteBox Storage division. These hardened buildings are constructed aboveground and can be strategically placed (and relocated) on nearly any workplace to ensure quick and easy access as part of your disaster preparedness plan. Provide a safe place where workers on-site can gather out of harm’s way. The state-of-the-art, patent-pending design is fabricated and installed at an affordable price and can be placed quickly, avoiding interruptions. These shelters meet the guidelines of FEMA 361, International Code Council standards and National Storm Shelter Association requirements, and have been impacted-tested at the Texas Tech National Wind Institute.
Republic Services Energy and Environmental Solutions knows the faster it gets you cleaned up, the faster you can get back to work. From transportation and disposal services to portable restrooms or hand-wash stations, remediation, hydro-excavation and container rentals, Republic Services has the expertise and experience to provide the turnkey services you need after a hurricane. Whether responding to a clean-up or scheduled maintenance, its vacuum trucks can remove liquids, sludge or solids from impacted areas.
When you add Satellite Shelters Inc. to your business continuity and disaster recovery plans under modular buildings and temporary space, you get a trusted partner. In the unfortunate event of damage or a total loss, Satellite Shelters provides refineries and plants with the space they need to continue their everyday business operations. The company’s products include blast-resistant modules, administrative offices, conference rooms, cafeterias, training rooms, mobile offices and storage containers. Satellite Shelters’ buildings are easily deployable, set up quickly and can stay on-site temporarily until you rebuild or permanently to replace your stick-built structures. The company can also supply office equipment, furniture and other services to get your business back up and running.
Under severe weather conditions, even backup power systems may fail, leaving occupants of facilities such as office buildings, schools, hospitals and hotels in total darkness. That’s why Streamlight, a leading provider of high-performance lighting tools, offers a complete line of rechargeable, portable lanterns equipped with “smart” power-failure circuitry. When the power goes out, these rugged, wall-mount-ed lights can be quickly removed from their charging units to provide hours of continuous lighting, helping to light the way to safety or keep operations going. They let users move about a facility to power down or disconnect critical equipment, retrieve sensitive documents or guide building occupants through remote areas that lack adequate backup light.
Sunbelt Rentals offers the equipment and services needed to prepare for, withstand and react to any weather event. With standby equipment rentals, site-specific options and 24/7 emergency services, Sunbelt Rentals has the right solution to help avoid costly downtime. Sunbelt’s broad fleet offering includes generators, shelter flooring, cooling towers, pumps for dewatering needs and more. And its comprehensive contingency plans are ideal for hurricane season, with guaranteed availability of emergency equipment and mobilization within 72 hours.
The United Association, a key partner to any owner/operator, is prepared to mobilize staging and hiring offices in training centers across the Gulf Coast, deploy thousands of skilled mechanical craft workers and frontline supervision from its 345,000 members, and support a network of qualified contractors. For example, Team Industries has the industry’s most skilled workers ready to fabricate the pipe and tanks to bring your units back on schedule. Construction & Turnaround Services combines the best in field construction and fabrication to respond to your emergency needs, including FCCU turnarounds and ASME code work. ARC Energy Services delivers welding, machining, heat treating and NDE emergency response services through its traveling workforce of over 300 highly skilled specialty welders.
US Ecology’s emergency response services provide 24/7/365 response across North America for any natural disaster, spill or emergency cleanup need. The certified professionals in its incident command center ensure timely, reliable response throughout North America for customers in transportation, chemical, manufacturing, oil and gas, insurance, retail and many other industries. US Ecology’s 65-plus years of environmental leadership, national footprint of service centers, and treatment and disposal landfills position it to provide best-in-class service in support of your environmental needs.
As facilities in hurricane-prone locations gear up for extreme weather, keeping flare pilots lit is one challenge they face. API 537 requires pilots stay lit in the face of 140 km/h (85 mph) wind speeds and 5 cm/h (2 in/h) of rainfall. Zeeco’s HSLF-Z pilot has been proven on an API-recommended testing rig to stay lit under hurricane-force 274 km/h (170 mph) winds and 131 cm/h (51 in/h) of rainfall.
The HSLF pilot uses investment castings instead of welded fabrication. To guard the orifice and prevent weather disruptions to the flow of the gas/air mixture, it features an investment- cast pilot mixer assembly with integrated weather shield. It operates on a variety of fuel gas compositions, including butane, ethylene, hydrogen, propane, low-Btu gas or any combination thereof, and can be retrofitted.
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