Man Baskets in Rigging, Demolition, and Dismantling

Suspended personnel platforms, commonly known as man baskets, crane baskets, crane cages, or construction baskets, are important equipment in the rigging and demolition industry.  R. Baker & Son frequently uses man baskets suspended from crane load lines to hoist rigging and demolition personnel to access elevated, hard-to-reach areas.  It is often the only means available for steel and concrete structures.  OSHA strictly prohibits use of crane-mounted man baskets when no other safe alternative, such as ladders, scaffolding, aerial lift, etc., is possible. 

Rigging crews and crane operators must observe strict rules and safety regulations when employing a man bucket.  The crane must be placed on firm, stable ground and riggers must perform a proof test each time a basket is installed.  The basket must be hoisted with 125% of the rated load, held for five minutes, and inspected for safety. 

Trial lifts are required at each setup location immediately before workers enter the basket.  Riggers must load the basket with the anticipated working weight and run it through the work path to ensure that all systems are working safely and properly and there are interferences. Man basket occupants must wear a body belt or harness with a lanyard to prevent falls and should stand only on the floor of the basket. Tools, materials, and equipment must be properly distributed and secured before rigging.

Contact Information:

R. Baker & Son - All Industrial Services
1 Globe Court
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-222-3553
Web: http://rbaker.com/news.php

Plant Relocation

Plant relocation can be a complex undertaking that requires meticulous planning, communication, and preparation.  A comprehensive schedule must be developed that will seamlessly ramp down the vacating facility while simultaneously phasing in production at the new plant. This should include testing and commissioning. Close coordination and communication among the plant relocation contractor, designers, and facility managers is vital to accurate schedule development. 

Detailed drawings of the equipment layout in the vacating plant will be needed when planning utilities and locating equipment in the new facility. Existing equipment must be assessed to determine which will be relocated reused, and whether it will require refurbishment. Equipment slated for plant relocation must meets local code in the new facility. 

All relocated equipment must be meticulously identified, logged, and tagged, and utility connections and separation points must be accurately noted. Utility systems and structural modifications needed in the new plant must be identified, designed and installed to ensure that equipment installation, testing, and commissioning can smoothly occur without a hitch. 

R. Baker & Son provides comprehensive turnkey service for all phases of industrial and commercial plant relocation.  Services include dismantlement and relocation planning, match marking, heavy machinery moving, rigging, relocation, reassembly, reinstallation, and startup.  Projects are performed with minimal disruption regardless of scale. 

About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) in business since 1935, is a premier specialized contractor operating in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, with over one hundred employees and an exemplary safety record (we have been directly involved in nearly a dozen projects achieving OSHA VPP Star status). R. Baker & Son is financially strong, with bonding capabilities over $10 million. Capabilities include industrial and commercial demolition, rigging, machinery- and plant-moving, dismantling, decommissioning, plant and equipment relocation, interior demolition, selective demolition, warehousing, wrecking and razing, millwright, plant reconfigurations, heavy rigging, salvage, environmental services, remediation, decontamination, abatement, and investment and asset recovery.

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services
1 Globe Court
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-222-3553
Fax: 732-450-0311
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Understanding Brownfields

A brownfield site is land previously used for commercial or industrial purposes, the reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of low-level hazardous waste or pollutants. Once cleaned up, brownfields have the potential for reuse, usually with restrictions to minimize exposure from possible leftover contaminants.  Cleanup of brownfield properties protects the environment, reduces blight, provides job opportunities, and reduces development pressures on green space in other areas.  R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services are expert providers of decommissioning, demolition, hazardous material abatement, asset recovery, and environmental remediation services that can aid in brownfield recovery and redevelopment.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that there are more than 450,000 brownfields in the U.S. Investigation and cleanup of brownfield sites is regulated by state environmental agencies in cooperation with the EPA.  Many state and federal programs provide funding, technical and assessment help, and tax incentives.

Brownfield sites can be redeveloped in numerous ways.  They can be reused for housing, or for new commercial or industrial development, or green spaces for recreational use.  Many brownfields are used for the development of renewable energy sources such as wind farms, solar arrays, and geothermal plants.  Most already have existing electrical and transmission capacity and are zoned for industrial use, making them ideal for energy generation.

For more information on brownfields and land revitalization, please contact R. Baker & Son at 732-222-3553.

R. Baker & Son
1 Globe Court
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Web: http://www.rbaker.com

Reduce Emissions on Diesel Rigging and Demolition Machinery

On January 1, 2014, the Tier 4 Final emissions standard set forth by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for off-road diesel engines went into effect.  Manufacturers are now required to produce diesel engines with advanced emissions control technologies, and heavy construction, demolition, and rigging equipment such as cranes and excavators must now meet standards that reduce particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions to near-zero levels. 

The new Tier 4 standard only applies to the manufacture of equipment, but state and local emissions regulations are rapidly changing, and many environmentally-conscious clients demand greener equipment on construction, rigging and demolition projects as well.  R. Baker & Son is in the process of updating our fleet of rigging and demolition equipment through retrofit technology and new purchases.  We fully comply with all rigging and demolition emissions regulations and can meet even the most stringent of our clients’ environmental needs.  At R. Baker & Son, we care about the environment and are firmly committed to reducing our carbon footprint to ensure a better future. 

