Blaze Ison, Customer Success Manager at Locus Technologies, shares how our Incident Management application can simplify your life.

Both good and bad incident management directly affect an organizations well-being. This is why it’s so important to get it right. The purpose of this white paper is to discuss how you can best identify, analyze, and minimize your incidents; turning a challenge into an advantage.

  • Identify specific data that would be beneficial to record
  • Best track your incidents across various locations
  • Apply root cause analysis (RCA) and corrective action (CA) methods
  • Automate and streamline your regulatory reporting

In August 2014, we wrote on the potential use of wearables for EHS professionals. Less than a year later, the Apple Watch was introduced, revolutionizing the market. Now, wearables in the EHS space aren’t a hypothetical. Roughly a fifth to a quarter of Americans wear a smartwatch daily. Wearables are undoubtedly one of the biggest trends in EHS, with a seemingly endless number of uses to promote a more efficient and safer workplace.

Locus EHS Wearable Tech | Apple Watch

Despite recent growth, wearables are still in their infancy when it comes to EHS. Verdantix anticipates that companies will spend 800% more on connected worker devices in twenty years, an explosion in utilization. This year alone, over 20% of surveyed companies are reporting an increase in budget for wearables for EHS purposes. While demand from organizations is growing, most EHS software is yet to adapt to market needs, with few offering wearable support.

Locus is prepared to meet the needs of the market, by integrating wearable support with our mobile application. Here are a few ways to best utilize your smartwatch with Locus Mobile:

[sc_icon_with_text icon=”notification” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#52a6ea” icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

Smart notifications

Custom and priority notifications can be tailored to fit the needs of professionals in your organization, increasing engagement and response time.[/sc_icon_with_text]

[sc_icon_with_text icon=”sample-planning” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#52a6ea” icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

Keep track of routine samples

Calendar alerts directly to your wearable, so that no samples are missed by field technicians.[/sc_icon_with_text]

[sc_icon_with_text icon=”location” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#52a6ea” icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

Location tracking

Get alerted when you’re entering a safety zone that requires specific PPE.[/sc_icon_with_text]

[sc_icon_with_text icon=”health” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#52a6ea” icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

Vital signs

Track worker vital signs for faster response time in the event of an emergency.[/sc_icon_with_text]

If your organization is looking to implement wearable tech, Locus product specialists are ready to discuss your needs and how we can help.

Contact us to learn more or request a demo

    Name

    Company Email

    Phone

    Tell us about your company's needs

    Locus is committed to preserving your privacy.

    OSHA has released their list of the ten most cited violations of the 2020 fiscal year. The same mistakes and mishaps from years before are still here, though some have moved around from last year. They are:

    1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501)
    2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
    3. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
    4. Scaffolding – General Requirements (1926.451)
    5. Ladders (1926.1053)
    6. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.178)
    7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
    8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
    9. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)
    10. Machine Guarding– General Requirement (1910.212)

    Locus can help your organization prevent, report, and track these workplace mishaps. From configurable smart notifications to follow-up assignments when accidents, near misses, or when other incidents are logged, Locus EHS&S compliance software offers assurance that your safety procedures can be followed promptly and correctly.

    [sc_button link=”/applications/ehs-compliance/health-safety-incidents/” text=”See our Health & Safety App” link_target=”_self” color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#52a6ea” centered=”1″]

     

    For the better part of 2020, it’s safe to say that predominant changes to our daily lives have been brought on by COVID-19 and the associated response measures. This is certainly true for those of us working in the EHS field. EHS workers have an active role on the front lines, preparing our workplaces with new safety measures, including social distancing signage, training, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

    Impacts of COVID-19 on EHS | Locus

    Beyond those direct response actions, the realities of the ‘new normal’ have already impacted how other compliance and sustainability programs are implemented.  And for good reason… many of the routine activities like inspections and onsite data collections now have a new safety issue to consider. Even with all the new protective measures we’ve implemented to address this pandemic, there remains some unavoidable added health risk caused simply by staff presence and interaction. For activities that are not mandated by a permit or regulatory requirement, the benefit of continuing those activities must now be weighed against the added health risk.  For example, a daily waste inventory walkthrough may have been a standard routine for many EHS managers to collect data on waste generation as a key performance indicator. The value of that data collection effort may now be called into question, since it may increase travel and contact between staff. Depending on the value of those optional activities, some may be temporarily suspended simply because they are not worth the additional risk to health and safety 

