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Better Cleaning = Better Performance
Safety On The Washpad
A Critical Conversation
A refinery turnaround turns the washpad into a buzzing, high-risk zone where refinery safety isn't just important—it's everything.
At Tech Sonic, we understand the risks that emerge when you mix equipment, people, and tight deadlines.
The Dangers of Hydroblasting
Hydroblasting may be effective and necessary in many cases, but it's also one of the most hazardous operations on the washpad. Ultra-high-pressure water jets can cut through metal -and human tissue - in an instant. A single misstep, equipment failure, or overlooked protocol can have catastrophic consequences.
Heavy Lifting = Heavy Risks
Lifting heat exchangers with cranes takes excellent teamwork and careful attention to turnaround safety. If there's a weak spot—whether in the chain or just a moment of distraction—it could cause the load to fall, hurt someone, or lead to a serious accident.
Controlled Chaos
Anyone who has ever operated on a washpad during a turnaround will attest - it often feels like controlled chaos. Dozens of contractors, inspectors, plant personnel and operators occupy the same tight footprint. With overlapping work scopes, schedule disruptions, vehicle and equipment movement, noise, and long work hours - it can be a recipe for disaster, undermining refinery safety.
Trip Hazards, Danger Zones
Hoses, tools, and gear are scattered all over the ground, crisscrossing in every direction. When people are rushing around under pressure, tripping becomes a real issue—and in an emergency, those small obstacles can quickly turn into big problems.
The Sounds of Stress
The deafening cacophony of hydroblasters, tools, diesel engines, and other heavy machinery not only compromises comfort and contributes to fatigue; it also creates communication issues and increases the chance of mistakes, further challenging refinery safety.
Turnaround Pandemonium
When every minute counts and the clock is ticking, there is an increase in work overload and burnout. There's no getting around it; assumptions are made, timelines dictate tasks, and interruptions abound.
Without innovative washpad tech and rigorous protocols, the washpad can quickly become the most dangerous spot in the refinery.
The Tech Sonic Washpad, A Safer Alternative
Tech Sonic’s washpad tech is a game-changer for refinery safety. We can’t turn the washpad into a zen garden, but we can make it much safer, more organized, and more effective.
Fewer Personnel
The workforce is aging, and the next generation isn’t lining up for physically demanding, high-risk jobs.
Traditional washpad operations rely on large crews performing exhausting, repetitive, and often dangerous work. It’s increasingly difficult to staff these roles, let alone attract younger workers looking for careers that offer turnaround safety, skill development, and long-term viability.
Tech Sonic’s washpad design solves this problem head-on.
By combining automation, intelligent layout, and design-for-safety, we’ve created a washpad that requires fewer people, performs better, and is actually appealing to today’s evolving workforce.
From 20 people to 5 - All while doubling throughput.
A conventional hydroblasting washpad typically requires 15–20 personnel per shift—hydroblasting teams, supervisors, crane operators, riggers, and general labor.
With a Tech Sonic washpad, that number drops to as few as five people per shift—all while delivering twice the cleaning capacity, including heat exchangers and parts, plus all the added benefits of ultrasonic cleaning.
Why the drastic reduction in personnel?
Because we’ve replaced brute-force labor with smart washpad tech:
✅ Ultrasonic cleaning drastically reduces the need for hydroblasting.
✅ Automated hydroblasting and electric pumps do the rinsing with precision and speed.
✅ Bundle cradles and overhead gantry cranes eliminate manual rigging and lifting.
✅ And all our operators are certified riggers, further streamlining operations.
Everything is tracked, organized, and optimized.
Our Washpad Management System Software keeps operations running safely and efficiently - monitoring asset progress, logging timing, capturing photos, and ensuring every action is accounted for.
What do you get? A cleaner, safer, and more efficient washpad, run by fewer people focusing on higher-value tasks.
We’re not just reducing headcount - we’re changing the roles: It’s less about muscle, more about skill. Less chaos, more control. And that’s exactly what the next generation of industrial workers is looking for
Reduced Risk To Washpad Personnel
We make the washpad safer - for everyone.
Operators, contractors, and employees all benefit from smarter washpad tech that prioritizes refinery safety—especially as the industry adapts to an aging workforce.
It starts with cutting hydroblasting volume by 75% or more.
Less blasting means fewer risks. Our computer-controlled pumps and automated hydroblasting systems drastically reduce the chance of injury from equipment failure or accidents. And our washpad design eliminates common trip hazards and danger zones found on traditional setups.
We've also reinvented the role of the hydroblaster.
Instead of exhausting manual labor, operators now oversee the process from a safe distance - using intuitive tech to control everything. With a fully integrated Tech Sonic washpad, rinsing happens from behind a screen. No one enters the blast zone. Ever.
With a shifting workforce and fewer new tradespeople entering the field, it’s critical to reduce reliance on physical labor. Our approach lowers headcount requirements and transitions the work to safer, more technical roles - extending the careers of experienced personnel and making the job safer for all with advanced washpad tech.
We’ve also revolutionized bundle handling.
Our custom cradles eliminate the need for slinging and crane lifts. Paired with our overhead gantry system, a single operator can move bundles effortlessly—no riggers or cranes involved. That means fewer people are exposed to lifting hazards, and far less risk to both personnel and equipment, enhancing refinery safety.
