Refreshed: The LDARtools phx21 Refresher Project update!

First off, we’d like to thank everybody who’s taken the phx21 Refresher Course in the past three weeks since we’ve launched the project. We have 41 people (from 30 different LDAR sites) who’ve completed the Questionnaire but we want more of our LDAR industry friends to join in the fun.

If you want to take the phx21 Refresher Course, please ask your supervisor for their approval, then follow these steps that we sent out a few weeks back:

The phx21 Refresher Award Project is designed to award $25 Gift Cards to our phx21 friends who agree with us about the best way to manage their phx21s.

To participate in the project, you will need to create an account and log onto our training website. We want to make sure that you can join in the fun.

To register on our Training website (Litmos) and answer the Questionnaire there:

Note: We recommend completing the questionnaire on your computer. Smart phones (especially older ones) may experience long load times without a strong and stable Internet connection.

1. Go to http://ldartools.litmos.com/online-courses.
2. Click The phx21 Refresher Award Project, then Click Add to cart.
3. Type your first name, last name, and your email address (twice), then click Check Out.
You will receive an email with a link to the course.
4. Go to your email, click the link, complete the relevant fields, then click Continue.
5. On a computer: Click The phx21 Refresher Award Project,
click Start this course, then click Start.On mobile: Click The phx21 Refresher Award Project twice, then click Start.
6. Complete the test by following the instructions on the screen.
We’ll send the gift card to your address after the survey is done.
Congratulations and Thank you!

Again, we’d like you to have as much fun as possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please email phx21refresher@ldartools.com.

Thank you for all your support, good luck and have fun!

/0 Comments/by

Introducing: The phx21 Refresher Award Project!

phx_logo

Greetings!

The phx21 Refresher Award Project is designed to award $25 Gift Cards to our phx21 friends who agree with us about the best way to manage their phx21s.

To participate in the project, you will need to create an account and log onto our training website. We want to make sure that you can join in the fun.

To register on our Training website (Litmos) and answer the Questionnaire there:

Note: We recommend completing the questionnaire on your computer. Smart phones (especially older ones) may experience long load times without a strong and stable Internet connection.

Step 1 Go to http://ldartools.litmos.com/online-courses.
Step 2 Click The phx21 Refresher Award Project, then click Add to cart.
Step 3 Type your first name, last name, and your email address (twice), then click Check Out.
You will receive an email with a link to the course.
Step 4 Go to your email, click the link, complete the relevant fields, then click Continue.
Step 5 On a computer: Click The phx21 Refresher Award Project,
click Start this course, then click Start.On mobile: Click The phx21 Refresher Award Project twice, then click Start.
Step 6 Complete the test by following the instructions on the screen.
We’ll send the gift card to your address after the survey is done.
Congratulations and Thank you!

We’d like this process to be fun. If you have any questions or concerns, please email phx21refresher@ldartools.com.

Best Regards,

Rex Moses / President and CEO

/0 Comments/by

LDARtools China – Customers’ Account of Tianjin, China Tragedy

We are reminded today just how dangerous the chemical industry can be. On August 12th around 23:30 local time the Tianjin Port International Center experienced two devastating explosions. The explosions occurred at the Ruihai facility, which was designed to store chemicals including butanone, sodium cyanide and compressed natural gas.

According to The China Earthquake Network Centre the initial explosion had power equivalent to three tons of TNT detonating.  The following explosion was equivalent to 21 tons, which measured at a magnitude of 2.9 on the Richter scale.

china

 

“China Explosions: What We Know about What Happened in Tianjin. Digital image. BBC News. BBC News, 13 Aug. 2015. Web.

Two of LDARtools’ customers have been conducting LDAR work in the Tianjin region for the past couple months. This morning LDARtools made contact with both of them. We are happy to report they are safe and sound.

“I heard what I thought was a sonic boom or something” reported the customer who was luckily twenty miles away from the blast. BBC News reported that large shipping containers were tossed into the air like matchsticks and buildings within a 2km radius (1.5 miles) had windows blown out.

china2.png

Jacobs, Andrew. Tianjin, a Port in China, Is Rocked by Explosions That Killed Dozens.Digital image. New York Times. 12 Aug. 15.

As of this morning there are many different reports regarding injuries and casualties. BBC News and New York Times report that at least 50 people have been killed and more than 700 have been injured. There are also many people still missing.

“It was terrible in the port area, the numbers are climbing. The problem is there was an apartment complex fairly close to the building that exploded and it basically destroyed the building and many people were hurt. I am very grateful we are not staying in that area”, LDARtools customer and friend.

 

For More Information:

“China explosions: What we know about what happened in Tianjin” – BBC News (BBC News)

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-33844084

 

“Deadly Explosions Hit China’s Port of Tianjin” – (The New York Times)

By: Jacobs, Andrew, and Yufan Huang.

