Battery Room Site Assessment

A site assessment is a Loss Prevention and a client cost reduction activity as well as an educational process. An onsite evaluation of a client's battery room(s) and overall facility to enable meeting compliance regulations from the many Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ's).

Site assessments enable companies to keep up with ever changing requirements of the AHJ's including but not limited to:

• Fire Department code enforcement
• Building Inspector
• HazMat Inspector
• Insurance Carrier inspectors
• Loss Prevention
• Facility Owners and Managers
• Real Estate Professionals
• Environmental Compliance Manager
• Corporate Health and Safety -- Among OTHERS

The site assessment process is secure, confidential and combines data collection at the site as well as observation by personnel trained in the compliance process that allows the end user to understand the complexities of compliance while taking the guess work out of it. It is NOT an audit. The length of time depends on the number of rooms but is approx.1 hr per address. Add 15 minutes for each additional battery room within a facility. You will receive a confidential hard copy and soft copy report.

A pre-site assessment survey gives the compliance site analyst information about the location and a chance to review pertinent data relative to the site, room capacity and usage prior to doing the assessment so that the process is organized and seamless allowing for maximum evaluation and minimizing work disruptions or delays onsite so the facility manager can get back to the job of running the critical site. This also helps to ensure overall recommended actions and action plans are specific to the customer and the facility.

The report is usually ready within three to five days workings days. Reports can be provided within 72 hours if requested. It is a loss preventative action report to mitigate any potential risk for environmental health and safety requirements. The compliance checklist used to evaluate the process and is only a recommendation to maintain compliance with Federal, State and local AHJ's as well as industry best practices. As part of the service, a critical site services expert will review the confidential findings in the report with you via, Webex, phone, with your key staff, along with the site analyst to discuss the information. At that time, an Action Plan for compliance can added to accomplish the recommended actions.

The best time to do a site assessment is during annual, biannual or quarterly scheduled maintenance; to be most cost effective; many of our customers dovetail a planned scheduled battery or UPS maintenance visit with a site assessment to save time and money. Other ideal times for a site assessment are re-commissioning and prior to battery replacement and EH&S audits.

A Level One is a basic assessment which covers 14 check points that are fundamental for basic operations. The Level Two assessment is customized for up to 23 facility compliance points that includes HazMat, HazComm, SPCC (spill prevention, control and countermeasures), training, documentation that also includes reviewing battery recycling, and handling practices. The Level Three assessment is designed for companies that have EH&S standards in place and may also be ISO 14001 certified and require third party assistance in ensuring their existing practices are being maintain in the field. These assessments require a more comprehensive assessment based on ISO 14000 standards and encompass all facilities storage and use areas. Level three assessment is also designed for a company seeking ISO 14000 certification to help them meet such requirements.

Each level receives a Confidential Site Assessment Report. The report allows the client to build a prevention plan and is a working document for our client to use to addresses issues of ever changing regulations to ensure compliance annually in the event of an audit by an AHJ.

Level One site assessments include basic Federal and State regulations for stationary storage battery systems. For an additional fee, a more comprehensive local code search by geographic region and the AHJ's, can be obtained. Our basic assessment is reviewing and comparing Code of Federal Regulation compliance with CFR 40 and 49. NFPA, IEEE recommended practices, OSHA, HAZ Mat inspectors checklist items, insurance inspection, hazard communications and industry best practices.

As mentioned we can also audit to corporate Environmental, Health and Safety practices and assist companies who are establishing a corporate EH&S standard for standby power applications.

A Site Assessment Review is necessary to help ensure that you understand the complexities of compliance, answer questions you may have and to give you an update as to how your facility did in the assessment process. It also serves as an opportunity to build an Action Plan to meet compliance required by AHJ in the event the room has needs to meet compliance goals by these agencies. All reports are simply recommendation and to inform end users what best industry practices are being applied in their region and typically what local AHJ are most likely to require.

