Snow White Services recently assisted a homeowner who had experienced a small fire in his basement. A lightning strike resulted in a chair positioned near an electrical outlet catching fire, resulting in a very small, yet very smoky fire. Even though the fire was extinguished quickly, and very little structural damage occurred, the entire house was filled with smoke, which permeated nearly every pore of the building.

Snow White Services was contracted by a restoration company to remove soot from the floor, walls, and ceiling joists in the basement area. All the wood surfaces of the joist structure, as well as the poured concrete walls and floor were covered with soot from the smoky fire. After surveying the basement, it was decided that dry ice blasting would be the best method to accomplish the task.

Dry ice blasting offers several advantages over other cleaning methods. There are no hazardous chemicals involved, eliminating dangers to workers and the environment, as well as reducing disposal costs; and the cleanup is minimal, limited only to the material removed from the sooty surface.

An air compressor was brought to the site, and the dry ice blasting machines were set in place with blast hoses running into the basement. Because of the potential buildup of carbon dioxide which can occur when the dry ice is pulverized after it hits the surface being blasted, high-capacity ventilation fans were also set up to provide fresh air to the operators.

The project was completed in 2 working days. All the soot was removed, and the surfaces were ready for the sealant to be applied by the restoration company.

Dry ice blasting is useful for a wide variety of cleaning projects. Whether it’s cleaning buildup in an industrial oven, removing baked-on dirt and oil from a large diesel genset, or ridding a machinery framework of hazardous rust inhibitor prior to decommissioning, Snow White Services’ dry ice blasting services provide a cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally-friendly way to get the job done.

Gathering information such as a company’s Experience Modification Rate (EMR), training records, certifications, and copies of a written safety program, managers pore through the data to make the big decision: Is this contractor safe enough to have in our plant? If a company is rejected because of a safety issue, it can be disheartening, but there are a number of things that can be done to improve a safety score over time.

An EMR that is too high for a potential client may take a couple of years of lowered injury rates to be reduced. But an appropriate, well-implemented, well-documented safety program can show a good-faith effort to improve that may sway a client’s thinking in your direction.

Develop a Safety Culture

If we can’t do a job safely, we shouldn’t be doing it at all. All companies should get rid of the notion that safety can be compromised so that “we can get the job done”. No job, no client, no revenue, is worth sacrificing the safety of workers. Management commitment and employee involvement are essential to the continuation of a culture of safety. Without both, a safety program is likely doomed to fail.

Train, Train, Train

OSHA requires initial training in several areas, and annual training in some others, depending on the type of hazards that employees are exposed to. Consistent, regular training by a qualified instructor is essential to providing employees with the educational tools needed to stay safe on the job. Front-line employees often benefit from initial OSHA 10-hour training, while supervisors and key employees may be better served by OSHA 30-hour training. Additionally, ongoing, regular training on relevant safety topics will keep ideas fresh in the employees’ minds.

Document, Document, Document

Training is all well and good, but if you can’t prove that it’s been done, it’s of little use to the decision-maker for a potential customer. All the training in the world will not help a contractor gain a client if it is not documented. Whether it’s a formal “Safety Day”, or a short PowerPoint presentation, or a simple toolbox talk, documenting the training proves that it happened.

Written Safety Program

Conducting training and documenting it make a lot of sense, but the whole package is enhanced by a comprehensive written training program. OSHA requires written programs in several areas, but it is wise to develop programs covering each hazard that employees are likely to encounter.

While these 4 steps will not immediately create an avalanche of new clients, over time a consistent, well-run safety program which includes training, documentation, and written procedures will likely result in fewer injuries, thus lowering a company’s EMR and making it more attractive to a potential customer.

Snow White Services offers safety training for general industry, including OSHA 10 hour and OSHA 30 hour training, as well as aerial work platforms and telehandlers.

