In February 2021, a winter storm caused by a change in the polar vortex plunged much of the US—especially the South and Midwest US—into a deep freeze. According to the Weather Channel, some 4 million homes were without power in subfreezing temperatures in Texas, and 1 in 10 power plants were taken offline. Many power generation companies, oilfield operations, oilfield support organizations, and more are closing shop, allowing subfreezing temperatures to wreak havoc on their facilities. Pipes, hoses, and other significant parts of critical infrastructure were expected to be damaged.

The workers of those organizations which are still in operation are at a higher risk of than usual. The demand for safety showers—particularly mobile, trailer-based safety showers—is higher than previously seen.

At the moment, rental safety showers from ATS ShieldSafe are in extremely short supply. We are working hard to increase manufacturing and make additional units available in the coming weeks and months, especially considering the anticipated damage done to traditional plumbed safety shower areas. ATS ShieldSafe recommends joining the safety shower reservation queue to ensure your organization has access to a shower as soon as possible.

The Glacier Extreme and the MidRig—two enclosed, gravity-fed tank showers that can withstand serious weather. Learn More

Looking Forward

Repairing facilities which were damaged during the winter storm will play a large part in how organizations will fare in the next severe weather situation. Looking forward, ATS ShieldSafe recommends installing a gravity-fed tank showers in place of a plumbed shower. Traditionally plumbed pipe showers pose a critical risk to organizations—pipes may freeze, burst, or become damaged, preventing workers access to safety when they need it. A tank shower from ATS ShieldSafe, which can be moved via forklift, allows for fewer potential freeze points and comes with a tank dump valve which dumps all the water in the tank when it gets too cold. Alternatively, you can get ATS ShieldSafe showers with an immersion heater to make sure the shower is available in subfreezing temperature. These showers are gravity-fed, taking away the need to rely on pumps and making the whole system simpler.

Additionally, ATS ShieldSafe offers mobile, trailer-based tank showers which are either pump or gravity-fed, allowing smaller teams to take their protection with them, especially as they repair damaged infrastructure following this freeze.