Vacuum Loading Confined Spaces

March 10 2020

When Is Vacuum Loading Needed

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Are you searching for a safe way to remove solid or liquid waste from confined spaces? Do you want an EPA compliant cleaning technology for effective and efficient cleaning of your site?

If the answer to these questions is yes, then the answer lies in vacuum loading.

A vacuum loading system consists of a self-contained truck that has a powerful pump to suck in the dry or liquid waste which is then pumped into a tank. The truck then drives the tank to dispose of the debris/waste at an approved waste deposit site.

While there are many methods of liquid waste disposal, vacuum loading offers a number of advantages over other waste removal techniques.

When is Vacuum Loading Needed?

While vacuum loading can be used in a variety of situations, there are certain use cases where it is the safest and most effective way to remove the waste materials. It is especially useful in confined spaces.

Confined spaces are typically defined as areas that are not big or safe enough for manual removal of waste materials.

Some of the common examples of confined spaces include manholes, pump stations, storage tanks, sumps, highly congested areas, grease traps, pits, silos, wet wells and drains among others.

Confined spaces are dangerous for workers due to high risk of trench collapse, trench subsidence or exposure to harmful gases among other things.

Benefits of Vacuum Loading

It’s Safer

One of the biggest advantages of vacuum loading is that it is a safer way to remove the waste materials. Minimal manual intervention is required in the process as trained technicians only need to fix the vacuum hose to the waste removal site and all the work is done by the vacuum pump. It keeps the workers safe as they do not need to handle the waste material. Also, trench subsidence or collapse is a big risk; this can be minimised with a powerful vacuum pump sucking in the waste material.

It Saves Time

Vacuum loading is time-efficient as the vacuum pump works at a much faster pace compared to manual labour. As the whole system is self-contained, no additional vehicles or equipment is needed for recovering and loading the material. The material is recovered directly into the tank and the truck takes the tank to an approved disposal site for safe and efficient disposal.

It Saves Money

Contrary to popular perception, it is one of the most cost-effective methods of waste removal. One of the reasons is that only a single piece of machinery is required to do the job. Since no additional vehicles are required, it saves on fuel costs, labour costs as well as the time required to do the job.

It’s Best for Confined Spaces

Confined spaces are exceptionally risky for workers. Also, there are certain areas where traditional machines or technology cannot be used. In such cases, vacuum loading is the only way to safely and efficiently remove the waste material.

Higher Capacity

The traditional vacuum trucks have a capacity of around 3000 L but there are also bigger trucks available with capacities of up to 20,000 L. Simply put, no job is big enough for vacuum loading.

It’s Versatile

This is a highly versatile waste removal technique and can be used in a variety of situations. Vacuum loading can be used in places where access is limited or where the waste product is stored in pits or tanks, for containing spills, or during flooding, or during plant maintenance among others. It can also be used for removal of wet or dry waste including brick dust, stormwater, car wash pit cleaning, concrete slurry, marble slurry, hydro mud or drill slurry among others.

Conclusion

To summarise, vacuum loading is an EPA compliant, cost-effective and efficient way of waste removal and disposal.

It is exceptionally efficient for waste removal from confined spaces as well as in situations where it’s too dangerous for excavation personnel to work.

IF YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REQUIRES LIQUID OR SOLID WASTE REMOVAL, OR HYDRO EXCAVATION, PLEASE CALL US AT PRESSURE WORKS TODAY ON 0419 577 441 OR CONTACT US THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.

December 19 2019

What Are The Main Benefits Of Vacuum Loading?

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Are you looking for a safe way to remove and dispose of sludge, hazardous liquids, and even fine loose materials? Are you limited by space and unable to use traditional methods of removing debris? If so, you should look no further than vacuum loading.

Vacuum loading uses a vacuum truck consisting of a pump and a tank. The pump provides suction with enough power to suck materials and deposit it in the storage/carrier tank.

The truck transports the debris to the approved deposit site for safe disposal. By using vacuum loading, you stand to accrue the following benefits:

It is cost-effective
Vacuum loading is faster than traditional loading methods
It accords personnel with better safety
Vacuum loading is versatile enough to in use a wide variety of scenarios

Vacuum Loading Is Cost-Effective

For debris recovery, vacuum loading has the notable benefit of being cost-effective. The main contributing factor is that vacuum loading does not involve the deployment and use of many machines.

The vacuum loader truck comes fitted with everything it needs to complete a job. For instance, the vacuum pump and debris tank are installed onto the truck. As such, you can vacuum material and transport it using a single truck.

Therefore, the associated cost of recovering and disposing of materials is reduced significantly. Additionally, the improved efficiency associated with vacuum loading increases the cost-saving for end users.

Vacuum Loading Is Fast

Unlike other material recovery methods, vacuum loading is exceptionally fast. Since the process of vacuuming uses a single truck for the entire process, it is much quicker.

For instance, the recovery equipment does not have to recover and load the material into a different vehicle, which is a time-consuming process. After the recovery of the material, it is diverted into the tank in a single operation.

It Is Much Safer For All Involved

The safety credentials of the vacuum loading process is another significant benefit. The personnel need only direct the vacuum hose to the material, and the vacuum pump sucks the material.

This reduces the risk of materials hitting users. The personnel can even set up the vacuum hose for remote material removal, further increasing their safety.

Vacuum Loading Is Versatile To Use In A Wide Variety Of Extreme Environments

In some cases, vacuum loading is the only material recovery method you can use. For instance, if you are working in confined spaces, traditional methods of debris recovery such as using diggers or a backhoe are quite simply untenable.

