Back in 2020, our customers asked us to create a way to expand their capacity for emergency readiness and response during the dramatic population expansions that occur for turnarounds and construction projects. Since then, we’ve supported dozens of projects with AllClear systems on a rental basis while the site population became several times greater than the daily operations staff. In the process, we’ve built a thorough understanding of the keys to success in emergency response during a turnaround.
In 2024’s refining and chemicals industry, economic pressures are driving companies to seek innovative solutions that improve efficiency while cutting costs. With rising operational expenses, fluctuating market prices, and the ever-present demand for safety, the need for a reliable and cost-effective emergency response system during turnarounds has never been greater, and the main benefits remain the same as they’ve been from the beginning. In the end, they combine to enable companies to protect both their people and their bottom line.
Here are a few of the reasons our customers have given us:
1. Time on tools
One of the biggest questions asked by turnaround managers and the operations teams involved is, “how do I know who is working in my shutdown units and how long they’ve been there?” Traditionally, this has been answered with a clipboard and a pen. A manual, paper-based log is both time-consuming and rife with the potential for inaccurate information. AllClear’s Unit Accountability™, a component of AllClear for Turnarounds, tells our customers instantly and exactly which contractors are in the high-hazard unit when they check in and out, and for which contracting company they are working.
2. Ease of use
With the technological development in recent years and the rise of more robust networking options like private LTE, turnaround sites have either a network connection or a continuous cellular connection. AllClear for Turnarounds includes ruggedized, easy-to-deploy wireless devices that keep a real-time awareness of worker presence and make your site PSM compliant.
3. Cost-effective
Some ruggedized devices require each individual to carry a separate badge or even an expensive location tag. While we support the use of RTLS or GPS technology for the right application, time and time again our customers tell us that the use of expensive, infrastructure-intensive technology has been less effective and cost-prohibitive when compared to AllClear. As my good friend used to say, “the juice ain’t worth the squeeze.” AllClear is available at a reasonable day rate and can be included as a part of the turnaround plan.
4. Flexibility for long-term benefit
If you’re like some of our new customers, your site still has room for improvements in accountability and emergency readiness, even when the turnaround is over. AllClear’s base system will still be in place when the project ends and can be a catalyst for quantum change or for incremental improvements. For example, one new site has executed a transition from a large turnaround to an entire site deployment with spectacular results. Other sites have taken a measured approach and begun a rollout of AllClear after a successful turnaround. Whether you want to quickly cover the entire site or have a phased approach in mind, we are here to work with you.
5. Industry in transition
In some cases, the shutdown and repurposing of sites to new production drive the growth in demand for AllClear. For example, we have more than one client beginning to move a traditional refinery to a biofuels facility. In other cases, sites are adding new, exciting production plants like Hydrogen facilities, and let’s not forget the rapid expansion of LNG production. The Energy Transition is driving the need for more vigilance and flexibility in personnel safety and accountability.
Turnarounds and major projects are usually the most capital-intensive activities any industrial site experiences. Therefore, any proven solution that can increase productivity, make it easier to account for personnel, and leverage existing technology will almost certainly simplify such a complex aspect of your project. AllClear continues to prove it meets these criteria, and we are excited to continue to develop solutions and subject matter expertise to serve you and your team.
If you have any questions about how AllClear can improve personnel accountability in your turnarounds, let us know. We’d be happy to talk.