IFC Inflow was recently called to the site of an Irish Chemical Manufacturer and Distributor in Shannon, Republic of Ireland. The customer was installing a new chemical tanker loading bay and wanted our help to make sure it was as safe as possible for workers accessing the tops of tankers to carry out loading operations. There was an existing platform spanning the width of the tanker roadway that would act as the access point for tanker loading operations. This would involve implementing a suitable tanker fall prevention system including tanker access, safety cages and liquid loading arms.
The Challenges
There were two key challenges that we had to overcome on this project. The first one was the location of the gantry. Where generally workers using one of our safe access systems would access tankers from the side, adjacent to the direction of the tanker, the orientation of this platform meant our FlowStep Folding Stairs would lower down parallel to the tanker beneath it. We adapted our design to allow for this, creating tailor made safety cages that would fit longways on the tanker.
We were also faced with the challenge of the gantry being significantly taller than the tankers visiting the site. The platform was 5m tall, where the tankers would only be approximately 3.6m. Our solution for this was to provide a 5-step folding stair unit which would offer maximum amount of reach from the access system. However, even the 5-step folding stair unit left a slight gap between the last stair and the top of the tanker. To resolve this, we designed custom made ladder type rungs that attached to the bottom of the folding stair units and extended the reach so that it met the tanker, making it as safe as possible for workers.
The loading arms needed to be able to handle corrosive chemicals. They also needed to be specially designed and made to adapt to the significant distance between the platform and the tanker so that they could reach the tanker’s manway connection. They were fitted with special vapour cones, vapour return hoses, overfill prevention sensors and were spring balanced for ease of use. They were made of stainless steel to cope with the corrosive chemicals.
In conclusion
In the case of this project, the customer opted to install the equipment themselves, so following our design, consultation, and delivery, they were able to install the system and begin using the new tanker loading bay. The customer has now increased their loading capabilities and have the assurance that their workers are safe while carrying out loading operations.
