Not only did the three-person United Thermal crew need to go out on a limb, aka man lift to get this job done, but the project itself was for Sunset Fruit & Vegetable Company.

As the oil market continues to change abroad and in the United States, so, too, do the refineries themselves. And keeping sites and workers safe has become a top priority.

No longer do painters — or in this case spray polyurethane foam (SPF) and intumescent coating crews — have to work nearly upside down on scaffolds. Now, they’re able to use lifts that are not only easier to move but offer a safe option.

When Owatonna, Minnesota, suffered a major flood in September 2010, the historic Owatonna Power Plant — home to a couple of Owatonna Public Utilities (OPU) and water utility offices — was right in the path of the watery destruction.

The building had metal walls that were not insulated and there was no functional heating system. That was not going to work, so the company looked into its options and ultimately settled on spray polyurethane foam (SPF), also referred to as spray foam, and intumescent coatings.

At petroleum and petrochemical plants, fireproofing plant components is a vital yet daunting task. PK Industrial is currently applying intumescent fireproofing and coatings to approximately 300,000 square feet of structural steel, vessel skirts, and saddles.

The ever-increasing use of steel as a construction material has led to enhanced flexibility in design as well as significant time savings in the construction industry.