Offloading Made Easy

The construction of a new building is a huge undertaking for any company, but when you’re dealing with chemicals there are additional requirements to meet.

The construction of a new building is a huge undertaking for any company, but when you’re dealing with chemicals there are additional industrial and governmental requirements that need to be met. That’s how it was for Air Liquide—one of the world’s leaders in gases for industry, health, and the environment. They were in the process of constructing a new building for semiconductor bulk chemical processing systems and making sure all the bases were covered. To ensure Air Liquide had the correct equipment and fall prevention for offloading and storing their products, the building contractor referred them to Carbis, a leading fall prevention specialist, with many years of experience in constructing loading terminals and fluid handling safety. Says Paul Lies, Lead Project Manager at Air Liquide, “We needed a way to offload chemicals from the trucks outside the building to the tanks inside. We got Carbis involved early in the process.”

Carbis engineers came up with a plan to solve the issue of safe product transport by constructing a platform outside that measured 96 feet x 15 feet 10 inches and had two gangways that reached the center line which was over 11 feet. Inside, six platforms were constructed to hold the company’s equipment. The average size of these indoor platforms measured 9 feet 4 inches x 12 feet x 12 feet high. Three additional decks were added inside to hold equipment that would allow the truck drivers to offload corrosive materials such as acids and solvents using a hose that would reach from the truck and attach to a clean coupling inside the building to suction the product from the truck and into a storage tank. These storage tanks sit over pits that serve as spill containment in case there is ever a leak or spill. The platform sits flush with the pit so the equipment is easily accessible at all times.

And how did all these platforms work for Air Liquide? “Everything’s good and is working smoothly. It took about a year from start to finish for the building and all the necessary equipment,” says Lies. It’s all worth it now since the offloading of product is flowing efficiently with no headaches. Most of all, the customer is happy and workers are able to perform their job requirements safely and correctly.

See more examples of Carbis’ solutions at www.Carbis.net.

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