    For compliance requirements, this situation is more complex, due to the involvement and oversight of the applicable regulatory agency. The ultimate decision about whether a compliance activity must proceed generally lies with the regulator. The majority of EHS managers initially proceeded with meeting all their obligations without any changes.  Although there are many applicable state and local ordinances and shelter-in-place orders related to COVID-19 that prohibited normal business operations, most of them include exceptions for activities that are ‘essential’ or required to maintain compliance with other regulatory programs.  Public agencies have made very few blanket decisions to waive requirements for regulatory programs, even when they conflict with those local ordinances.

    Manager in hardhat looking over his factory-Locus automation and sensors solutions prepare your organization for the Internet of Things

    Despite the lack of a uniform response from agencies about whether or how compliance programs should be modified to accommodate COVID-19 precautions, I’ve observed several cases where regulatory staff have been given some level of authority and discretion to suspend or modify requirements. This is happening at federal, state, and local levels for various regulatory programs ranging from Superfund to GHG programs to land use covenants.  I’ve experienced required deadlines delayed on remediation projects, modified approaches accepted for health risk mitigation, and on-site inspections postponed or drastically modified to accommodate social distancing. Any of these changes would have been unthinkable just a few months earlier.  But now the regulators are seriously considering whether the continued enforcement of these requirements would create a potential health risk, and how their agency would defend their decision if the implementation of their requirements impacted someone’s health.

    This ad hoc approach to compliance modifications brings its own new challenges for EHS managers, most of whom have detailed programs to track their efforts and ensure they stay on top of all the applicable compliance programs. Most of the regulatory programs that we work in have been in place for many years or decades, so the systems we’ve built up for those programs have been operating with minimal deviation for a long time.  But now, in addition to the original set of requirements we’ve been implementing, we have new modified versions to track. In all the cases I’ve observed, the original requirements aren’t officially edited by the agency. Rather, the agency staff have issued temporary amendments in the form of a letter, memo, or email.   So EHS managers will need to maintain the original requirements as well as the approved modifications in these various formats. Regulators are still planning that eventually these COVID-19 precautions will be lifted, so they can get back to the ‘old normal’ with the previous requirements we’ve implemented for years. This means that we can’t just overwrite the requirements in our compliance program, so we stay prepared to revert to the original official requirements if/when that happens.

    Engineer with tablet and oil rig tower- Locus software solutions for the Energy, Oil & Gas industries

    The long-term impact of these compliance modifications is yet to be seen.  The COVID-19 pandemic has forced more thought to be put into the cost/benefit of routine EHS activities. This is true not just for EHS managers but for regulators as well.   

    Since many EHS compliance programs have been largely unchanged for years, this is a rare opportunity to rethink or update those requirements. Technology has advanced significantly since many EHS requirements were written. This technology offers better and safer methods to achieve the same objectives. For example, I’ve attended several remote EHS inspections over the past few months, which were previously conducted in person. And after those inspections were completed, I can’t think of anything that was reduced or lost in terms of oversight.  For some facilities, I’ve also seen remote automated monitoring used in place of manual field measurements, where it was previously only considered supplemental to the required manual data collection. Although the regulations technically required this work to be done in person, the remote versions were just as effective, and completely avoided the added health risks associated with physical gathering and travel.

    So instead of wondering ‘When can we go back to the old normal?’ we might ask ‘Should we go back to the old normal?’  The regulatory programs we work with were designed to be protective of human health and the environment, but they were also mostly developed when things like handheld phones with live video were present only in science fiction.  Obviously, these technologies are not new anymore, but this situation has provided an unprecedented opportunity to implement these alternatives, and ultimately confirm that they can be just as protective as the former methods they replaced.  In addition to the cost savings that these options provide, there is a very real safety concern that they circumvent. And while cost-effectiveness is usually a difficult point on which to drive regulatory change, a safety issue is harder to dismiss.

    EHS Hardhats and Jackets

    While it still may be a while before we reach the end of this pandemic, there’s a lot we have already learned about how resilient EHS programs can accommodate this kind of major event. If we use this opportunity to engage with regulators, and closely review and update our programs, there’s no doubt they will only become stronger and better suited to the modern workplace and way of life.

