We installed a gangway according to incrementally precise specifications as a crucial piece of equipment for this Kansas distillery. The gangway with a safety cage gives workers safe access to the top loading arm in transferring liquids into trucks. This particular distillery needed to upgrade its equipment to transport higher-proofs for its fuel-grade and food-grade alcohol products.
MGP is a significant provider of superior distilled spirits, as well as offering a wide range of grain oil, feeds, and other food ingredients, with operations in Kansas and Indiana. The company was founded in 1941 as a small grain belt distillery. They work with small companies just starting and big companies that have been around for a long time to craft a range of alcoholic products like whiskeys, ryes, bourbons, gins, and vodkas throughout the globe.
There are a few reasons distilleries need loading arm systems in their facilities. First, they can safely transport their industrial-grade alcohol products from production to a tank truck without climbing up to connect hoses for their bulk operations. Second, loading arms can help keep the product contained and protected during transport by minimizing the amount of exposure to air and other contaminants. The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has designated ethanol and other alcohol products as flammable and combustible liquids with the identification number UN 1170. Also, when workers do uncomfortable positions when moving heavy hoses, there is a greater chance of spillage, which can be costly for the company.
Finally, loading arms can help reduce spillage and waste because liquids like alcohol become vaporized easily. These alcohol products are flammable, so it’s important to protect their workers against fire hazards. Using a closed system also helps limit the amount of evaporation that can occur during the transfer. Response teams must be able to promptly and accurately detect the presence of alcohol and fuels at the scene of an event since a greater proportion of ethanol-related transportation mishaps are likely to contain these substances.
Whatever the structure or needs of your distillery or refinery, consider it our challenge to meet them. Our aluminum access gangways use fewer parts with fewer welds, resulting in stronger, longer-lasting solutions that require less maintenance. There is no room for compromise when it comes to safety, so it’s important to ensure your gangway is properly connected before allowing anyone to walk on it.
