How To Properly Maintain Your Temporary Warehouse Building

How To Maintain The Integrity Of Temporary Structures

According to a publication by Marsh Insurance in 2003, more than 100 accidents in petrochemical facilities are as a result of a mechanical integrity failure. The physical damage on the facility equates to $116 million today. The numbers almost triple when the loss of production and safety threats are included.

Although the petrochemical industry has been around for quite some time, mechanical integrity remains a major concern in both facility performance and safety. Most of these problems occur due to piping failures among other issues. The Center for Chemical Process Safety recommends ensuring everything in the facility is mechanically sound. As long as the integrity of all structures and equipment is maintained, you should be able to prevent significant downtimes, money, and lives too.

The first step to ensuring the temporary structures remain safe and secure is by having an expert and certified contractor do the installations, and inspect them regularly. Here are a few tips and ideas on how to maintain the integrity of temporary fabric structures.

1. Expert Installations

Temporary structures in the petrochemical industry are particularly complex and designed to withstand even the harshest of conditions. These structures are engineered perfectly to ensure they can be set-up and removed as quickly as possible. Although expert installers make it seem like a simple task, specialized tools and order are required to ensure the structures do not come tumbling down or breakdown at some point. Expert installation is, therefore, the key to having a stable structure. Even the slightest alteration of the structure, or process of installing the same can have costly and severe consequences.

Adhering to all the principles governing mechanical integrity of structures hold the key to proper installation. Companies may at times want their employees to help install some of these structures. Although the company might save a few dollars in the process, the risk of messing up is too high. That said, you shouldn’t have an unqualified person assemble or install something they have very little knowledge about. The basics of construction aren’t universal in this case. Only a specialized expert should be trusted with such a task. Only an expert should be tasked to install, as well as remove the highly-engineered structure. It’s only with an expert that you can be assured of structural safety and reliability.

The quality of work or results produced by your employees (when they install the structures) cannot be compared to that of a trained and experienced crew. This is one of the reasons why the lease contract includes both the temporary structures and crew needed to make the installations. This leaves you, the client with better control of your budget and the peace of mind needed to run a company.

Regular Inspections

Temporary structures come with dozens of unique features that make them more challenging to inspect when compared to traditional constructions. Among other factors, fabric structures are designed to be constructed on a wide variety of ground surfaces and elevations. The increased flexibility is what makes them both unique and risky at the same time. Since flexibility is a feature the industry cannot do without, only expert crews should be allowed to anchor as well as remove the same. The structures can be anchored on anything from dirt, gravel, or even concrete. If the structure needs to be moved or reinstalled, an expert should be consulted, as well as to conduct inspections on the same. This is particularly crucial with how the structure is anchored. Improper anchoring can compromise safety and the structure’s integrity.

You should also have a trained expert inspect the structure immediately after leasing it. Regular inspections are also recommended (included in the contract) to ensure the structure doesn’t pose any risk. You should also have a reliable technician to contact should the structure require immediate attention. The inspector should, however, enlighten you on everyday wear and tear and how to go around it.

Applying the principles of mechanical integrity to fabric structures go a long way in protecting your investment and ensuring your crew is safe as well. Should anything fall out of place, or stall, you need to have a trained professional ready to check it out, as well as run regular inspections. As long as the structures are correctly installed, and serviced regularly, you can then be assured of improved performance and safety.

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