Industrial cleaning and hydroblasting

Industrial cleaning is the enabling activity for most inspection and maintenance work. A vessel cannot be inspected until it is clean, a heat exchanger cannot be assessed until the tubes are clear, and a surface cannot be coated until the contamination is removed.

Methods

• High-pressure water jetting — surface cleaning, scale and deposit removal, coating removal
• Ultra-high pressure where the deposit or the coating requires it
• Tube and bundle cleaning for heat exchangers and coolers
• Tank and vessel cleaning including sludge removal and gas freeing support
• Machinery and equipment cleaning in place or in the workshop
• Facility and utility cleaning for plant areas, sumps and drainage

The controls that matter

Water jetting at pressure is a serious hazard, and tank entry more so. Both are governed by the permit rather than by the cleaning method.

• Permit to work, isolation verification and lock-out before entry
• Gas testing before and throughout confined space entry
• Ten gas detection sets, positive pressure respirators and tripod rescue winch available
• Standby person and rescue arrangements in place for every entry
• Exclusion zones and jetting shields for high-pressure work
• Effluent containment, collection and disposal to the agreed route

Where it fits

Cleaning is usually the first item in a shutdown sequence and often the one that determines whether the rest of the window is usable. It also precedes coating and lining work, where surface cleanliness determines the result.

Standards we work to

• WJA Blue Code
• ISO 45001:2018
• ISO 8501-4