This blog post was originally published in 2018 but has been updated with current numbers. Explaining TRIR and Why It's Important At RedGuard, we take safety seriously, even down to saying that safety is in our culture. One of the ways we measure that is our TRIR, or Total Recordable Incident Rate. As a manufacturer of blast-resistant buildings, it makes sense that knowing our safety rating would also be important to our customers. After all, if a company won't share their safety rating and they make a product designed to keep you safe, you're already starting on the wrong foot. So, as you can imagine, "What's RedGuard's safety rating?" is a question our team gets asked fairly often. Here's how we approach that.

In the heart of a processing plant, the air is thick with potential danger. Picture this: a routine day is suddenly shattered by an unexpected blast. The explosion ignites nearby materials, which results in a raging fire. Toxic gases are released into the air, and deadly fragments fly in every direction. This is a terrifying possibility in multi-hazard environments in the oil and gas industry, where the danger of blasts, fires, toxic gas releases, and fragmentation (or any combination of these) are risks that some hazardous areas face.

This list was originally published in 2018, but has been updated in 2024 to reflect changes in the industry. Every day, our RedGuard sales directors are out in the field, meeting with customers and potential customers about blast-resistant buildings. With potentially hundreds of meetings a year, our team, comprised of seasoned oil and gas professionals and subject matter experts, takes the time to understand needs, deliver informative "lunch and learn" presentations, and actively listen to the concerns of our valued stakeholders.

Building blast-resistant structures is an incredibly complex and challenging process. From designing and engineering the structure to sourcing materials and getting regulatory approvals, many steps require precision and attention to detail. That’s why it’s essential to get it right the first time. Whether you’re a contractor, project manager, or end-user, any mistakes made during the process can have serious consequences, including project delays, safety risks, and increased costs.

At RedGuard, we take safety seriously. It’s present and top-of-mind in everything we do. This includes the obvious things, like wearing PPE to protect ourselves while on the job, and the less apparent practices, like inviting team members to share stories about when they had (or observed) a safety-related near-miss that we can all learn from. It also includes safety practices that foster communication and thinking about your habits. Those are among the things we do every day to ensure safety. Safety is also of obvious importance in our products and services.

A tragedy occurred in the early spring of 2005 at a refinery in Texas City, Texas. Today marks the 17th year since a series of explosions killed 15 workers and injured nearly 200 more.

The Great Resignation is the term that has been applied to the economic trend of members of the workforce voluntarily resigning from their jobs in large numbers. It started during the pandemic in early 2021 and continued into 2022.

When it comes to timelines for blast-resistant buildings, we often caution people that there are vendors in the industry that will claim they can finish a job within a questionable timeline - just to get the job. That leads to the question, “What is a realistic timeline to install a blast-resistant building?”

Having a safety culture isn't about just "talking the talk." You've got to "walk the walk" too. If you spend any amount of time at RedGuard, you'll quickly learn that our safety culture comes with practice. We support our belief in the importance of safe practices not just by what we say, but also in what we do.

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (June 13, 2022) – RedGuard, a producer of blast-resistant modules for the petrochemical and chemical industries, has expanded its service capabilities with a three-year master service agreement with Nomodic. This agreement makes Nomodic the preferred service and maintenance partner for RedGuard’s blast-resistant buildings on Canadian worksites.

When it comes to protection in the form of buildings, there are a few levels of protection that can be observed. For this blog post, we will focus on three building types: general protective structures, buildings that offer blast protection, and buildings that offer hazard protection.

This article, How to Stage a Blast Resistant Building, was originally published on our blog in its entirety in October 2021. This version was shortened for publication in the March/April 2022 issue of BIC magazine. Suppose you've researched different kinds of blast-resistant structures, like steel blast-resistant buildings, modular concrete blast-resistant buildings, or even blast-resistant tents or air shelters.

When you think of the word flex, a few things probably come to mind. One of the most recent entries into the world of pop culture is, “Weird flex, but ok” - a mocking phrase often given in response to a person who brags about something unusual.

When it comes to blast resistance, there are a few options, depending on the situation. At RedGuard, we design blast-resistant buildings to protect building occupants and equipment in high-hazard areas from the damaging effects of explosions.

This press release was sent on January 11, 2022 on behalf of RedGuard. It has been updated with the company's current offerings for chemical storage buildings in 2023.

Blast loads are something we talk about at RedGuard. We write about their effects and protecting yourself and your team from the damage they cause. The term likely comes up more in our industry than in the course of normal conversations. At RedGuard, our business is safety; and explosions and the blast loads that come with them can be deadly. It’s our job to help people survive the destruction caused by high blast loads.

