Confined Space Safety Issues? Consider a Side Manway

While many of the chemicals stored in polyethylene tanks don’t require side manways, these accessories are available as an add-on option to Poly Processing chemical storage tanks. A side manway often provides several safety and efficiency benefits that may be worth considering for your facility. 

Poly Processing’s side manways are made of durable fiberglass or stainless steel, giving you a safe way to do cleanout, maintenance, and other operational activities without entering the tank through the top opening. The connection between the side manway and the storage tank is designed with a radiused mounting saddle and hardware that provide the key to achieving an excellent sealed connection.

Poly Processing has over 35 years of experience installing side manways for a wide spectrum of applications. They’re often an ideal choice when storing brines, fats, oils, and greases — or any situation where routine tank entry is essential for cleaning materials that build up on the inner sidewall.

Choosing the Right Manway for Your Chemical Storage Tank

When designing a chemical tank, there are several manway options to choose from. The first step in selecting the right one for your chemical storage needs is to identify the appropriate materials for construction. This decision should be based on ensuring compatibility between the manway components and the chemicals being stored. 

Our manways consist of three crucial parts: 

• The manway itself
• The mechanical hardware used to attach the manway to the tank
• The gasketing for sealing the manway against the tank and attachment hardware inside the tank

Our heavy-duty flanged side manways are specifically engineered to meet long-term tank access needs, and they come with all necessary installation components. The mounting saddle on these high-performance manways is curved to match the tank's shape, ensuring exceptional sealing. 

Poly Processing can supply manways for small diameter tanks as well.

Five Advantages of Side Manways for Polyethylene Storage Tanks

Should your facility choose to purchase a side manway with your chemical tank? Let’s take a look at the advantages of a side manway:

1. Easy access for routine inspection, maintenance, and repairs. Typically, in a chemical storage tank, manway access is at the top. Entering the tank is a confined space entry which requires elaborate safety steps such as a tripod and cable lanyards for safe tank access.
2. Side manways allow safer tank access. Top tank access is inherently dangerous, because space is confined and local and OSHA requirements must be strictly followed. 
3. Easier service and maintenance of internal tank components. Side manways are particularly important when a vessel has internal features and/or accessories that may require maintenance such as baffles, spray rings, internal plumbing, or downpipes.
4. Excellent service record and long-term maintenance-free performance. Poly Processing side manways offer durable, low maintenance performance.
5. The right material options available. Side manways are available in stainless steel, both 304SS and 316SS, as well as fiberglass reinforced plastic. The chemical being stored will dictate the suggested material for the side manway. Contact us for a recommendation of the right material, based on your chemical application.

Is a side manway the right accessory for your polyethylene storage tank? Discover the ease of maintenance, safety, and installation options available. For more information on side manways, contact Poly Processing.