Caustic, Tall Oil, and Black Liquor Railcar Loading System

Georgia-Pacific Chemicals manufactures resins, additives, coatings, catalysts, and other chemical products. The company offers its products to various industries including aerospace, construction, mining, packaging, and rubber processing. Bakelite Synthetics recently acquired Georgia-Pacific and its 11 facilities that employ more than 600 people throughout the U.S. and South America.

One of the facilities that was acquired is located in Palatka, Florida. The location utilizes a railcar loading system for caustic, tall oil, and black liquor. As part of its efforts to upgrade Georgia-Pacific’s infrastructure, Bakelite contacted SafeRack to inquire about replacing its railcar loading system. The location’s legacy railcar loading system consisted of older platforms and gangways with two rail cages. The company’s biggest objectives were to improve productivity with more efficient design and address operator safety concerns. One of the most significant concerns was that the existing railcar loading platform had a 30” crash box gap opening.

What is a Railcar Crash Box?

A railcar crash box is the built-in railing that protects the top fittings on a rail tank car. It also protects workers from falling when they are accessing the top of the railcar during loading or maintenance. A large space puts operators in danger of falling or tripping. Another important safety concern involves the alignment of the railcar gangway and crash box. When the crash box is not properly aligned with the railcar gangway, it is referred to as an offset. Offsets are dangerous because they can be extremely difficult to spot from the ground. The operator does not realize the danger until he or she has already reached the top of the railcar. Minimizing the railcar crash box gap and equipping the railcar gangway with an elevating safety cage can prevent the risk of falls while allowing operators to move more freely and efficiently.

The Solution

The SafeRack team installed 3 48” wide pneumatic FRT gangways interlocked to 3 modified MaxRack elevating safety cages. The SafeRack team also designed and installed vertical supports on the outboard side and modified the pad layout to overcome configuration challenges for the existing railcar loading platform as well as its location on a curve. The installation allowed Bakelite to significantly reduce the railcar crash box opening while improving operator productivity and safety.

SafeRack’s Railcar Loading Systems

SafeRack offers complete railcar loading systems that are available with operator gangways, pipe racks, cable trays, and loading arms. Railcar loading platforms can be built to accommodate any number of railcars. Countless railcar operators located all over the world have upgraded their aging loading systems with SafeRack.

SafeRack offers a broad range of railcar loading systems and safety equipment. The MaxRack is an OSHA-compliant adjustable railcar safety cage. Industrial-grade aluminum guardrails protect workers from falls in all directions, allowing workers to move about the railcar safely and more efficiently. The solution is the only railcar loading platform that can be raised and lowered with either a pneumatic or electric motor drive. SafeRack also offers a large selection of safety equipment for operators that handle hazardous chemicals, including eye wash stations and drench showers, spill containment, grounding systems, safety gates, and more.

MaxRack Elevating Safety Cage

The new MaxRack powered elevating handrail system is the only elevating safety cage on the market that can be raised and lowed manually if your facility loses power or plant air. The unique counterbalanced cage design coupled with our exclusive dual input gearbox enables smooth operation as well as the ability for the operator to manually raise and lower the cage with ease in the event of a power loss.

Contact the SafeRack team today to learn how we can help improve your railcar loading system.