Although many companies require hazardous materials (HAZMAT) to be brought into the workplace, they don’t always have the expertise to provide it with a safe stay. That’s where the Barrie-based Vicinia Corporation comes in.
“We’ll help companies manage it for the full lifecycle,” says president Chris Hauschild, who established the environment, health and safety (EH&S) company in March 2001. “That means the initial selection, delivery, using it on site, transport and disposal.”
The company, which provides a variety of EH&S corporate solutions, has a HAZMAT specialist on staff, who received training while in the Canadian forces. Roger first met Hauschild in the military while working in the same CFB Borden department.
“It’s great to be able to clean up a spill, but it’s even better to avoid a spill in the first place,” adds Hauschild. The company continues to provide HAZMAT management and training services for the Canadian military across the country.
“We help develop management systems for EH&S,” Hauschild adds. “We coach companies through it if they’re doing it themselves, or they hire us to do it completely.”
This can entail drawing up policies and procedures, database support, compliance auditing and even putting together inventories of hazardous materials and equipment containing halocarbons (that can be found in refrigeration units and air conditioners).
The company has also done training about the transportation of dangerous goods for the City of Barrie, and spill-response training for Greyhound bus lines.
“We work with most products that are used in the workplace,” explains Hauschild. “They can include oils and greases, to laboratory chemicals and a whole host of chemicals used in industry as well.”
When putting together databases that track the HAZMAT inventory, Vicinia Corporation makes sure there is a link to updated Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), as per government safety legislations.
“It’s a relatively unique service in terms of full life-cycle management,” says Hauschild. “But we also show our clients how to conduct audits and inspections and provide training as well.
“We’ve worked with small companies who have a couple of HAZMAT cabinets to manage, to large-scale organizations like the Department of National Defence or Borden, which manages an infrastructure comparable to local municipalities.”
While Vicinia Corporation works often with companies who are required to comply with government-enforced remedial measures, Hauschild says proactive attention to these details can have benefits beyond safety.
“If a company’s doing a good job in its EH&S policies, their employees will have a high regard for the company and consequently good moral,” he says. It’s more than meeting the legislative requirements that are set out – it’s ensuring the people in the company, and the environment, are safe.
For more information, click the link provided.
