In industrial facilities, planned operational shutdowns — known as shutdowns or turnarounds — are critical maintenance periods. The time pressure is significant: every hour of downtime has a cost. For this reason, the industrial cleaning carried out during these windows must be fast, effective and coordinated with all other ongoing works.
What is a Shutdown or Turnaround
A shutdown is the planned cessation of operations of a unit or an entire facility, with the purpose of carrying out maintenance, inspection and cleaning tasks that cannot be performed while in operation. In refineries, factories and industrial plants, these periods are strictly scheduled and require full coordination between the various work teams.
What Cleaning Tasks are Carried Out
During a shutdown, industrial cleaning typically includes:
cleaning of tanks, pipelines and heat exchangers using high-pressure hydroblasting
extraction of sediment, sludge and production residues by vacuum cleaning
cleaning of confined spaces and hard-to-reach equipment points
surface preparation for inspection, coating or replacement of components
Why Cleaning is Critical During These Periods
Proper cleaning during a shutdown contributes to:
effective inspections — clean surfaces reveal damage that would otherwise remain hidden
safe restart — the removal of hazardous residues reduces the risk of accidents
optimum equipment performance following resumption of operations
adherence to schedule — specialist cleaning teams accelerate the overall process
STEPE’s Expertise in Shutdowns & Turnarounds
STEPE undertakes hydroblasting, vacuum cleaning and confined space cleaning as part of planned shutdowns in refineries, factories and industrial plants. With specialist personnel and the appropriate equipment for each application, the company ensures that the required cleaning is completed within the available time window.