A Critical Conversation
A refinery turnaround turns the washpad into a buzzing, high-risk zone where refinery safety isn't just important—it's everything.
At Tech Sonic, we understand the risks that emerge when you mix equipment, people, and tight deadlines.
The Dangers of Hydroblasting
Hydroblasting may be effective and necessary in many cases, but it's also one of the most hazardous operations on the washpad. Ultra-high-pressure water jets can cut through metal -and human tissue - in an instant. A single misstep, equipment failure, or overlooked protocol can have catastrophic consequences.
Heavy Lifting = Heavy Risks
Lifting heat exchangers with cranes takes excellent teamwork and careful attention to turnaround safety. If there's a weak spot—whether in the chain or just a moment of distraction—it could cause the load to fall, hurt someone, or lead to a serious accident.
Controlled Chaos
Anyone who has ever operated on a washpad during a turnaround will attest - it often feels like controlled chaos. Dozens of contractors, inspectors, plant personnel and operators occupy the same tight footprint. With overlapping work scopes, schedule disruptions, vehicle and equipment movement, noise, and long work hours - it can be a recipe for disaster, undermining refinery safety.
Trip Hazards, Danger Zones
Hoses, tools, and gear are scattered all over the ground, crisscrossing in every direction. When people are rushing around under pressure, tripping becomes a real issue—and in an emergency, those small obstacles can quickly turn into big problems.
The Sounds of Stress
The deafening cacophony of hydroblasters, tools, diesel engines, and other heavy machinery not only compromises comfort and contributes to fatigue; it also creates communication issues and increases the chance of mistakes, further challenging refinery safety.
Turnaround Pandemonium
When every minute counts and the clock is ticking, there is an increase in work overload and burnout. There's no getting around it; assumptions are made, timelines dictate tasks, and interruptions abound.
Without innovative washpad tech and rigorous protocols, the washpad can quickly become the most dangerous spot in the refinery.
The Tech Sonic Washpad, A Safer Alternative
Tech Sonic’s washpad tech is a game-changer for refinery safety. We can’t turn the washpad into a zen garden, but we can make it much safer, more organized, and more effective.
The workforce is aging, and the next generation isn’t lining up for physically demanding, high-risk jobs.
Traditional washpad operations rely on large crews performing exhausting, repetitive, and often dangerous work. It’s increasingly difficult to staff these roles, let alone attract younger workers looking for careers that offer turnaround safety, skill development, and long-term viability.
Tech Sonic’s washpad design solves this problem head-on.
By combining automation, intelligent layout, and design-for-safety, we’ve created a washpad that requires fewer people, performs better, and is actually appealing to today’s evolving workforce.
From 20 people to 5 - All while doubling throughput.
A conventional hydroblasting washpad typically requires 15–20 personnel per shift—hydroblasting teams, supervisors, crane operators, riggers, and general labor.
With a Tech Sonic washpad, that number drops to as few as five people per shift—all while delivering twice the cleaning capacity, including heat exchangers and parts, plus all the added benefits of ultrasonic cleaning.
Why the drastic reduction in personnel?
Because we’ve replaced brute-force labor with smart washpad tech:
✅ Ultrasonic cleaning drastically reduces the need for hydroblasting.
✅ Automated hydroblasting and electric pumps do the rinsing with precision and speed.
✅ Bundle cradles and overhead gantry cranes eliminate manual rigging and lifting.
✅ And all our operators are certified riggers, further streamlining operations.
Everything is tracked, organized, and optimized.
Our Washpad Management System Software keeps operations running safely and efficiently - monitoring asset progress, logging timing, capturing photos, and ensuring every action is accounted for.
What do you get? A cleaner, safer, and more efficient washpad, run by fewer people focusing on higher-value tasks.
We’re not just reducing headcount - we’re changing the roles: It’s less about muscle, more about skill. Less chaos, more control. And that’s exactly what the next generation of industrial workers is looking for
We make the washpad safer - for everyone.
Operators, contractors, and employees all benefit from smarter washpad tech that prioritizes refinery safety—especially as the industry adapts to an aging workforce.
It starts with cutting hydroblasting volume by 75% or more.
Less blasting means fewer risks. Our computer-controlled pumps and automated hydroblasting systems drastically reduce the chance of injury from equipment failure or accidents. And our washpad design eliminates common trip hazards and danger zones found on traditional setups.
We've also reinvented the role of the hydroblaster.
Instead of exhausting manual labor, operators now oversee the process from a safe distance - using intuitive tech to control everything. With a fully integrated Tech Sonic washpad, rinsing happens from behind a screen. No one enters the blast zone. Ever.
With a shifting workforce and fewer new tradespeople entering the field, it’s critical to reduce reliance on physical labor. Our approach lowers headcount requirements and transitions the work to safer, more technical roles - extending the careers of experienced personnel and making the job safer for all with advanced washpad tech.
We’ve also revolutionized bundle handling.
Our custom cradles eliminate the need for slinging and crane lifts. Paired with our overhead gantry system, a single operator can move bundles effortlessly—no riggers or cranes involved. That means fewer people are exposed to lifting hazards, and far less risk to both personnel and equipment, enhancing refinery safety.