Rental Equipment

We have two different capacity dry ice blasting machines available for rent. Our large capacity dry ice blasting machine holds approximately 80 pounds of dry ice pellets, providing plenty of blasting time between hopper fills. Our mid-sized machine holds about 40 pounds of pellets, and is more maneuverable in tight areas. Both machines will perform equally on the job at hand.

Accessories

We also have several blasting nozzles to choose from, varying in degrees of aggressiveness, as well as specialty nozzles for blasting in tight areas, and we can offer varying lengths of blast hose and air supply hose to meet your particular needs.

Snow White Services can also provide all the dry ice pellets you’ll need for your project, at competitive rates.

Resources and Experience

When you rent dry ice blasting equipment from Snow White Services, we’ll put together the right combination of blast machine, nozzle, and hoses to make your project a success. We’ll also be available to provide training, as well as ongoing phone support.

Packages are available for delivery or pickup.

For more information on the dry ice cleaning process, please read “What is Dry Ice Blasting”.

For more information about equipment rental, please call us at 765-463-9100 or submit a request.

OSHA requires that all operators of the various types of AWPs undergo very specific training before setting foot on the platform. The training needs to cover all areas of safe operation, such as pre-use inspection, lift stability, fall protection, and emergency descent, among others.

All too often, training consists merely of the viewing of a short video, a brief discussion about operating the controls, a skills test, and the issuing of a certification card, all in the period of a couple of hours. Many times the short training time is the result of pressure from the employer to get his people out of training and back to work in as little time as possible. But the truth is that 2 hours is not enough time to properly cover all the required topics, and operators are expected to operate machinery without the training necessary for safe operation.

The fact is, it usually requires about 6 hours of training to properly cover the necessary material for safe operation of aerial work platforms. Many employers are reluctant to tie up their employees for an entire day of training, but the benefits of allowing sufficient time greatly outweigh the risk of an accident.

If an employee is involved in an accident resulting in serious injury or death, an OSHA investigation might be the result, and it is almost certain that there will be an audit of the training conducted. If OSHA discovers that the training did not cover the necessary topics, the employer will be on the hook for any safety violations, even if the official determination is operator error.

An accident can cost the company a good employee, damage to equipment, a hefty fine, and a bad mark on its safety record. Proper training can prevent accidents, thus saving employees from injury or death, and saving the company money from lost productivity and fines, and maintaining a good safety record.

Snow White Services provides qualified aerial work platform training so that your employees can safely operate boom and scissor lifts. Contact us for a personalized quote to cover your training needs.

To create innovative solutions for our clients, Snow White Services, an Indiana based company, developed expertise with abrasive blasting (sandblasting), soda blasting, and dry ice blasting. These techniques remove paint and prepare surfaces for new coatings.

Abrasive Blasting

The abrasive blasting process (aka sandblasting) uses media blasting equipment and compressed air to entrain abrasive media in a high pressure stream of air. The abrasive media/air stream exits through a blast nozzle and the media impacts the surface at high velocities. The size, shape, and hardness of the abrasive media determine the paint removal rate and surface profile.

Sandblasting is a common term for abrasive blasting. Common silica sand (silicon dioxide) was the abrasive media of choice due to the cost and effectiveness; however, due to the health risks from silicon dioxide and OSHA regulations, modern blasting operations use other media types.

Common abrasive media include the following materials: aluminum oxide, coal slag, corn cob, crushed glass, glass bead, garnet, pumice, plastic, silicon carbide, sodium bicarbonate, steel grit, steel shot, and walnut shell.

There are many industries in Indiana that require specific anchor patterns for paint stripping, restoration, and manufacturing applications. During project evaluations, we determine the appropriate abrasive media, operating conditions, and blasting nozzles to strip the paint and create the desired surface profile.

Soda Blasting

There are situations where paint removal is the primary objective with little need to create a surface profile. In this case, soda blasting is an appropriate solution for paint stripping.