Suppose you’ve researched different kinds of blast-resistant structures, like steel blast-resistant buildings, modular concrete blast-resistant buildings, or even blast-resistant tents or air shelters. In that case, you know that there is a lot of conflicting information about why you should buy one type over another. Since the beginning, our team has been in the blast-resistant building design business and has done its fair share of testing. They’re continuously upgrading and working on new methods of keeping occupants of hazardous areas safe.

To those with an untrained eye, a blast-resistant building may resemble a shipping container. But the differences between a shipping container and a blast-resistant building are paramount.

As a leader in the industry, we do a lot of blast testing on blast-resistant buildings. If you’ve watched our videos, or read our blog, you may have heard about “blast response” in terms of buildings. Which just means, what will the building’s damages be once the dust settles? Another related term is “human response.” In simple terms, it is also quite literal. How will a human body respond to a blast when it is protected by one of our buildings? What will its injuries be?

We understand the lengths that our customers go through to keep themselves and their team safe. We also know that sometimes the terminology around blast resistant buildings and their blast ratings can be confusing. Some readers might actually be reading this from the comfort of a BRB and wonder how it was determined to be a safe space.

For many years, RedGuard has been known for its blast-resistant buildings within the oil and gas industry. It started in 2005, after a tragic event in Texas City. At the time, the company was known for the steel storage buildings that it leased to companies for their rugged and spacious storage capacity. Because they had the infrastructure and capabilities already in place, they were asked to design a protective steel modular building. The goal was to protect people the way steel containers had protected the equipment on the site of that tragedy, when personnel had perished in simple work trailers, while tool shed containers remained intact.

Not all blast-resistant buildings are created Equally When it comes to blast-resistant buildings, it may seem like it makes sense to lump them all into the same category when considering their strength. However, there are differences in their design and build that can make a difference.

This press release, announcing the company's latest blast test, was sent on December 10, 2020 on behalf of RedGuard.

Planning a capital project can be a complex undertaking. Add in something like blast-resistant buildings and there are even more parts to the planning process. Goals must be set. Timelines must be arranged to avoid upsetting workflow. And you have to find a vendor with turnkey services and experience with all the intricacies of your project.

If you have a blast-resistant building on your site, you know that they require occasional service and maintenance. You may not know that there are alternatives to having the service performed by the company you purchased it from and that there could be a few minor ways to get the most out of performance. And, if you are considering a blast-resistant building purchase, you may be curious about what to expect.

Right now, essential businesses are learning to fulfill business needs in ways they never dreamed. And other businesses have been put on hold indefinitely, hopefully to return in the future. These are all in an effort to keep the country running, while we flatten the curve against the coronavirus. RedGuard has been providing workplace storage and mobile office space since 1998 and started focusing on safe space in 2005, after a refinery accident necessitated the birth of the blast-resistant building industry. We championed that cause, and now you could say that, as a company, we are the leaders in providing a variety of workplace safe spaces.

If you’ve purchased a blast-resistant building, or even if you’re still in the bid phase considering your options, you may be wondering what happens once you send in the purchase order. Once the deal is done, is it just a matter of waiting?

Choosing a blast-resistant building can be tricky. It’s not just a matter of deciding on a design and picking the amenities you want. Some factors come into play, and without the right partner or planning, it can seem like a complicated maneuver to get what you need to protect your site.

We’ve written recently about the problems with blast-resistant buildings, and one problem that we hear about sometimes has to do with blast-resistant doors. Blast-resistant doors are made of steel and weigh-in at around 450 pounds. That’s a lot of weight for a door, considering the average solid-core door on a home weighs well under 100 pounds.

Purchasing a blast-resistant building is no small responsibility to undertake. It involves months of planning (sometimes more than a year), depending on the scope of the project. Part of the due diligence on an investment of this size and magnitude is not only looking for benefits but also in looking at the challenges that one might encounter.

RedGuard will be exhibiting at ABC of Southeast Texas' 25th Outdoor Extravaganza on October 24, at Ford Park in Beaumont, Texas.

Every industry has its jargon, and after a while, it’s easy to forget that not everyone understands the terminology that we often hear on an everyday basis. This is especially true if you’ve just started in your career and haven't learned it all yet. Even those who have worked in an industry for a long time may not want to admit they don’t know the meaning of a common acronym, even if they understand its usage.

In an industry that is as young as that of blast-resistant buildings, much of the terminology is still very new. This industry only came to be in 2005, after an explosion at a Texas City refinery that killed 15 people and injured nearly 200.

RedGuard will exhibit at the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA) Safety+ National Symposium, held August 27 - August 30 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. You will find RedGuard at booth #441.

