When our first lease units rolled off the production line years ago, blast-resistant buildings (BRBs) were pretty standard. Our first goal was to design the best blast protection in the world — which we did — but features and options were very limited in the beginning. Our next step was to find new ways to meet as many different client needs as possible, in terms of size, options, amenities and regulatory compliance. RedGuard’s LeaseFleet, currently the largest lease-ready fleet of BRBs of its kind, offers more options than we ever dreamed of when we helped launch this industry.

A lot of myths still surround the use of blast-resistant buildings (BRBs) as traditional building replacements. If you’re planning construction at your facility, this article could help you save hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention countless lives.

This article was originally published in 2012. It has been updated to reflect current findings consistent with today's blast-resistant buildings and the petrochemical industry. Upsizing and downsizing are part of life in a petrochemical refinery. That could mean capital expansions that reposition limited staff and resources, or turnarounds that change the face of an entire operation. It’s crucial to work through these changes with minimum interruption to business flow. That means the importance of supplier selection is a top priority. Safety is a bigger concern than ever, and it’s important to choose trustworthy partners during these precarious times. Your choice of suppliers for temporary, blast-resistant buildings is an important one. So, what factors should be considered when choosing a supplier? Let's consider.