TASCO’s story: Finding a scalable EHS compliance and workflow solution
Ten years and counting
“The [EHS Hero] program is like none other out there.”—Mark Hyer, Regional Safety Manager, TASCO
About TASCO
TASCO is the second-largest manufacturer of sugar from sugarbeets in the United States. The company employs 1,700 people in 18 locations across the country. TASCO’s processes include everything from growing and research to processing and distribution. TASCO currently uses SDS Management, Lockout Tagout Management, JSA Management, Incident Investigation and Management, Training Management, Audit Management, Permit Management, and Virtual Assistant tools.
Challenges
The internally developed software for managing safety data sheets (SDSs), procedures, etc., developed at TASCO did not allow for building documents within those systems. TASCO was struggling to keep the internal software up to date and needed a solution to help it grow with its environmental, health, and safety (EHS) program.
Solution
TASCO reviewed multiple EHS software programs and found that EHS Hero® was the most cost-effective and custom solution on the market. It met the company’s immediate needs, and as its program matured, EHS Hero could grow with it.
TASCO started by implementing the SDS and Incident Management tools at one location. After seeing the value of the products at one location, TASCO chose to subscribe to all the tools listed above at all its existing locations.
The company primarily uses EHS Hero as a document control system, but given the diverse array of documents it generates, this use still requires several of the suite’s modules. Hyer uses the Training Management Tool to keep workers up to speed on safety policies and procedures and the Audit Management Tool to keep up with all of the documentation the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires.
Hyer also uses the SDS Management Tool to keep all of the company’s safety data documents in a single, easy-to-access repository. “It’s really handy because all I have to do is train the staff how to use the software,” he says. “If they ever have a question on the chemicals they’re using, they can just look it up themselves.”
With EHS Hero in place, TASCO has also been able to eliminate paper documents. The company keeps all its files from its main facility to its five satellite locations in the software’s electronic database. No matter where its employees or administrators work on a given day, they can access the safety sheets, training records, and other necessary documents. “It’s great for document control, and it makes audits much easier,” says Hyer.
Finally, EHS Hero’s document review and editing features have made it far easier for TASCO employees to keep files up to date. “Our guys never have to worry whether a document they’re looking at is the current version,” Hyer adds. “It’s pretty easy for anybody that’s minimally computer savvy to use the system.”
Moving forward
For over 10 years, TASCO has used the EHS Hero software suite to boost efficiency, keep workers safe, and comply with OSHA requirements. “I use the software probably three or four times per week,” Hyer says. There were even times when I spent 40 or 50 hours a week on it.”
TASCO plans to continue using EHS Hero for the foreseeable future and is working with the BLR® team to improve the product for all customers.