Soda blasting uses crystalline baking soda and soda blasting equipment to gently remove paint and contamination. This process is ideally suited for automotive restoration and building restoration projects.

Dry Ice Blasting

Dry ice blasting is a unique cleaning method and efficiently removes contaminants from equipment and buildings; however, under certain conditions, it can remove paint with minimal damage to the surface and does not generate a secondary waste stream.

For applicable projects, Snow White Services uses high pressure dry ice blasting equipment to remove failing paint.

Indiana Services

From small parts to large restoration projects, we have the equipment and the experience to remove paint. Snow White Services helps clients throughout Indiana strip paint and prepare surfaces for new coatings.

With our mobile equipment platforms, we can serve clients in the following cities: Indianapolis, Lafayette, West Lafayette, Kokomo, Anderson, Muncie, Marion, Columbus, Bloomington, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville, Washington, Princeton, Jasper, Tell City, Vincennes, Elkhart, Goshen, Plymouth, Warsaw, Rochester, Wabash, Hammond, and Michigan City.

For more information regarding our paint removal services and techniques, please contact us or stop by our office located at 3304 W. 250 N., West Lafayette, Indiana 47906.

Escalator Cleaning with Scrubbing Machines

Many janitorial companies and escalator cleaning contractors use specialized machines to clean escalator steps.  The machines use abrasive bristle brushes, a vacuum system, and chemicals to remove dirt and debris.

During the escalator cleaning process, the machine sprays a chemical solution on the steps and uses rotating bristle brushes to dislodge and remove debris from the step.  The integrated vacuum system collects removed material during operation.

Escalator cleaning machines have some difficulty removing chewing gum, grease and oil and may leave brush streaks on the steps.  If the machine sprays too much chemical solution, then the liquid will drain between the steps and deposit in the grease pit located below the steps.  This situation can reduce escalator lubrication and potentially damage the escalator system.

Escalator Cleaning during Maintenance Operations

During maintenance operations, a service crew takes the escalator out of operation, removes the escalator steps, and cleans each step in a wash bay.  After cleaning, the maintenance crew re-installs the escalator steps and returns the escalator to normal operation.  This cleaning method is time consuming and expensive.

Escalator Cleaning with Dry Ice Blasting

Dry ice blasting is a unique, non-abrasive cleaning process that uses dry ice pellets to remove surface contaminants.   As the pellets impact the surface, the dry ice sublimes and lifts the undesired residue without generating secondary waste.  (For more information regarding the dry ice cleaning process, please read “What is dry ice blasting?”)

For escalator and moving walkway cleaning applications, dry ice blasting cleans the escalator steps without disassembly and avoids the use of liquid chemicals and solvents.  The dry ice blasting process efficiently cleans escalator steps in place and removes a range of unwanted materials including chewing gum, grease, oil, dirt, trash, compacted materials, food debris, and liquid stains.  As a chemical free process, dry ice blasting does not impact the escalator grease trap and mechanicals and reduces cleaning and waste disposal costs.

Typically, dry ice cleaning services occur in the evening and the clean escalator is ready for service the following morning.

Video

Recently, an industrial engine manufacturer contacted Snow White Services to determine the best method to remove sandy and oily residue from the surface of an industrial diesel engine used for oil field services. The diesel engine overheated and required complete disassembly for repair. To prevent internal component damage and contamination during service, the client needed to remove all loose and baked on debris from the engine surface. The oily residue was as thick as 1/8 of an inch.

Solution

After inspection and consultation, Snow White Services selected dry ice blasting as the best method to clean the engine exterior. The Snow White Services team used 2 dry ice blasting machines and removed the residue from the diesel engine surface in 8 hours. Due to the unique cleaning mechanism of dry ice blasting, there was minimal waste from the cleaning process. The client approved the results of the dry ice blasting project and proceeded with engine service.