    [sc_button link=”https://www.locustec.com/applications/ehs-compliance/” text=”See How Locus EHS Software Helps” link_target=”_self” centered=”1″]

     

    OSHA has released their most cited violations of the 2019 fiscal year, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the same mistakes are being made year after year. They are:

    1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501)
    2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200)
    3. Scaffolding – General Requirements (1926.451)
    4. Control of Hazardous Energy – Lockout/Tagout (1910.147)
    5. Respiratory Protection (1910.134)
    6. Ladders (1926.1053)
    7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178)
    8. Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503)
    9. Machine Guarding– General Requirement (1910.212)
    10. Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102)

    With over 30,000 cumulative violations for the top ten alone, and the same mistakes being cited repeatedly, there is an obvious need for an EHS software solution that provides a number of tools to prevent these missteps from being made. From configurable smart notifications to follow-up assignments when accidents, near misses, or when other incidents are logged, Locus EHS&S compliance software offers assurance that your safety procedures can be followed promptly and correctly.

    [sc_button link=”/applications/ehs-compliance/health-safety-incidents” text=”See our Health & Safety App” link_target=”_self” color=”#FFFFFF” background_color=”#52a6ea” centered=”1″]

     

    Let’s take a look back on the most exciting new features and changes made in Locus Platform during 2019!

    [sc_icon_with_text icon=”tasks” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#52a6ea” icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

    New Task Types

    Two additional types of task periodicity have been added: Triggered tasks, which allow the automatic creation of a Task based on the creation of a triggering event (e.g., a spill or storm event), and Sequenced tasks, which allow the creation of a series of tasks in a designated order. Learn more about our compliance and task management here.[/sc_icon_with_text]

    [sc_icon_with_text icon=”mobile” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#9ac63f” icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

    Mobile Form Builder

    Users can now create a mobile version of any data input form. Every form in the desktop platform can be mobile-enabled, so you can introduce new ways of streamlining data collection to your team.[/sc_icon_with_text]

    [sc_icon_with_text icon=”workflow” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#3766b5″ icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

    Process Flow

    ‘Process Flows’ have been added, which guide users in completing processes following a simple step-by-step interface.[/sc_icon_with_text]

    [sc_icon_with_text icon=”facility” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#52a6ea” icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

    Expanded Facilities Management App

    Our expanded Facilities Management App is designed to map at the enterprise level showing all locations, navigate your facilities hierarchy to review information and quickly take action at every level. Locus Facilities is a comprehensive facility management application that aims to increase the efficiency of customer operations and centralize important company information.[/sc_icon_with_text]

    [sc_icon_with_text icon=”settings–configuration” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#9ac63f” icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

    User Configurable Dashboards

    Users can choose from existing portlets (found on the dashboard pages) to customize their landing page to their unique needs. Create custom dashboards to highlight exactly the information you want in any format (charts, maps, tables, tree maps, diagrams, and more).[/sc_icon_with_text]

    [sc_icon_with_text icon=”email–contact” icon_shape=”circle” icon_color=”#ffffff” icon_background_color=”#3766b5″ icon_size=”big” level=”h3″]

    Edit via Email

    Add notes to any record by sending an email directly into the system. Allows anyone to add or append to a record in the system simply through email.[/sc_icon_with_text]

     

    Contact us to see a demo of Locus Platform

      Name

      Company Email

      Phone

      Tell us about your company's needs

      Locus is committed to preserving your privacy.

      Industry-leading Railroad Incident management software provider has been simplifying compliance with U.S. FRA regulations over the last five years.

      MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., 27 November 2017 — Locus Technologies, the industry leader in cloud-based environmental compliance and information management EHS software, announces a suite of enhancements to its Railroad Incident application within its state-of-the-art Locus Platform SaaS solution—a scalable, robust app-building platform for easily designing and deploying apps that precisely conform to an organization’s existing business processes and requirements.

      Since 2013, Locus has maintained its position on the cutting edge of railroad industry EHS solutions, as one of the first Railroad Incident software providers in the market assisting U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)-regulated organizations in maintaining compliance.

