Mining has always been one of the dirtiest professions in the world, so it probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that there is a portable shower trailer onsite at almost every mine. It might seem obvious that mine workers get very dirty during a day’s work – but did you know that there are significant health hazards associated with the dust that’s stirred up by mining operations?
Over the years, the mining industry has made some amazing progress to minimize the danger of its work, and today’s miners are much safer than those from past generations. But there is still some risk of respiratory illness and even poisoning associated with exposure to mine dust. This makes a shower trailer a critical element of any mine’s safety program – allowing workers to get clean and rinse off all the dust they’ve been exposed to before returning home to their families at the end of the day.
We recently delivered a new shower trailer to a historic gold mine in Washington state that continues to produce large quantities of that precious metal to this very day. The safety of their workers is extremely important to the mine, and they reached out to Portable Restroom Trailers, LLC (PRT) for guidance to find an industrial-grade shower trailer to stand up to their tough application.
A Historical Gold Mine in Washington’s Kettle River Range
In northeast Washington, tucked up against the Canadian border, you can find a few gold mines that have been in operation since the late 1800s. These mines enjoyed a flourish of activity when they were discovered by early prospectors – cranking out almost a million ounces of gold in their first 60 years of production.
In the latter half of the 20th century, Washington’s mining industry had some ups and downs, and several area mines closed, re-opened, and closed again – depending mostly on rises and drops in the price of gold. Some mines remained open during downturns by focusing production on alternative materials including silver, copper, lead, zinc, platinum, and more. But a few of the mines located along major gold ore deposits are still in operation today, churning out thousands of tons of gol
d ore each and every day.
Our client owns some of those active gold mines, running cut and fill mining operations on more than 7500 acres in the Kettle River Range. The high-tech operation they run today barely resembles the common perception of mining from the 19th and 20th centuries. They have been recognized by several industry organizations for their progressive stance on environmental preservation, and for their outstanding performance regarding worker safety. And their continued focus on worker safety is what led them to reach out to PRT to procure a top-of-the-line shower trailer for their hard-working employees.
A Custom-Designed Shower Trailer for an Exceptionally Tough Application
When we started working with the mine’s management, we learned that they had some very specific requirements for a new shower trailer. They needed a combination unit that would also provide their workers with a clean and comfortable place to use the restroom during breaks and shift changes. They wanted a locker room onboard, with enou
gh capacity for every worker to have a private locker. And they needed to make sure that the trailer had enough capacity for an entire crew to shower in a timely fashion at the end of each working shift.
On top of those requirements, their new shower trailer also needed to be constructed with commercial-grade components in order to stand up to heavy foot traffic and large volumes of dust and silt on a regular basis. Overall, this was certainly a challenging set of requirements. But we were able to provide a trailer that met or exceeded all of these requirements by making a few simple customizations to a 5-station unit from our standard line of combination shower/restroom trailers.
The shower trailer we delivered has several full-sized shower stalls, each with its own private dressing area and floor-to-ceiling privacy dividers. The locker room features back-to-back double bench seating and 24 lockable half-height steel lockers. There are two sets of locking vanities in the common area, each with a solid surface countertop, locking cabinets, a large shatterproof mirror and an automatic metered faucet. On the opposite end of the trailer are three private unisex restroom stalls with locking privacy doors and fully functional china toilets.
Industrial-Grade Components for Harsh Working Conditions
To keep maintenance to a minimum, it was especially important that this shower trailer be extremely resilient and exceptionally easy to clean. The workers using the trailer on a daily basis would often be extremely dirty after a long shift in the mine – sometimes entirely coated with dust from head to toe. We needed to provide a unit that was specifically designed to stand up to these tough working conditions.
The unit we delivered is constructed with easy-to-clean fiberglass interior walls throughout – so that the entire interior can simply be hosed off for quick cleaning. And the floor is constructed with a single roll of non-slip coin rubber flooring. The exterior is equally durable with screw-less aluminum walls, water-repelling gutter railing, and diamond plate stone guards.
The entire unit is climate controlled, with a roof-mounted air conditioner and integrated 12-volt heat strips. All exterior walls and the roof are fully insulated, and all entry doors are equipped with automatic closing mechanisms. Twin on-demand propane water heaters ensure that there is always hot water when it’s needed. And abundant interior and exterior lighting ensures a safe experience for workers at any time of day or night.
Find the Perfect Shower Trailer for Your Tough Job
If your company is considering purchasing a new shower trailer, be sure you talk to PRT before you make a purchasing decision. We have one of the industry’s widest selections – with a seasoned engineering team to execute professional customizations for any special needs you may have. Our inventory includes shower trailers, decontamination trailers, combination units with full locker rooms, and much more – with capacities ranging from single stall units all the way up to 20 stalls and more.
We have a great array of flexible financing options to choose from – with long-term rentals, short-term rentals, and competitive-rate financing with approved credit. And our popular lease-to-own program makes it possible for companies to acquire new equipment right away on almost any budget. Contact one of our trained representatives today at (877) 600-8645 to learn more.