In the oil and gas industry, there are no federal laws or regulations that control what precautions a facility has to take to maintain a protective environment in the event of an explosion on their site. (OSHA dictates a Process Hazard Analysis every five years, but leaves the methods of fulfilling that open to interpretation.)

When scrutinizing blast-resistant structures, one of the first considerations to make will be the type of resilient structure that you need. You should always make decisions based on the particular needs of your facility, based on determinations from your facility siting study or similar recommended practices.

Some jobs are inherently dangerous, and there might not be anything you can do to remove the dangerous elements. Those who work in manufacturing, chemical processing plants, or oil and gas refineries, understand that.

What Affects the Price of a Blast Resistant Building? If hazardous areas are part of life on your worksite, you’ve probably arrived here to determine what the real costs are associated with getting outfitted for safety. For many, a facility siting study indicates the need for blast-resistant buildings, or BRBs, to protect your team and valuable assets in the event of an explosion. Many factors can affect the cost of a blast resistant building, such as whether you lease standard units, lease modified standard units, or choose to have your BRB custom built. Here are some points to address when getting a bid from a manufacturer:

When a blast event occurs at a facility in the oil and gas industry, blackouts, disorientation, concussions, internal bleeding, and even fatalities can occur. While the latter components are widely published in the aftermath of an event, what is less known is the far-reaching and negative financial impacts of both personal injuries and structural damage. Discovering the impact of a blast event requires an in-depth look at the trickle-down and oftentimes continuous financial costs of the incident.

Can you afford not to have a blast-resistant building on-site? By their very nature, companies in the oil and gas sector handle highly volatile materials. As such, these companies should take the steps needed to protect both their personnel and facilities from the extensive damage that can occur during a blast event. Fortunately, a blast-resistant building (which is also referred to as a blast-resistant module, BRB, or BRM), can be the very solution that companies need to protect personnel and mission critical equipment during and after a blast event. The risks during a major blast event to human lives and bodies is high and arguably one of the most important considerations when investing in a blast resistant structure.

RedGuard will exhibit at the Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association (VPPPA) Safety+ National Symposium, held August 28 - August 31 at the Gaylord Opryland Convention Center in Nashville, TN. You can find RedGuard at booth #129.

What's in a name? Would a blast-resistant module by any other name be just as safe? Apologies for the bad Shakespearean reference, but that aside, "What's in a name?" is often used to imply that the names of things do not affect what they really are.

This article was originally published in September of 2017. It has been updated to reflect current industry findings. Facility siting studies can help manage the risks associated with working in hazardous environments and can help prevent accidents resulting in major financial loss, injuries, and lost lives.

If you've landed on this page to specifically answer the question, "What is a blast resistant modular building (BRM)?" then you've come to the right place. RedGuard has had an interest in blast resistant buildings since 2005, when the industry began to emerge in the aftermath of a blast event that killed 15 people and injured hundreds more. We've made it our business to protect lives, AND to offer a wealth of information and guidance about blast resistant buildings.

One of the benefits of advertising in trade magazines is the added benefit of occasionally being asked to submit guest articles to those publications. It’s a great way to let the experts in your organization shine and to build a name for yourself when it comes to industry expertise. We enjoy this benefit and, and we realize that so do companies that sell products similar to ours. In those articles, the writer isn’t allowed to use specific product names or even mention the affiliated company, except for a final note at the end where the reader can seek more information. It's important to note that while the articles are intended to be written without an advertising focus, they are still written by those with a vested interest in selling a product. What does this have to do with polyurea coatings?

RedGuard will exhibit at the 2017 Reliability and Maintenance Conference and Expo, held May 23-26 in New Orleans, LA. You can find RedGuard at booth #755.

RedGuard will exhibit at the 2017 National Occupational & Process Safety Conference, held May 17-18 in New Orleans, LA. You can find RedGuard at booth #200.

Much of the activity at a refinery involves planned turnarounds in order to ensure safety, perform preventative maintenance, renovation or necessary upgrades to facilities or technology. This allows a facility to make sure they are doing things as safely as possible, to stay competitive in the industry and to meet government regulations. A turnaround involves the careful coordination of many people. It could involve a logistics team, turnaround manager, planners, engineers, and contract workers in many skilled trades—all to ensure that turnarounds happen safely and successfully, meaning in the least amount of time, and using labor wisely and resources as conservatively as possible.

Wichita, Kan. – Following an onsite evaluation of their Production Center and interviews with team members on December 6, RedGuard has been awarded a gold certificate from SafeStart, a behavioral-based safety training program proven to successfully reduce workforce injuries. The gold status celebrates RedGuard’s safety success based on achieving milestones for training, sustainability and integration of the program into the workplace.