However, it is in such environments that vacuum loading comes stands out on its own. It allows users to excavate material in confined spaces without the need for a lot of space for the equipment.

The same applies to excavation projects involving hazardous materials and gases. As mentioned above, vacuum loading is much safer for the personnel as they do not have to come into contact with excavated material.

In some cases, the excavation personnel can work remotely, reducing the chances of inhaling hazardous gases. Vacuum loading also has the unique advantage of helping negate the adverse effects of spillages.

If a spillage is left unchecked, dangerous material percolates into the ground, affecting groundwater and soil quality. Vacuum loading allows emergency personnel to recover the material efficiently.

Additionally, you can use vacuum loading in projects such as hydro mud, marble slurry, concrete and drill slurry removal, drain cleaning, vessel, and tank cleaning, pile, pier, and bore cleaning, and much more.

As such, even when you cannot use other excavation/recovery methods, you can still rely on vacuum loading for your project.

Conclusion

Vacuum loading has excellent utility in industrial, commercial, and construction projects. As a material recovery method, it has a lot of benefits that other excavation and recovery methods cannot attain.

IF YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REQUIRES LIQUID OR SOLID WASTE REMOVAL, OR HYDRO EXCAVATION, PLEASE CALL US TODAY AT PRESSURE WORKS ON 0419 577 441 OR CONTACT US THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.

October 23 2019

Why Use Vacuum Loading In Confined Spaces?

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Do you a confined space that needs cleaning or clearing? Confined spaces are not only difficult to access but they can also be very hazardous. Let’s take a look at the best method to use in these situations.

Confined spaces are completely or partially enclosed areas that have restricted entry. Often there is a lack of oxygen or a space that contains atmospheric hazards such as toxic gases.

In areas where machinery cannot gain access to a confined space, vacuum loading and excavation is an extremely economical and efficient solution.

It allows work to be carried out safely and efficiently with minimum risk to workers or property. Materials are vacuum loaded from a vessel or open restricted space and transferred to a holding tank for safe disposal.

Work may be undertaken on a worksite or in a public space.

What Are Confined Spaces?

Confined spaces may or may not be big enough for workers to enter and include areas such as:

Pump stations
Manholes
Drains
Wet wells
Gross pollutant traps
Highly congested vehicle or pedestrian areas
Areas with overhead obstructions
Sumps
Storage tanks
Pits
Silos

Access to confined spaces is usually required for cleaning, inspection, repair, maintenance, or construction.

Vacuum loading services are employed where access is limited to remove materials such as waste stored in pits or tanks, for pit cleaning, during plant maintenance, or in flooding situations.

Cleaning of confined spaces such as drains, cesspits, and sumps requires specialised knowledge and equipment such as advanced, self-contained vacuum loading trucks for the safe removal of materials which may include liquids, lump or particulate solids, or gases.

Some materials may be hazardous such as flammable or explosive materials, chemicals or materials with carbonaceous particulates.

Why Confined Spaces Are A Concern

Working in confined spaces can be extremely dangerous for workers with high risk from things like trench subsidence and collapse or exposure to contaminated atmospheric substances.

The risk of potential financial burdens can be minimised by making use of qualified and highly experienced technicians and equipment to gain entry to confined spaces.

Benefits of Vacuum Loading in Confined Spaces

Using vacuum loading in confined spaces:

Eliminates the need for workers to enter restricted or dangerous areas to perform high-risk tasks.
Saves time and costs involved in obtaining permits as well as training required to perform high-risk tasks in confined spaces.
Is an extremely efficient and cost-effective alternative to manual labour which is often the only method employed in situations such as cleaning out tanks, pits or sumps.
Allows work to take place in restricted areas where conventional machinery cannot be used.
Materials are vacuum loaded and safely transferred into tanks with minimal threats to the environment or disturbance of the worksite and surrounding areas.
Quickly and accurately exposes damaged areas for inspection and repair.
Efficient and accurate operation minimises turnaround time and overall costs.

Applications

Vacuum loading services are excellent for the removal or recovery of wet or dry heavy products such as:

Brick dust
Concrete and marble slurry
Pit, waste, and stormwater clearing
Drill slurry, hydro mud, or NDD
Pier/ bore/pile cleaning
Car wash and GPT pit cleaning
Tank and vessel cleaning
Drain and sump clearing
Liquid or solid waste removal
Drain unblocking and cleaning
Culvert cleaning
Concrete slurries, cement, and woodchip removal

Pressure Works Water Jet & Vacuum Services utilises innovative excavation and vacuum technologies to provide safe and efficient, none-invasive, and non-destructive vacuum loading services right across the Melbourne suburbs.

All our vacuum trucks are EPA registered and licensed to collect, transport, and safely dispose of non-hazardous and hazardous materials.

Our vacuum loading services are particularly effective in confined spaces and our highly skilled and experienced technicians are fully trained in the safety procedures, environmental protection, and safety requirements when working in confined spaces.

We have a range of complementary services to manage your projects such as hydro excavation, non-destructive digging, liquid waste removal, drain cleaning, heavy-duty suction trucks to suck up sludge and debris.

Our hydro excavation services and non-destructive diggings services offer a safe and efficient alternative to mechanical digging.

IF YOU HAVE A PROJECT THAT REQUIRES A HYDRO EXCAVATION OR VACUUM LOADING SERVICE, PLEASE CALL US TODAY ON 0419 577 441 OR CONTACT US THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.