Yes, it strictly confidential. The report is not shared with any other 3rd party and reports are only given to authorized personnel from the individual or designated company employee seeking the site assessment. In addition, the site assessment is NOT an AUDIT and NO reports are given to any AHJ under any circumstances, We consider this as attorney client privilege information. We consider this consulting a cost reduction effort and a benefit to our end users.

The report is confidential and is accessed only by the company official from the facility who we meet with at the site or who has requested us to review the site form the corporate office. IT IS NOT GIVEN TO ANY AHJ's under any circumstance.

EnviroGuard site assessments information is collected by experts and reports generated by qualified EH&S certified professionals who have experience in Environmental Health and Safety. In addition, Level Two and Three assessments can include qualified EH&S certified professionals with specialties in Electrical, Hazardous Material Management, Hazardous Energy Controls, Safe Work Permits, Infrastructure Risk Assessment and Program Development, Construction Safety and Facility Audits, and Construction Risk Insurance Program analysis. Areas of specialty also include EHS Program Development for new companies, OSHA Record Keeping and Document Control, OSHA Laboratory Standards and Regulated Substances, Asbestos and Mold, Chemical
Safety, Environmental Emergency Services for the purposes of Risk Control and Emergency Program Management, Hydrogen Sulfite Awareness, Job Hazard Analysis, Respiratory Protection, Lead Safety Risk Analysis and US DOT Hazardous Material Transport. In addition, our Review Team is comprised of certified professionals in one or more of the following areas: Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), and Certified Electronics Technicians (CET), Registered Professional Industrial Hygienist (RPIH), Toxics Use Reduction Planners (TURP), SPCC and other specialties.

As part of our commitment to lower cost of compliance, EnviroGuard is a partner and will help to build a compliance program that meets the needs of all AHJ and in doing so will help with best practices and budgets to streamline the process and ensure compliance immediately.

No, typically hazardous material requirements tend to become more restrictive and usually do not provide variance or exemption except in very rare cases; additionally, Hazmat may have different requirements than local fire department code enforcement, so it is key to know how those changes will affect the facility being assessed. Also, if a retrofit has occurred, again, requirements by AHJ's may increase compliance needs by virtue of ever changing regulations. EnviroGuard Critical Site Services is provides observations and assistance to end users who are overpaying for compliance or using contractors who are not qualified to assist them in properly interpreting the regulations and typically over spending for solutions.

Together, we will help you build a compliance conformance plan and help with budget planning to achieve that using tools that meet the facilities needs, quickly, effectively and efficiently. We can assist in a long term cost effective plan that incorporate, best pricing, solution for the application and financing in many cases.

Our Site analyst have years of experience are trained in areas of EHS and are well versed in areas of ever changing compliance regulations. While you can check for some things, our trained compliance experts can insure your data collection process includes all necessary EH&S Standards and then we analyze them so a proper report and conformance plan can be developed. We can provide a custom site assessment training program that is sustainable if required.

It is a proactive approach to loss prevention that reduces cost and avoids unnecessary expenses of an incorrect solution. Furthermore, it is a loss preventative tool to use to help you maintain the lifecycle of the critical site. Each recommendation made in the site assessment process is measured against what an AHJ would require during an inspection. It is also may be a cost savings tool from an insurance perspective, as you have a plan and analysis relating to compliance requirements.

Because flooded and VRLA battery have different requirements as regulated by the AHJ's. Also, because these regulations are ever changing it is vital to keep current on them so as to meet compliance regulations and to ensure asset protection. Also, the site assessment process covers more than just spill containment and spill control counter measures, it also covers safety and other EH&S requirements that are included in formal compliances reviews as conducted by AHJ's.

Because flooded and VRLA battery assessment processes due to different requirements as regulated by the AHJ's. Also, the site assessment process goes far beyond spill containment and spill prevention control and countermeasures; it also covers other EH&S requirements that are included in formal compliances reviews as conducted by AHJ's.