Georgia-Pacific Chemicals manufactures resins, additives, coatings, catalysts, and other chemical products. The company offers its products to various industries including aerospace, construction, mining, packaging, and rubber processing. Bakelite Synthetics recently acquired Georgia-Pacific and its 11 facilities that employ more than 600 people throughout the U.S. and South America.
One of the facilities that was acquired is located in Palatka, Florida. The location utilizes a railcar loading system for caustic, tall oil, and black liquor. As part of its efforts to upgrade Georgia-Pacific’s infrastructure, Bakelite contacted SafeRack to inquire about replacing its railcar loading system. The location’s legacy railcar loading system consisted of older platforms and gangways with two rail cages. The company’s biggest objectives were to improve productivity with more efficient design and address operator safety concerns. One of the most significant concerns was that the existing railcar loading platform had a 30” crash box gap opening.
Caustic, Tall oil, and Black Liquor Railcar Loading Rack Installation
| Client | Georgia Pacific |
| Location | Palalka, FL. |
| Project | Close gap and improve safety on a three (3) spot railcar loading terminal |
| Product | Three (3) 48” wide pneumatic FRT gangways interlocked to three (3) Modified MaxRack Elevating Safety cages. |
The Solution
The SafeRack team installed 3 48” wide pneumatic FRT gangways interlocked to 3 modified MaxRack elevating safety cages. The SafeRack team also designed and installed vertical supports on the outboard side and modified the pad layout to overcome configuration challenges for the existing railcar loading platform as well as its location on a curve. The installation allowed Bakelite to significantly reduce the railcar crash box opening while improving operator productivity and safety.
SafeRack’s Railcar Loading Systems
SafeRack offers complete railcar loading systems that are available with operator gangways, pipe racks, cable trays, and loading arms. Railcar loading platforms can be built to accommodate any number of railcars. Countless railcar operators located all over the world have upgraded their aging loading systems with SafeRack.
SafeRack offers a broad range of railcar loading systems and safety equipment. The MaxRack is an OSHA-compliant adjustable railcar safety cage. Industrial-grade aluminum guardrails protect workers from falls in all directions, allowing workers to move about the railcar safely and more efficiently. The solution is the only railcar loading platform that can be raised and lowered with either a pneumatic or electric motor drive. SafeRack also offers a large selection of safety equipment for operators that handle hazardous chemicals, including eye wash stations and drench showers, spill containment, grounding systems, safety gates, and more.
MaxRack Elevating Safety Cage
The new MaxRack powered elevating handrail system is the only elevating safety cage on the market that can be raised and lowered manually if your facility loses power or plant air. The unique counterbalanced cage design, coupled with our exclusive dual input gearbox, enables smooth operation and the operator’s ability to raise and lower the cage with ease in the event of a power loss.
