When you’re awarded a new project, it’s crucial to prioritize meeting deadlines and staying within budget. To achieve this, it’s essential to protect your plant, equipment, goods, and staff from natural weather conditions like dust storms, downpours, and extreme heat.
Imagine deploying to Marble Bar in Western Australia, with its arid climate and scorching summers and mild to warm winters. In fact, Marble Bar holds the world record for 160 consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 37.8 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit). During December and January, temperatures often exceed 45 degrees Celsius, and for six months of the year, the average maximum temperature surpasses the normal human body temperature.
Site Establishment
Establishing a sheltered base, or Command Post, while you prepare the new project site for the rest of your team, contractors, equipment, and supplies is crucial for staying productive during adverse weather conditions. This will help you meet your deadlines and create a dry work area despite negative weather conditions.
Site Preparation
When it’s time to deploy your staff and resources, having a shelter system strategy in place will minimize downtime ensuring everything runs smoothly. Adequate cover for your vehicles, for example, can lead to lower insurance premiums and reduce depreciation caused by weather damage. Consider factors like vehicle height, the number of vehicles you want to shelter, and the space required on each side of the vehicle when determining the size of the shelters you’ll need.
Having a sheltered laydown area is also important for protecting supplies from sudden weather changes that can result in water or dust damage. Instead of adopting a “drop it and sort it out later” approach in the supply chain, consider warehousing or transporting goods after they arrive.
As your new project progresses, you may require a variety of workshops to meet your changing needs.
Smaller shelters can be used for:
- Light Vehicle Maintenance
- Small Boilermaker Workshops
- Small Parts Storage
Medium shelters can be used for:
- Heavy Vehicle Maintenance
- Large Equipment Assembly
- Sandblasting and Painting
- Washdown Areas
- Refueling and Lubrication Bays
- Laydown and Warehouse Facilities
- Helicopter and Plan Hangars
Large shelters can accommodate:
- Dump Truck Maintenance
- Crane Workshops
- Power Shovel/Excavator Facilities
Don’t forget about essential services like rescue choppers, hazmat vehicles, fire vehicles, or aircraft, which also require protection from the elements. Having a sheltered space dedicated to these services is essential.
The Allshelter Solution
Investing in an Allshelter System can provide a solution to all your shelter needs. This allows you to stay dry during rain, seek shelter during dust storms, and stay cool during scorching temperatures. An Allshelter is designed to be over 15 degrees cooler in hotter months and can withstand wind speeds of over 270km/h without the need to remove the cover. It also offers natural ventilation, allowing for the dispersion of toxic odors and an even spread of natural light. Additionally, the cover provides protection against harmful ultraviolet rays.
Failing to have a proper shelter strategy in place can have severe consequences, such as:
- Reduced production due to wet weather
- Quicker fatigue among your workforce due to heat
- Weather damage to bulk goods
- Waterlogged or dusty spare parts, plant, and equipment.
These issues can jeopardize your ability to meet deadlines and stay on track.
With an Allshelter, you can ensure you stay on schedule and within budget while protecting your assets and staff from the unpredictable elements.
