Storm Preparedness: Focus on Plant Reliability and Operations

With hurricane season near, it’s time to plan and prepare. Specialized Waste Systems has been helping to protect Gulf Coast-area businesses for more than 40 years.

Much more than providing a critical emergency response, Specialized is a strategic partner in helping to keep manufacturing firms, petrochemical plants, and vital facilities fully operational amid and following severe weather.

Brandon Newell, General Manager, recognizes that most businesses along the Gulf take precautions as storm season approaches. But Newell believes many companies can do more to both protect assets and maximize plant productivity and operations.

storm preparedness

“We all know how important it is to secure and protect physical assets in and around our facilities.”

Brandon Newell
General Manager, Specialized Waste Systems

“We also recommend taking a strategic look at how to enable ongoing plant operations and mitigate disruption. By considering all production reliability factors, we create plans to protect both valuable assets and valuable up-time.”

specialized waste system

Critical Supplies — Preplanning is key to securing valuable commodities that can become scarce during or after a weather event. “We recommend staging frac tanks for fuel storage and non-potable water, plus any other resources your plant will need in the immediate aftermath of a storm to get back up and running,” Newell says. With one of the largest and newest fleets of equipment in the region, Specialized is a preferred partner for pre-staging and equipment preparation. Newell also recommends considering Specialized as a backup plan in case another provider is out of equipment. 

Human Resources — A plan must also include preparations for human resources to be available should a storm cause disruption or damage. “A true storm preparedness plan allows Specialized to ready our response teams and quickly deploy trained emergency personnel and supplies when needed,” Newell says. “Our team can leverage our many industry relationships to put designated cleanup teams on standby for you.”

Employee Safety — A company’s most valuable asset is its workforce. Keeping employees safe before, during, and after a storm is one of the most important elements of true preparedness. Training and regular emergency response drills must be priorities, says Newell, but true employee safety goes beyond the job site. “Encourage employees and their families to abide by severe weather warnings and instructions, and take appropriate precautions,” Newell says. “Providing temporary workstations, housing, and supplies is all part of overall plant productivity — and it’s also the right thing to do.”

Trust the Experts — In the event of a major storm, Specialized quickly deploys trained personnel, supplies and equipment including PPE and generators; boats, airboats, and high-water vehicles, and frac tanks, roll-offs, and containers. Once the event is contained, the team continues to reduce risk by providing decontamination services, site remediation, waste transportation and disposal, and complete disaster recovery services. Specialized Waste Systems understands that Overall Production Reliability (OPR) is critical in manufacturing, in and out of hurricane season. Secure valuable assets, optimize plant productivity, and help protect employees by working with the Specialists to create a comprehensive storm preparedness plan. We invite you to call anytime at 281-452-1735.

“Specialized considers all production reliability factors to create storm preparedness plans that protect both valuable assets and valuable up-time.”

Brandon Newell
General Manager