The trees, water tower, and even telephone wires of an industrial district north of Houston had survived the winds and flooding of Hurricane Harvey, when, a week after the storm, the sky was suddenly blackened by thick, choking clouds of smoke. Somewhere on the ground a fire raged. A chemical storage trailer at one of the area’s many chemical plants had exploded.
The next day, another trailer exploded, and even more smoke filled the air. Officials braced themselves and issued warnings for anyone employed in the area to stay away.
“There are six more trailers there with the potential to do the same,” a spokeswoman for the company said. “We will likely see additional incidents.”
The hurricane had been bad enough. But the potent chemical fires that followed, and the poisonous gases they emitted, made the situation even worse. For a time, there was nothing to do, it seemed, but wait for the disaster to run its course.
The reason for the explosions was simple: massive flooding after the hurricane had eliminated power to the refrigeration systems responsible for keeping chemicals at a stable temperature. Without a functioning cooling system, it was only a matter of time before the explosions occurred. Fortunately, no one got hurt. But had they taken place in a more confined area, such explosions could have been deadly.
Protect Your Employees
If safety is a priority, quality matters. Enter Cospolich, where, in recent years, we’ve expanded our product line and design capabilities ten-fold. When it comes to hazard duty/explosive material, we offer high-quality containment systems for various applications that ensure dangerous gases are kept at stable temperatures and that explosions, should they occur, are safely confined.
Such systems come equipped with multiple refrigeration modules in each refrigerated space to maintain temperature during servicing in emergencies during repairs and in emergencies. In the event that the first system fails, a secondary system is activated and the cooling continues without a blip. The material management and control software we have in place provides state-of-the-art programming and process monitoring capabilities. Meanwhile, our special cabinetry design holds the cold in while keeping the exterior elements out.
Advantage Cospolich
The success of our products relies on a unique blend of expert engineering and experienced craftsmanship. It’s the combination of refined design and precision-driven mechanics. More than that, it’s the people behind the mechanics, who talk and listen to our clients, and then set about creating a solution just for them, with all of their needs and expectations in mind.
In short, we utilize proven methods that emphasize efficiency without sacrificing quality. Our optional seamless designs make for a sanitary environment onboard a ship—and can be adapted to any size. Mechanical components operate in harmony with the exterior environment to make the handling of our products as comfortable as possible, and, should the need arise, our manufacturing offers around-the-clock production of high quality laser-cut parts for fast, reliable replacement.
Safety First
Containing combustible samples in a Cospolich Hazardous Duty refrigerator isn’t just an upgrade to your vessel—it’s a necessity for the safety of your crew and the overall improvement of your operation.
With over 80 years of experience, Cospolich is able to design, modify, and fabricate commercial and marine shipboard equipment to meet the demands of our customers in any application or environment world-wide. To learn how Cospolich can help your company contain and protect volatile materials, contact a Cospolich representative!
