2.5 km of Breathing Air. 50 Manifolds. One Reliable System.
A major refinery turnaround requires more than breathing air equipment alone. When contractors are working simultaneously across a large industrial site, breathing air becomes an infrastructure that needs to be designed, installed and managed as one reliable system. For this project, Zeevenhooven Air engineered and installed a temporary breathing air network covering approximately 2.5 kilometres, with around 50 distribution manifolds positioned throughout the refinery. One centrally supplied system, designed to keep safe breathing air within reach wherever the work was taking place.
The challenge
During a major refinery turnaround, multiple contractors needed to work simultaneously in confined and enclosed spaces across the site. These activities required a continuous and reliable supply of breathing air to maintain safe working conditions.
With work taking place at approximately 50 different locations, positioning and operating an individual breathing air unit at every worksite would not have been the most practical solution. The project required a temporary infrastructure capable of distributing breathing air across a large area while providing contractors with accessible connection points close to their work locations.
Capacity alone was not enough. Turnaround activities are dynamic: work scopes change, teams relocate and breathing air demand shifts continuously throughout the project.
The challenge was therefore to create a system that combined capacity, reliability, accessibility and flexibility — while maintaining control over the breathing air supply from one central infrastructure.
The vision
Instead of approaching each work location as a separate breathing air application, Zeevenhooven Air engineered the turnaround as one integrated breathing air system.
The concept was based on centralised breathing air production combined with a site-wide distribution network. From one central supply point, breathing air could be distributed throughout the refinery and made available close to the locations where contractors were actually working.
Strategically positioned manifolds would function as local connection points, allowing multiple users to connect simultaneously without requiring separate breathing air units throughout the site.
This approach provided the balance between control and accessibility that is essential during large-scale industrial projects: central control over the breathing air infrastructure, with breathing air readily available where it was needed.
The solution
Zeevenhooven Air designed and installed a temporary 2.5 km breathing air distribution network across the refinery.
At a central location, 3 to 6 LSU (Life Support Unit) combination units provided the primary breathing air supply. These units fed a central distribution tank, creating a stable buffer before the breathing air entered the main ring network.
From the central ring, breathing air was distributed across the refinery to approximately 50 strategically positioned manifolds. Each manifold created a local connection point close to the work area and could supply 4 to 6 contractors simultaneously.
Individual breathing air hoses then connected the manifolds to the users' respiratory protection equipment, including full-face masks and lung-demand valves.
The complete installation was engineered as one integrated system, bringing together:
- Breathing air production through multiple LSU combination units
- Buffering through a central distribution tank
- 2.5 km of breathing air distribution infrastructure
- Approximately 50 local manifolds
- Connections for 4 to 6 users per manifold
- Breathing air hoses and personal respiratory protection equipment
From engineering and equipment supply to installation and operation, Zeevenhooven Air provided the infrastructure required to make breathing air available throughout the turnaround.
The result
2.5 kilometres of breathing air infrastructure. Approximately 50 manifolds. One centrally supplied and reliable system.
The temporary network transformed individual breathing air requirements across the refinery into one integrated infrastructure. Contractors could access breathing air close to their work locations without the need to position a separate breathing air unit at every individual worksite.
Centralised production and distribution made the system easier to manage, while the network of manifolds provided the accessibility required by teams working throughout the refinery.
As turnaround activities progressed and work locations changed, the infrastructure could be adapted to changing requirements. This provided the flexibility needed for a complex project without losing sight of the priorities that matter most: safety, efficiency and continuity.
For the client, Zeevenhooven Air provided more than equipment. We took responsibility for engineering and delivering a complete temporary breathing air infrastructure designed around the realities of the turnaround.
A practical example of our full-service approach: combining technical expertise, equipment and hands-on support to solve a complex breathing air challenge at scale.
One network. Multiple work locations. Reliable breathing air where it matters.