      The FRA imposes rigorous reporting requirements upon Class II railroads, and maintaining compliance remains difficult for many EHS departments. While railroad safety and risk mitigation are top priorities for these departments, many are finding that trying to stay up-to-date with the latest regulations while using legacy, homegrown systems to manage compliance programs is nearly impossible.

      Locus found that EHS professionals who are tasked with completing many FRA forms for each incident considered it an arduous and lengthy process, requiring multiple checks to prevent errors and oversights. Keeping in line with its guiding principle of customer success, Locus developed its Railroad Incident application so that users could easily and efficiently manage and report railroad accidents and incidents, with built-in quality control checks to verify that all reporting is in compliance with FRA regulations. Locus software has successfully generated hundreds of these reports with a single-click solution that instantly completes FRA forms for direct submittal to the agency.

      The Locus Platform Railroad Incident application includes:

      • Easy-to-use data entry forms for incidents, with one-click incident section selection
      • Ability to associate multiple injuries or illnesses to an incident
      • State-of-the-art body image selector for injuries
      • Dashboards to view incident trends and key metrics to aid in proactively preventing future incidents
      • Cradle-to-grave root cause and corrective action analysis and tracking, easily configured to any company techniques or methods
      • Custom configurable workflows and email notifications to align with existing busines processes
      • Excel plugin tool for bulk importing and editing incident, employee, and other organizational data
      • Mobile-enabled incident forms
      • Push-button FRA Form generation to expedite form completion by automatically generating PDFs with e-signature for FRA Forms 54, 55, 55a, 57, 97, and 98
      • Optional integration with third party APIs like SAP and PeopleSoft

      “Locus is proud to have been supporting the railroad industry for years with this important functionality. When it comes to incident management, company managers have an easily accessible, all-encompassing view of what’s occurring across all of their different facilities, sites, and incident locations. Our easy-to-use data entry forms for railroad incidents with one-click incident section selection enables the seamless capture, analyzing, reporting, e-signing, and submittal of critical FRA-specific data—all from within our industry-tested Railroad Incident application,” said Wes Hawthorne, President of Locus Technologies. “Locus’ Railroad Incident application is a single repository in the cloud that offers railroad-specific functionality for managing incident tracking, investigations, and analyzing key safety metrics aimed at reducing accidents and mitigating risks.”

      For more information about Locus’ Railroad Incident application and other EHS and sustainability solutions, visit https://www.locustec.com.

      Environmental Business Journal (EBJ) Recognizes Firms for Growth and Innovation in 2015

      MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA–(Marketwired – February 02, 2016) — Locus Technologies announced today that Environmental Business Journal (EBJ), a business research publication which provides high value strategic business intelligence to the environmental industry, granted the company the 2015 award for Information Technology in the environmental and sustainability industry for the tenth year running.

      Locus was recognized for continuing its strategic shift to configurable Multitenant pure Software as a Service (SaaS) EHS solutions and welcoming new, high profile customers. In 2015 Locus scored record revenue from Cloud software with annual growth over 20 percent. Locus also achieved a record renewal rate of 99 percent and signed up new customers including Shell Oil Company, Philips 66, Ameresco, California Dairies, Cemex, Frito-Lay, Genentech, Lockheed Martin, PPG Industries, United Airlines and US Pipe & Foundry. Locus also became the largest provider of SaaS environmental software to the commercial nuclear industry; currently over 50 percent of U.S. nuclear generating capacity uses Locus’ flagship product. Locus’ configurable Locus Platform gained momentum in 2015 with new implementations in the manufacturing, agricultural and energy sectors, including a major contract with Sempra Energy for greenhouse gas management and reporting.

      “Locus continues to influence the industry with its forward-thinking product set, pure SaaS architecture, and eye for customer needs,” said Grant Ferrier, president of Environmental Business International Inc. (EBI), publisher of Environmental Business Journal.

      “We are very proud and honored to receive the prestigious EBJ Information Technology award in environmental business for a tenth time. We feel it is a testament to our unwavering commitment and dedication to accomplish this level of recognition, especially now as we lead the market by providing robust solutions for the emerging space of cloud and mobile-based environmental information management,” said Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus Technologies.

      The 2015 EBJ awards will be presented at a special ceremony at the Environmental Industry Summit XIV in San Diego, Calif. on March 9-11, 2016. The Environmental Industry Summit is an annual three-day executive retreat hosted by EBI Inc.