With a career in environmental services beginning in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Brandon Newell, operations manager - industrial and emergency response, said it's no surprise he now focuses on industrial cleaning, turnarounds and emergency response.
A recent addition to the growing Specialized Waste Systems Inc. team, Newell is applying his years of expertise within the petrochemical industry to expand the company's industrial cleaning business.
"Refineries can present some of the most challenging cleaning jobs," Newell said. "It takes significant experience to apply the right equipment in the right way, every time."
Regularly scheduled maintenance is necessary to remove deposits and residual materials from tanks, pumps, heat exchangers and other equipment. Newell said a large and well-maintained fleet of vacuum trucks and high-pressure hydroblast pumps at the ready allows Specialized to assist refineries and other companies in cleaning tanks; preparing pumps and other mechanical devices for repairs or inspections; and annual cleaning of vessels, cooling towers, columns and other critical refinery unit areas. Both 70- and 130-barrel liquid vacuum trucks, air mover/ guzzler vacuum trucks, and roll-off bobtail and double-rail trucks are part of the fleet.
"Whether through a lack of regular maintenance or simply from the buildup of material, cleaning hardened residual matter from heat exchangers can be tough," Newell said. "There may be times when it's necessary to use a crane to lower the bundles into a vat of cutter stock to soak, loosening the most stubborn areas before removing them for hydroblasting."
Applying high-pressure hydroblasting (typically 10,000 to 20,000 psi) is a standard part of cleaning techniques. Experience on a range of projects is just as important as the equipment, Newell explained. "If you use the wrong pressure or wrong nozzle you can cut through a tube in a short period of time. The ongoing training of our team members at Specialized is an important part of what makes customers trust our company," he added.
Cleaning processes and procedures for turnaround projects require much of the same equipment and experience. Highpressure pumps, 70- or 130-barrel vacuum trucks, air mover/guzzler vacuum trucks, bobtail or double-rail roll-off trucks, roll-off boxes, and vacuum boxes from Specialized facilitate the removal and disposal of large amounts of industrial waste, while specially trained teams ensure complete environmental compliance.
"When units shut down inside refineries, we are ready to respond. Here, it's important to be methodical and thorough by pre-planning with refinery supervisors so we can answer the call when it's time to go to work," Newell said.
Finally, within the context of emergency response, Specialized can serve as an additional resource for regular contractors who may be stretched thin. With a large fleet of vacuum trucks and pumps, and a growing team of industrial cleaning experts, the company can assist with a full range of responses, removals and remediation tasks.
For more information, visit www.specializedwaste.com or call (281) 452-1735.