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/13/world/asia/chinese-port-city-tianjin-rocked-by-enormous-explosion.html

/0 Comments/by

LDARtools & Environmental Intellect – Finding a Better Way

LDARtools is pleased to announce that we have finalized an agreement with Environmental intellect (Ei) to become a reseller of their innovative LDAR software.

Starting today, the LDAR industry can purchase Ei’s hardware and software offerings through storeldar.com webpage for EiMOC purchases. Going along with our mission of  finding a better way, Ei has introduced electronic P&ID markups with LDAR tag numbers.  This software has been heralded by Sage LDAR Auditor, David Ranum, as “the best LDAR P&ID markups he has observed.”

EiMOC

 

EiMOC™ empowers your MOC and inventory technicians to do their work more efficiently, accurately, and cost-effectively.  Using a tablet with a Class 1 / Div 2 case, EiMOC™ integrates an entire backup of your LDAR database with electronic P&IDs and MOC packages in Adobe PDF format. No more stacks of P&IDs; no more paper Master Equipment Lists (MELs); and no more radios or multiple trips into the field to route “reference tags” – EiMOC™ gives field personnel access to the information they need to field-verify P&IDs, update your LDAR database, and inspect components.

EiMOC™ is designed for Adobe PDF copies of P&IDs packaged as a plugin to LeakDAS® and Guideware™ currently, with planned integration into Chateau™.  The software is compatible with the phx21™, as well as TVAs equipped withc2™, WDA-1000, or WDA-2000 devices for collecting monitoring data wirelessly.

To learn more on the better way for LDAR MOC and tag revalidation, including the features and benefits of EiMOC™:

/0 Comments/by

LDARtools Employee Spotlight: Marian Regan

Hello folks! We have a new LDARtools team member to introduce:

“As Rex likes to say, he is the mechanic and I am the artist,” says Marian Regan, our User Interface / User Experience (UI/UX) Designer. “I translate his and the LTI Design team’s knowledge of the business into UI that any user can navigate, understand and even enjoy.”

That best describes Marian’s contribution to the Software Development team here at the LDAR Think Tank. We realize that providing the best tools and resources to our friends in the LDAR industry is diminished by not making sure that everything is easy to use and understand. Marian’s role is to make sure that our function meets the best form possible.

Her pre-employment test and her current work on our new project: Chateau is a wonder to behold. And while most will have to wait until we actually launch Chateau to see everything, trust us when we say that both monitoring and managing your LDAR program has never looked this good (and easy!). But enough of the teasing and on with the introduction.

Marian worked for a software development firm (with Philip). Not only did she design the interface on some projects, she also wrote the code for them. Her talents are really put to the test as she faces exciting challenges in trying to make everything better in the LDAR industry:

“I love it and feel incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful opportunity. It is so nice to be using cutting edge technology and learning something new every day! Everyone on the team is always willing to help each other out and offer opinions on the possible solutions to problems.”

Asked what makes her the best person for the job, she says: “I have experience creating screens that are both visually appealing and intuitive to the user. And I’m really good at picking pretty colors (just kidding).”

marian

/0 Comments/by

The LTI Design Team Weighs in: Chateau

The LTI Design Team has been hard at work conceptualizing and discussing Chateau—a very exciting product that will revolutionize the LDAR industry. Today, we share some of the questions that they’ve pondered using their vast experience and knowledge about how things work and how they SHOULD work:

infographics_v3-smallClick the image or this link for a larger version

What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with their answers? Let us know in the comments below. Be a part of history in the making!

/0 Comments/by

LDARtools Employee Spotlight: Philip Trevino

LDARtools’ Software Development team counts among its members the brightest minds we’ve ever met. It’s no surprise that they’d fit right in here at the LDAR Think Tank where we endeavor to improve and innovate the many processes of the LDAR industry.

Coming from a software development firm based in Downtown Houston, Philip Trevino was looking for a challenge that constantly kept him on his toes. He was seeking a new career adventure and wanted a position closer to his home in League City.

Philip’s job search brought him to LDARtools, an opportunity that lies just a few minutes from his doorstep. His work with the Software Development team involved improving the SpanBox and its newest iteration. “It’s a fun challenge. I like solving problems,” he says.

While it’s very different from his previous work (creating financial trading and data management software), his PhD in Computer Science has given him the vantage point to resolve the issues that concern the LDAR industry at large.

Asked how it is so far working at LDARtools, Philip says: “It’s been great!  I really enjoy coming into work every day knowing there’s a new challenge to face and more problems to solve.”

