A spotless safety record is an expectation for every Pond project. We are proud to uphold rigorous regulatory standards and give our clients a peace of mind. Part of our safety culture includes recognizing when our teams go above and beyond. Here is an example of a recent safety success story, where Pond employees demonstrated superior service to ensure safe project site:

Dawson-Pond JV was contracted by NAVFAC EXWC to perform tank cleaning, inspections and subsequent repairs on Tank 337 at NAS Patuxent River, Lexington Park, Maryland.

Constructed in 1961,  Tank 337 is 59 years old and has exhibited a significant amount of water and overall corrosion damage to both the interior and exterior surfaces. Our team started the tank cleaning, API 653 inspection and coating assessment in November 2018. Pond mobilized to the field in February 2020 with the overarching goal of safely completing all repairs in accordance with the design, current standards and project requirements to successfully return the tank into service ahead of schedule.

Tank 337 Before

To reach this goal, primary attention was given to the coordination and phasing of the prime subcontractors, field activities and communication with engineers, integrity services and coatings group along with NAS Pax River Fuels personnel. Pond subcontracted Superior Petroleum Services to complete tank and mechanical repairs which included floor patch plates, relocation of level gauges, installation of new tank roof perimeter guardrail and installation of a new intermediate platform.  Mechanical repairs included piping and pipe support modifications.

The project also included complete removal of the tank interior and exterior coatings and installation of a new coating system that Pond subcontracted Champion Painting too. New interior coatings included the tank floor, shell and underside of the tank roof. Exterior coatings included the entire tank shell, roof and all piping within the containment.  To complete the coatings, scaffolding systems were erected for the tank interior and exterior. The interior system had to be modified to fit within the existing tank roof vent as the tank shell manway was only 20”.  Scaffolding was installed around 100% of the tank exterior followed by the construction of exterior containment.

There were many high-risk hazards associated with this project, which were identified prior to mobilization and include the following: working at elevation, multiple crane lifts, abrasive blasting, exposure to hazardous coating fumes requiring respiratory protection use, extreme elevated ambient temperatures, permit required confined space entry, hot work tasks, lockout/tagout requirements and excessive noise.  During construction, challenges increased with persistent severe weather and high winds during the coatings phase.

Tank 337 After

In addition to the above risks, the potential exposure to COVID-19 occurred after mobilization.  While other projects were put on hold and some base personnel were on “stay at home” orders, this project was deemed a matter of national security and required on-time completion.  Additional safeguards were necessary to protect the health and safety of the field supervision crew and subcontractors. Measures were put into place to control site access and maintain field progress while complying with NAVFAC and NAS PAX COVID-19 Guidelines and Procedures.

By working as a team and effectively communicating, project goals were achieved and the tank was returned to service ahead of schedule. After logging more than 16,000 safe hours worked, the field team did not experience a single safety mishap or client safety deficiency observation.  During the final walk-through, the base safety complemented the team and commented the project was completed with no NOI’s, “not even a band aid used”.

 

 

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