See Video

Companies use ventilation systems to improve and maintain the air quality within the work environment.  A properly engineered industrial ventilation system controls employee exposure from toxic chemicals, flammable vapors and hazardous dust by removing contaminated air from the building and supplying fresh clean air.  Depending on the on the type and concentration of the airborne contaminate, engineers design ventilation systems using one or a combination of the following:

• Indoor Air Quality Ventilation – Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
• General Exhaust Ventilation (Dilution Ventilation)
• Local Exhaust Ventilation
• Replacement Air (Makeup Air)
• Recirculation.

Indoor Air Quality Ventilation – HVAC

HVAC systems primarily provide fresh and temperature and humidified controlled air to non-industrial buildings and offices for general health and comfort.  Indoor air quality ventilation systems also control odors and carbon dioxide levels.

General Exhaust Ventilation (Dilution Ventilation)

General exhaust ventilation systems provide clean air to the industrial building, dilute the contaminated air, and expel the diluted air with large exhaust fans.  These systems are generally less expensive to install and maintain compared to local exhaust ventilation; however, dilution ventilation systems remove a portion of the contaminated air and do not capture emissions from the source.

Local Exhaust Ventilation

To safely control airborne compounds such as flammable vapors or toxic chemicals, industries use local exhaust ventilation systems for employee health and safety.  The local exhaust system uses hoods, ducts, air cleaners, fans, and exhaust stacks to capture and remove the polluted air from the building.

Replacement Air (Make-up Air)

General exhaust and local exhaust ventilation systems require replacement air (make-up air) systems to replace the exhausted air.  Supply air fans inject fresh clean air in the supply air duct system.

Recirculation

As an alternative to air exchange ventilation, recirculation systems use air cleaners and auxiliary exhaust system to remove air contaminates.

Ventilation Components

Dilution ventilation systems use exhaust and supply air fans to dilute the contaminated air.  For local exhaust and replacement air systems, a combination of hoods, ducts, air cleaners, fans, and exhaust stacks exchange air within a building.

Hoods

To confine contaminated air, hoods capture airborne contaminants and the ventilation system draws in sufficient air through the hood opening.  At the hood face, the air velocity, typically measured in feet per minute (fpm), is high enough to entrain airborne chemicals, vapors, and toxins.  As the air is contained and directed into the hood, the air exits into the ducts.

Air Ducts

The ducts contain and distribute air.  A properly engineered duct maintains the proper air speed and minimizes friction reducing dust settling or duct clogging.  If the duct becomes restricted, then the fans consume more power.

Air Cleaners (Filters)

The proper placement of air cleaners removes dust and contamination and prevents residue deposits.   Contaminated or restricted filters increase the load on the ventilation system and operating costs.

Fans

For exhaust systems, fans draw air into the hood and pull the contaminated air through the ductwork and out the exhaust stacks.   For replacement air systems, fans push fresh clean air into the supply air ductwork.  Typically, ventilation systems use centrifugal and/or axial fans.

Exhaust Stacks

Exhaust stacks direct the contaminated air out of the building and exhaust to the atmosphere.

Ventilation Cleaning

Over time, ventilation components become coated with dust, soot, deposits, and condensates compromising system performance and safety.  Routine ventilation cleaning reduces operating costs, maintains quality air in the building, and ensures safe operation.

Industrial ventilation cleaning can address the entire ventilation system or individual ventilation components.  The following are the most common industrial ventilation cleaning services:

• Hood Cleaning
• Air Duct Cleaning
• Filter Cleaning and Filter Replacement
• Vent Cleaning
• Fan Cleaning
• Exhaust Stack Cleaning.

Industrial cleaning contractors may use one or more of the following when cleaning ventilation components:

• Degreasers
• Chemical Cleaners
• Duct Cleaning Brushes and Vacuums
• Pressure Washing
• Steam Blasting
• Hot Water Pressure Washing
• Dry Ice Blasting
• Hydroblasting
• Vacuum Cleaning.

Proper cleaning services restore performance and keep industrial ventilation systems safe and efficient.

