Customer Story
Automotive
"EHS requirements are so complex; it's impossible to keep up with every bit of terminology. That's where our KPA representative comes in."
Client Profile
An Eight-Location Truck Dealership with Steadfast Dedication to Safety
Established in 1982, Beltway International, LLC is a truck dealership with eight locations in Maryland. They offer a wide selection of new and used heavy-duty and light-duty truck inventory, including International, Jerr-Dan, Kalmar Ottawa, and more. They offer sales, parts, and leasing and renting trucks. The 220-person company places great importance on training and certifications.
Challenges
An Urgent Need to Evolve to an Online EHS Solution
When Nicole Avgerinos joined the company around 2015, she was part of the team seeking a new EHS compliance solution.
“At that time, there wasn’t much in place other than toolbox talks by service managers. There was no hazard communication.”
The company also wrestled with managing paper-based MSDS sheets. “They had an old book of them. I tried to keep up with that—which was impossible. It was a nightmare,” Avgerinos recalled.
“The impetus was to get rid of those paper sheets and go online to streamline the process.”
Solutions
KPA Forges a Longtime Relationship with Beltway for Compliance Management
The Beltway team chose KPA as its EHS solution, a relationship that’s lasted nearly 10 years. The company chose KPA for its:
- Flexible EHS Software
- Online Training
- Consulting Services
Avgerinos, the HR/PR Manager for the company, explained how KPA streamlines onboarding new hires:
“We worked closely with KPA to develop a set of compliance and safety training requirements specific to each person’s position. We’ve gotten our training dialed in exactly how we want it.”
The ability to go online for MSDS sheets and other documentation is another core benefit for Beltway. “That’s a big part of what made us transition to KPA,” Avgerinos said.
For Beltway and Avgerinos, a centralized software system is just part of the value KPA delivers. The icing on the cake is the added support from KPA’s consultants.
“I contact them on a regular basis. It’s fabulous that KPA has forms related to needed certifications and such, but if I have any questions, I always have someone I can ask,” Avgerinos said. “The space is so complex; I can’t keep up with every bit of terminology. That’s where our KPA rep comes in.”
She also notes the value of the once-a-year on-site EHS review process, which includes in-person training by KPA.
“The KPA Rep always gives a presentation and a review of the basics, like emergency response, hazardous communication, and PPE. That in-person training is super effective.”
Results
KPA Delivers Ongoing Peace of Mind and Helps Employees
“With KPA, we have a resource to go to for peace of mind around EHS.”
Some examples of the results KPA delivers for Beltway include:
- Quickly spotting patterns related to on-site injuries and issues
- Ease of issuing department-wide training to derail negative trends
- EHS program management continuity from person to person
“KPA helps us spot negative trends and assists on a quarterly basis to send a message through KPA requiring employees to take a specific course to reverse the negative trends,” Avgerinos said.
“If we have multiple workers’ comp issues related to back injuries, we’ll utilize KPA to have everyone take a back injury prevention training. Each quarter, we pick something that helps us reduce future incidents.”
Avgerinos, who is now approaching retirement, also cites the advantages of KPA related to project and program continuity:
“I can relax knowing that if someone gets sick—or in my case, retires—there’s continuity in the software. The next person will know the exact status of everything and will be able to seamlessly pick up where things left off.”
As Beltway’s EHS program evolves, Avgerinos anticipates that KPA will be its ultimate EHS solution.