On his off time, Philip just keeps going. “I program mobile applications for fun,” he says. His hobbies include trying out the local craft beer, dabbling in wood working, and perfecting a mean BBQ.

philip

/0 Comments/by

LDARtools Adventures: Archer 2 Repair Certification in Utah

certificate_resizeHere’s something that should come as no surprise: our very own Charles Christiansen and Martin Moses received their Archer repair certifications! This means that if there are any issues with your Archer, Mesa or Archer 2, we’ll have two more guys to get you back out in the field.

Now, while the certifications are wonderful, the journey to get there was even more fun. Charles and Martin attended lectures and hands-on training for 8 days in Logan, Utah. “Training was a great experience. We got to fix lots of Archers, Mesas and Archer 2s,” says Martin. “Juniper Systems (the company making the Archer devices) made us feel like family. They were very welcoming and extremely helpful.”

Here’s Charles take on his grand adventure:

charles_pic_resize“My trip to Logan was awesome!

This was my first business trip ever and it’s a great opportunity for me to learn a lot about the Juniper handhelds that are used with our phx21s. The Juniper Systems folks welcomed us with the utmost professionalism and that made the training process that much more enjoyable.

    The trip also allowed me to experience a lot of things I’ve never experienced before:

  • I flew for the first time.
  • I left my home state of Texas (Sulphur, Louisiana doesn’t count. It’s 20 minutes from the border!).
  • I saw mountains.
  • I finally got to see blue water in person for the first time in Bear Lake, Utah.

The only bad experience I had on my trip was trying Mexican food. As biased as it may sound, I don’t think anyone does food like we do in Texas!

I’m grateful that I was chosen to go on the trip and I look forward to contributing as much as I can to LDARtools in the future!”

All of this training and tourism highlights LDARtools’ culture of fun and our pursuit of the greatest customer experience. We’ll endeavor to give you the best service while having fun in the process.

ldartools_map_resizeA map of all Certified Archer Repair Sites.

**

If you still haven’t gotten around to upgrading your PDAs to Archer 2s, you can check out the LDARtools Webstore to get your orders in. “The Archer 2 was created with the understanding that there was a need for the ruggedized handheld for environments like ours,” says Martin. “It’s well-built and incorporates a lot of things the industry needed: a full keypad, for instance.”

/0 Comments/by

LDARtools Chateau Introduction and Design Conferences

resizeThe LTI Design Team along with HSE University is hosting a series of Introduction and Design Conferences focused on the database challenges and opportunities that are being addressed through the development of LDARtools’ newest LDAR Management Program, Chateau.

The focus of the design conference is to gather industry input on how best to use state-of-the-art programming methods and tools to address the management of LDAR programs. Conference attendees will get an early look at the developmental progress of Chateau and be asked to give valuable input and feedback on the design of the Program’s key components. These areas include:

  • Customizing Rule Specifications
  • Component-Specific Data Flexibility and Management
  • BWON
  • Flexible Reporting
  • Emission Calculations
  • Deviation Reporting
  • Managing LDAR Events:
    • Routine Monitoring Early/Not Before
    • AVO Inspections
    • Multiple PPM Triggers for Repair Actions and Timing
    • Advanced Repair Triggers
    • LowEmission Processes
    • MSS
    • Calibration and Drift Assessments
    • Tour (Route) Building and Management
    • Mobile Application

Here are the dates and locations for HSE University’s training sessions throughout 2015. The LDARtools Introduction and Design Conferences will be held alongside their classes.

dates-and-locations

Be a part of the most exciting thing to happen in the LDAR industry in the last decade. For information and to register for the LDARtools Introduction and Design Conference, send an email to chateaudesign@ldartools.com. For questions, email Erica Gentry at egentry@ldartools.com.

/0 Comments/by

Living the phx21 Dream

There are 615 phx21 in the field; ZERO in for Repair!

As of 10:30 AM, May 5, 2015, there were ZERO phx21s in our phx21 Repair Center in Dickinson, Texas.

group_pic-sizedv2rostermikeThe photo of the phx21 team and the Repair Board (which is actually a monitor that displays our state-of-the-art equipment management software) tell the story: 615 phx21s in the field and not a single one in for repair. The only item displayed is one of our fleet units that has just come back from a rental and was being put through our 7-hour QC process. (You can see this in the insert of the screen itself.)

Repair_Board

Click the image for a larger version.

One of the primary reasons that LDARtools invested so heavily in the phx21 (six years ago!) was that we wanted to build an LDAR analyzer designed to work AND be easily repaired, onsite, by a trained phx21 Technician. Getting that unit (and its associated Technician) back to work was one of our key priorities. Over the years, we have made critical changes to our process that have advanced that objective.

And today, it is realized: 615 phx21 in the field – ZERO in for repair.

So… we are going to have a celebration. And you are invited. Stay tuned.

/0 Comments/by