Many industries use regenerative incinerators known as regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) to destroy volatile organic compounds (VOCs), hazardous air pollutants (HAPs), and odorous emissions from waste gas streams.  The regenerative thermal oxidizer combusts the waste stream contaminants via thermal oxidation and uses a preheat cycle to maximize heat recovery.  Destruction efficiencies depend on chamber temperature, contaminant concentration and type, residence time and degree of mixing.

Modern regenerative thermal oxidizers use flow dampers (valves), multiple heat recovery chambers (packed with ceramic media), and a combustion chamber to heat and combust the waste stream contaminants to carbon dioxide and water.  The RTO requires at least two recovery chambers and continuously cycles the inlet and outlet streams between the recovery chambers.

The first recovery chamber extracts the heat from the purified outlet stream (hot stream) as it exits the combustion chamber.  Once the first recovery chamber reaches temperature (timed cycle), the flow dampers redirect the flow so that the contaminated inlet stream (cold stream) flows through the first recovery chamber (hotter chamber) and the outlet stream flows through the second recovery chamber (colder chamber).  This cycle continues during operation.

Some RTO designs use a third recovery chamber for a purge cycle to prevent emission spikes during operation.  The efficient use of heat in a regenerative thermal oxidizer minimizes the use of fuel and lowers CO2 emissions.

Performance Degradation

Inlet waste stream compositions and particulate matter concentrations vary by industry and when particulate matter is present, it impacts and deposits on the ceramic media, valves, and interior surfaces.  Particulate accumulation plugs and fouls the media, increases the differential pressure across the recovery chambers, reduces valve performance, and lowers the thermal efficiency of the regenerative thermal oxidizer.

Under these conditions, the induced draft fans consume more energy, the combustion chamber requires more fuel, and the particulate buildup poses a fire hazard.

RTO Cleaning

To restore media performance, bake outs or wash outs remove particulate deposits from the used media and in some cases media replacement is the best solution.  Clean media reduces the pressure differential across the recovery chambers and improves thermal efficiency.

With heavy particulate accumulation, valves do not seat properly and valve cleaning restores flow damper performance.

Routine RTO cleaning reduces annual operating costs, increases performance, and improves safety.  Snow White Services offers regenerative thermal oxidizer cleaning and inspection services.

Challenge

An automotive manufacturer contacted Snow White Services to find a new, efficient method to clean industrial ovens used for pretreatment.

The manufacturer used the industrial oven to cure the e-coat on manufactured parts.  Due to continuous production, a carbon based residue condensed on the walls, floors and ceilings of the oven and as the residue thickened, it began to flake off the oven and deposit on the manufactured products.

During the annual maintenance shutdowns, the manufacturer cleaned the pretreatment oven using 25 technicians.  The technicians used wire brushes and industrial oven cleaning chemicals to remove the surface residue.  The entire process consumed 9 days, 5,400 hours of labor, 462 cans (12 oz.) of industrial oven cleaner, 67 wire brushes, and 3,500 white cotton terry cloths.

Due to the expense and time required for cleaning, the manufacturer needed an economical and timely solution.

Solution

Snow White Services tested several alternative cleaning methods and developed a cleaning protocol using dry ice blasting.  Dry ice blasting removed the industrial oven residue quickly and did not introduce a secondary waste stream.

The dry ice blasting services efficiently removed the carbon residue from the walls, floor, and ceiling of the industrial oven and proved to be an effective industrial oven cleaning method.

Benefits

The dry ice blasting services used 8 technicians, 360 labor hours (3 days), and 15,000 pounds of dry ice.  The dry ice blasting solution saved the client $65,000 and reduced labor time by 93% and cleaning time by 66% compared to the former cleaning method.

Snow White Services removed the residue with dry ice blasting, eliminated the use of hazardous chemicals, minimized cleaning costs and time, and avoided the generation of secondary wastes during the process.