As the old saying goes, "The devil is in the details." When renting blast-resistant buildings, there are a number of important details that could be overlooked.
BIC Magazine sat down to discuss these details with one of RedGuard's subject matter experts, Chuck White, and the company has provided a few additional facts that are important for customers to consider.
Chuck White, director of sales and subject matter expert for Redguard
BIC: What determines a blast-resistant building's level of protection?
WHITE: Psi is one factor. It refers to the force of the blast. The duration of the blast, or its impulse, is stated in milliseconds (msec) and is equally important. You may see that a building is medium response and rated at 8 psi/50 msec.
Fact: When charting a P-I curve, there are two axis lines: the psi and the impulse. Only when both are considered can an appropriate protection level be determined. This is called the pressure vs. impulse (P-I) graph. It illustrates a building's damage thresholds.
BIC: Which response level is the best? High or low?
WHITE: When you think in terms of response levels, think of the word "damage." You want a building that will sustain medium-to-low-level damage in the event of a blast.
Fact: The American Society of Civil Engineers has established a system to rate the strength of a building in the event of a blast. One of three ratings (high, medium or low) will tell you the extent of repairs that could be needed after an explosion. Please note that "high response" denotes a high level of damage to a building and could mean that repair to the building will not be possible. High-response buildings can expose your employees to a greater level of injury. For that reason, RedGuard does not design or sell high-response buildings.
BIC: Let's say a plant has recently added to its facility and is now building again. The last site study showed it needed an 8 psi/50 msec building to adequately provide protection for its workers. Will this be true of the new additions?
WHITE: If the plant has changed configurations or added processing units, or if the facility siting study is more than five years old, it does not accurately reflect the building needs.
Fact: API Recommended Practices 752 and 753 are the industry's recommendations for managing hazards associated with the location of process plant buildings in permanent (752) and temporary (753) structures. OSHA standard 29 CFR Part 1910 is behind the requirement for a new facility siting study every five years. When the plant or capacity changes, these risks should be reassessed.
BIC: If an upcoming turnaround requires more square footage than a plant has available, what are the plant's options?
WHITE: Stacking buildings on top of each other is one option -- either single units that keep spaces separate or multisections that can be either open floorplans for meetings and lunchrooms or with custom build-out configurations to accommodate a variety of needs.
Fact: RedGuard's engineers analyze stacked units for sliding and overturning and also to make sure there is sufficient and appropriate hardware for the connection of modules. They must ensure that the units, when stacked, will withstand blasts at the stated psi/duration and response level.
BIC: If a building is needed to provide protection to employees more quickly than a purchase order (PO) can be cut, what can the customer do?
WHITE: If there's an emergency, RedGuard will always try to find a way to meet your needs and figure out the final paperwork later. In emergency situations, we'll gladly accept a written notification with intent to provide a PO later.
Fact: During high-stress times, RedGuard wants to be a partner in getting the process back up and running in the safest way possible.
BIC: Why should tool cribs be located on-site?
WHITE: Having blast-resistant tool cribs in a blast zone makes sense. Rather than storing tools off-site, it has proven cost-effective to have the tools and parts close to where they are needed. Time is money, and they can help get the project done quicker.
Fact: RedGuard tool cribs reduce labor hours due to proximity, and they allow a designated worker to safely manage checking tools in and out.
For more information about blast-resistant buildings, visit us online or call (855) 733-4827.
