On any given day at U.S. Submergent Technologies (USST), crews mobilizing Class 8 (any vehicle over 33,000 lbs.) commercial vehicles equipped with specialized cleaning equipment, depart from our operations hub in Orlando Florida. Their destinations are wastewater treatment facilities and critical wet infrastructure all over Florida and parts of the Southeast. Their purpose is clear; to safely restore the capacity of wet infrastructure nobody notices but everybody relies upon. When this professional group of experienced and knowledgeable CDL drivers gets on the road, one word, and one thing is at the top of everyone’s list, safety. “At USST, we employ professional CDL drivers because it is a serious business moving heavy equipment and operating commercial vehicles on the road,” said Paul Meding, General Manager at USST. “We scrutinize our drivers based on the highest safety standards and hold them accountable through our company’s Driver and Fleet Safety Program. We focus on ongoing training and providing resources for our drivers to do their best on the roads. The unique type of equipment we’re using every day furthers the need for our emphasis on safety. These efforts lead to better employee productivity and a significant reduction of the risks we must … Read More
How U.S. Submergent Technologies Helps You Minimize the Need for Confined Space Entry
The need for confined space entry, and particularly permit-required confined space entry, can considerably increase the cost of maintenance for wastewater collection and treatment systems, including pipes, tanks, lift stations, and stormwater drains. Access is one of the largest cost drivers in the removal of debris U.S. Submergent Technologies’ GritGone Process® for sand and grit removal can be performed without any interruption to your normal plant operation. Most of the time, this means that our standalone cleaning systems can get to challenging, hard-to-clean environments without requiring confined space entry. Using our Combination3® Trucks and expertly trained crew, we specialize in accessing hard-to-reach infrastructure and can clean a wide variety of tanks and large-diameter pipe in both submerged and surcharged conditions. We’ve cleaned through a right angle and a syphon while it remained in operation, 1,000 feet of sanitary interceptor, accessed a manhole in a river, vacuumed over 25-feet high walls, and removed materials from 30-feet deep wells. Read our recent case study, covering how we removed 22-cubic yards of sand from a splitter box at a Central Florida wastewater treatment facility while it was in service and without the need for risky confined space entry. Confined space entry: when you … Read More
Limiting Time in the Tank
CONFINED SPACE ENTRY IN THE WASTEWATER INDUSTRY Confined spaces can be deadly. Each year, many people are seriously injured or killed while working or attempting to rescue those in confined spaces across a wide range of industries. The term “permit-required confined space” is defined by OSHA as possessing one or more of the following characteristics: Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere Has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area that could trap or asphyxiate an entrant Contains other recognized safety or health hazards, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires or heat stress In the wastewater maintenance industry, there are many situations that can require confined space entry, most commonly when structures have limited or no means of ingress or egress such as wet wells, digesters, or aeration basins with high tank walls. The removal of rag material from wastewater structures is another circumstance where confined space entry is most likely required during maintenance routines. Dangers of confined spaces within wastewater infrastructure can include: Lack of oxygen Poisonous gases, fumes or vapors Liquids, solids or gases that can suddenly fill the space or release gases into it Lack … Read More
Safety in Movement
We are moving fast, every day, in both our personal and professional lives. It is during these busy times when we must focus and be extra attentive of things in motion around us, including ourselves, especially when safety is the goal. Safety matters most when we are moving; there is a higher probability of things happening that shouldn’t. People, places, equipment, vehicles and more are constantly on the move, meaning more risk for the individual. “Falls” is the number one cited job site fatality in 2015 according to OSHA1, followed by “Struck By Object.” Take a glance at OSHA’s “Top 10 OSHA Citations of 2016” if you’d like to learn more about common job site violations, or to simply serve as a reminder for the future. A culture of safety requires paying attention throughout the day, particularly when there is more to pay attention to. Consider the different levels of effort required to pay attention while driving in good weather compared to moving fast in heavy traffic in the rain. As our CEO, Denver J. Stutler, likes to say, “What matters most, is getting it done when it matters!” Focused individuals lead to a focused organization, which in turn leads … Read More
Safety Spotlight: Confined Spaces
Confined spaces can be deadly. Each year, a number of people are killed or seriously injured in confined spaces. This happens in a wide range of industries and includes those working in confined spaces, and those who try to rescue them. Our hearts go out to the three workers who died last weekend while working in a confined space in Key Largo, and volunteer firefighter, Leonardo Felipe Moreno, who is in critical condition after attempting to rescue one of the workers. A confined space can be any enclosed area where there is risk of death or serious injury from hazardous substances or dangerous conditions. OSHA uses the term “permit-required confined space” to describe a confined space with one or more of the following characteristics: Contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere Has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area that could trap or asphyxiate an entrant Contains other recognized safety or health hazards, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires or heat stress Dangers of confined spaces can include: Lack of oxygen Poisonous gases, fumes or vapors Liquids, solids or gases that can suddenly fill the space or release gases … Read More
IN THE LIMELIGHT: Robert Keyes
Safety Spotlight Why I work safe: For my family and loved ones. I want to return home at the end of my work day the same way I left in the morning. Safety has been a priority: Ever since I can remember. What piqued my interest in safety: An incident that happened many years ago. My supervisor at the time had built a scaffold that I felt was unsafe. I refused to get on it and he fired me on the spot. Since then I have been interested in workplace safety. Number of safety manuals I own: Five. My top 5 safety tips are to be cautious while: 1. Be cautious when getting on/off equipment; 2. Look forward, behind, left and right before equipment or vehicle backing; 3. Check carefully for overhead or buried obstructions; 4. Take notice of an overcrowded work area; 5. Ensure Lock out/Tag out procedures are followed. My safety motto: If safety is “common sense,” then we would not need trainers, training programs, safety officers, OSHA, etc… Interesting safety fact: Florida is rated among the top 5 in the nation for employees in the construction industry.
