OPW’s “Defining What’s Next” philosophy is built on three pillars, all of which, if optimized, will contribute to a safer world for its inhabitants and the environment, all while improving the business performance of OPW customers.
The first pillar is Protecting People. One way to ensure a better quality of life for people around the globe is by providing for the safe, reliable and efficient handling of the millions of gallons of essential fluids that are transported or consumed
every day. OPW has positioned itself at the center of this life-enhancing value chain for people around the globe by revolutionizing fluid handling so that it protects those things we value most – our families and friends.
All of OPW’s business units put the goal of Protecting People first when designing, engineering and manufacturing the loading systems, rail and tank truck equipment, aboveground and underground storage systems, retail fueling equipment and vehicle
wash systems that continue to set the standard for performance and reliability in their respective markets.
Real-world examples where Protecting People – those who work directly in the transport and handling of hazardous materials and those in surrounding communities – has been the driving force for OPW innovations which include:
- As railcar freight shipments continue to build, with the number of annual loads expected to grow from 17.8 billion in 2019 to more than 24 million by 2040 (a 35% increase), Midland Manufacturing continues to develop equipment and systems that
enable the rail industry to maintain its 99.999% safety record. Shipments of hazardous materials (crude oil, natural gas, chlorine, anhydrous ammonia, ethylene oxide, sulfur dioxide, etc.) all are subject to three potential risks while being transported:
1) accident, 2) mechanical failure and 3) operator error. To mitigate the harm that can come to people and communities if any of these risks becomes reality, Midland has developed Emergency Response Kits (ERKs) that are marketed to first responders, emergency-response contractors and railway dangerous goods officers, as well as other organizations that employ first responders who are tasked with acting on railroad accidents or non-accidental product
releases (NARs).
- In 2019, OPW Retail Fueling launched its 14 Series of cleaner-fueling nozzles. The 14 Series nozzles are designed to deliver the cleanest fueling experience for drivers who have become
weary of having fuel drip on their vehicle, hands, clothes and shoes after they finished refueling their vehicles. While these fugitive fuel drips can foul drivers and their vehicles, they also create a fire hazard if they pool on the ground.
The three 14 Series nozzle models – 14BP, 14E ECO and 14C – feature a combination of patented free-draining and CARB-approved dripless spout technology, patented Environmental Drip Guard and integral Diesel Capture Chamber. All models
are UL-listed for use in the United States and Canada.
- Knowing that any dangerous chemical that is mishandled possesses the ability to harm the people who may come in contact with it, OPW Engineered Systems takes great pains to produce equipment that is specially designed to prevent product releases.
A key product category in this battle to protect people is Dry Disconnect Couplings. Traditional dry disconnects featured a poppet-style design, but the shape of the poppet can create
areas inside the coupling where fluids can rest, which is a spill hazard during disconnection. The response to this challenge was the development of a double-ball-valve disconnect design that prevents containment of any fluid, hazardous or not,
within the cavities of the disconnect, resulting in the driest disconnect with the lowest product loss in the industry.
There are many more instances where OPW business units have taken the Protecting People mantra to heart. Visit opwglobal.com and search the News & Events section for more on specific business unit contributions.