How We Selecting Our Oilfield Tank Cleaning Equipment In East TX

As one of the leading tank cleaning providers for oilfield services in East TX selecting the right tank cleaner, which is right for the process can seem overwhelming.

However, the faster you can identify what needs to be cleaned and more specifically why, the more accurately you will be able to see and analyse the methods used to clean and precisely which equipment should be used.

According to statistics the right tank cleaning device can save up to 70% in time, chemicals, and water needed per cleaning cycle. A saving that directly impacts the bottom line and can increase the oil field’s or any plant’s productivity. 

Hence if you are looking forward to upgrading, changing, or optimizing your Clean-in-Place (CIP) process here are a few questions that you must answer to find out what device will be needed for cleaning your tanks.

Along with this, you can also create a drawing of your tank – that can help you to answer these questions quickly.

What are the dimensions of your tank?

The exact size of your tank helps to determine the size of the device needed to clean it. For example, a device that is needed for cleaning a 10’ diameter tank would never suffice for cleaning a tank that is 30’ in diameter. This is because the effective range of the CIP fluids and the cleaning jets required for cleaning smaller-sized tanks would be too short to reach the walls of a large tank.

What is the nature of the residue? 

As one of the leading providers of Hydrovac East TX, we always tell our customers to find out what they are trying to clean and what is the consistency of the substance.

This is because the nature of the debris or the residue will help us to determine the most effective device that will most efficiently clean the tank in the shortest time using the least water and CIP chemicals.

For example, a tank with dried residue will require a high-impact rotary head cleaner for optimized cleaning while a rotary spray head can be used for cleaning water-soluble residues.

What is the nature of the residue? 

Next, you must find out what you are trying to clean and determine its consistency. It can be anything from oil to paint, flour to toothpaste, and everything in between. 

It is the nature of the residue that will help to determine what type of device will be most effective for cleaning your tank in the shortest time.

For example, dried or baked residue may require a jet head that is rotating whereas a water-soluble residue can easily be cleaned using a spray head. 

What are the available openings on the tank?

As the device needs to be able to fit, in tank cleaning, ensure that the size of the device must be able to fit in and out of the opening.

Also, do not forget the size of the drain.  Cleaning fluids must adequately drain without pooling to allow the device to clean the bottom of the tank as well.

Conclusion

We hope with answers to these five questions, you are well on your way to ensuring that you select the most effective tank cleaning machine.You can also fix an appointment with us at Shale Oilfield Services. Our representatives shall visit you shortly and enlighten you with answers to your questions as one of the leading support staff of oilfield services in East TX.

Safety Tips And Common Hazards For Tank Cleaning In East TX As Per OSHA

Crude oil, chemicals, corrosives, diesel, and other potentially dangerous materials are some of the common substances that are stored and transported via storage tanks. 

And like any tank that is used for transporting and storing materials or even waste tanks, it needs to be routinely cleaned to ensure the health of the tanks and the surrounding environment, which is exactly where tank cleaning services in East TX come to play.

By its very nature cleaning storage tanks requires working in confined spaces along with the contaminants that remain inside the tanks which can increase the risk of explosion, fire, chemical injuries to the cleaner of the tanks, and more.

Hence in this post as one the most reputed providers of Hydrovac Services East TX, let us look into how workers can stay safe while cleaning tanks and also remain safe while doing so.

When Do Tanks Need To Be Cleaned?

Now this is a difficult question to answer since the requirement for cleaning tanks can happen for several purposes.
For example, tanks must be thoroughly cleaned before any changeover of materials takes place to make sure that any residue of the previously stored material may not contaminate the new material being stored in the tank.

Apart from that to maintain the efficiency and productivity of the tanks plant managers often carry out tank cleaning during plant shutdowns or even schedule routine maintenance of the tanks. 

However, as one of the most frequently called tank cleaning services in East TX, we found that the size of the tanks and the materials that the tanks are holding also dictate how fast a tank needs cleaning for the safety of the container and the surrounding environment.

Safety Tips For Cleaning Of The Tanks

Even though primarily it is necessary to ensure that the workers cleaning the tanks are properly trained and certified for the job, here are five other recommendations specified by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) while undertaking tank cleaning activities:

Eye protection: OSHA suggests that the tank cleaners must wear eye protection with side shields to properly guard their eyes from any potential hazards.

Hardhat: The tank cleaners must cover their heads with industry-approved chemical-shielding head gears to ensure safety from overhead hazards.

Boots: OSHA suggests that tank cleaners should use ANSI-certified footwear to ensure proper protection of their feet.

Gloves: It is recommended to wear heavy-duty leather gloves as workers may encounter debris or objects featuring sharp edges inside the tanks along with the dangers found while handling abrasive chemicals.

Respiratory protection: As tank cleaning is done in a confined space the contaminants should not be inhaled. So respiratory protection is mandatory for tank cleaners. As per the suggestions by OSHA – N, R, or P95 filters should be inserted into respiratory masks.

Apart from these workers must be harnessed with retrieval lines attached to them to ensure that they’re properly accounted for and can make a swift exit if something goes wrong.

Takeaway

As you can see, there’s considerable risk involved in tank cleaning – even for a trained professional. 

That’s why it’s crucial to eliminate as much risk as possible. We at Shale Oilfield Service ensure that our professionals use the right PPE that can help prevent both short- and long-term illnesses, or worse, and help our cleaners work more quickly and efficiently.