Tank cleaning

A tank, compartment or container is gas free when sufficient fresh air has been introduced into it to lower the level of any flammable, toxic (Fluids liable to cause death or severe injury or harm to health if swallowed or inhaled or absorbed by skin), or inert gas (Gas or a mixture of gases containing insufficient amount of oxygen to support the combustion of hydrocarbons, a gas or a mixture of gases which will not react with the cargo) to the level required for a specific purpose, e.g. hot work, entry, etc. Tanks and voids are routinely checked to assure that they remain below an explosive level when work is being performed on a vessel.

Our teams have extensive experience for cleaning every kind of tank, no matter the size (from the smallest to over 200.000 mq) or the product stored (from chemicals to heavy crude oils) using a wide range of equipment: tanksweeps, gulley suckers, oleodynamic bulldozers, winches, pumps, hoses, connectors, safety equipment and many other items specifically required on tank cleaning projects in the safest way possible and under the most difficult and challenging hazardous tank-cleaning conditions.

Some examples:

ALONGSIDE 7 offer you specific expertise and equipment to deal with cleaning of tanks with particular challenges related to high risks of explosion and/or high toxicity and the risk of bad-odour propagation in the surrounding environment. Track-record includes the successful handling of tanks with high presence of H2S, catalyst particles, Methyl tert-butyl-ether etc. These elements are extremely toxic for humans and could generate a very strong odour in the outside environment.

Therefore highly specialized handling and equipment is required in order to address a safe and non-intrusive clean of the tank with the removal and treatment of collected debris:

* Nitrogen purge to eliminate the risk of explosion when emptying the tank
* Tension structures in order to confine the entire decontamination- and waste packaging area
* High efficiency equipment for forced suction and for the filtering of air through the confined space
* Robots and automatic equipments in order to limit (or avoid) staff entering a tank

ALONGSIDE 7 has a wealth of experience in the cleaning of tanks where the tank-roof or part of the tank-walls have collapsed. Performing “gas-free” tank cleaning is essential before the decommissioning of a tank or before performing tank maintenance, as this is a most hazardous operation, particularly if the tank is in poor condition. Under these conditions, the team plans for and executes the cleaning of tanks in the safest way possible by avoiding man-entry. This is being done by using specialized equipment such as robots, automated washing systems for tank walls and tank bottom, high-pressure pumps, mobile coils and boilers.

 For Oxygen, Carbon Monoxide, Hydrogen Sulphide, LEL and others VOC´s (Volatile Organics Compounds) like Benzene and Toluene.