Contact Information:

R. Baker & Son - All Industrial Services
1 Globe Court
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-222-3553
Web: http://rbaker.com/news.php

R. Baker & Son Rigging Project

R. Baker & Son recently performed a rigging project to install two large lyophilizers on the second floor of a large pharmaceutical plant. Because some pieces were as large as 60,000 lbs., the floor had to be reinforced along the route in which the loads were to be rigged before work could begin.  A structural engineer helped R. Baker & Son design the support system to shore up existing steel members and approved the final drawings, and the floor reinforcements were constructed. 

The lyophilizer pieces were transported by truck to the project site, and a crane was maneuvered into the tight access area where a platform had been constructed at the building opening.  One by one, the Baker crew rigged lyophilizer chambers, refrigeration skids, and condensing skids from the trailer to the platform and rolled the live loads on skates into the building.  Riggers carefully transported the live loads along the 100-ft. route marked on protective heavy-duty masonite sheeting.  

Precise placement of the lyophilizers was imperative to ensure that adjacent equipment could be connected properly, so laser-aligned holes were pre-drilled in the floor.  R. Baker & Son carefully rigged, set, assembled, and secured each piece of equipment.  The project was successfully completed on-time and on-budget. 

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services
1 Globe Court
Red Bank, NJ 07701
Phone: 732-222-3553
Fax: 732-450-0311
Web: http://www.rbaker.com
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New York City Demolition Waste by David Baker

New York City generates over 14 tons of waste, and construction and demolition (C&D) waste accounts for more than 60%. C&D waste is defined as uncontaminated solid waste.  C&D abatement operations are regulated by the Department of Buildings (DOB), the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the Fire Department of New York (FDNY).  Depending on the nature of a demolition project, permits must be issued by one or any combination of the three agencies. 

Though New York City strictly enforces disposition of construction and demolition debris, it encourages but does not require recycling of C&D waste.  R. Baker & Son is wholly committed to reuse and recycling of demolition debris to ease environmental impact, conserve natural resources, and save energy. Demolition waste materials that are currently recycled include asphalt, brick, corrugated cardboard, carpet, concrete, drywall, film plastic, fluorescent lamps, glass, land clearing debris, metal, pallets, roofing, and wood. Renovation, demolition and dismantling projects may also yield salvageable materials that can be reused, such as appliances, architectural features, circuit breakers, office furniture, windows and doors, and wood timbers.  Certain solid waste cannot be categorized as construction and demolition debris.  This can include asbestos, fluorescent lights, carpeting, etc. 

Currently, there are eighty regulated construction and demolition waste processing facilities in New York State, and 280 registered C&D waste processing facilities.  Registered facilities process wood, concrete, masonry, steel, asphalt, brick, soil, and rock that are uncontaminated. In 2010 these facilities processed 11.5 million tons of construction and demolition debris and recovered about 6.3 million tons of material. 

As part of our commitment to divert construction and demolition debris from landfills and incineration facilities, R. Baker & Son is 100% LEED compliant and ensures that clients receive all LEED rating points (up to 14 points) available in our portion of a project.  Recycling and/or salvage of C&D debris can earn 1-2 LEED points.  Diversion of 50% of demolition waste is worth 1 point, and 75% earns 2 points. Non-LEED projects may also qualify for LEED points if construction and demolition debris is appropriately recycled or salvaged. 

photo courtesy of USGBC

R. Baker & Son Supports Women, Minority, and Veteran-Owned Businesses

SDVOSB

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services is owned by Walter Baker, a service-disabled veteran, and we are members of Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB).  We support other veteran-owned businesses, as well businesses owned by women and minorities, through our many successful efforts to team with these firms on projects.  R. Baker & Son contributes to and actively attends functions hosted by the New Jersey chapter of PWC (Professional Women in Construction), including the upcoming Annual Women of Distinction Luncheon in celebration of Women’s History Month set to take place on March 12, 2014 at The Newark Club. 

About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) in business since 1935, is a premier specialized contractor operating in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, with over one hundred employees and an exemplary safety record (we have been directly involved in nearly a dozen projects achieving OSHA VPP Star status). R. Baker & Son is financially strong, with bonding capabilities over $10 million. Capabilities include industrial and commercial demolition, rigging, machinery- and plant-moving, dismantling, decommissioning, plant and equipment relocation, interior demolition, selective demolition, warehousing, wrecking and razing, millwright, plant reconfigurations, heavy rigging, salvage, environmental services, remediation, decontamination, abatement, and investment and asset recovery.

Demolition,  wrecking and razing,  rigging, millwright, plant reconfigurations, heavy rigging, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business / SDVOSB, salvage, dismantling, decommissioning, plant and machinery moving, building demolition, riggers, environmental services, remediation, decontamination, abatement, interior demolition, investment and asset recovery.

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

1 Globe Court

Red Bank, NJ 07701

Phone: 732-222-3553

Fax: 732-450-0311

Web: http://www.rbaker.com