GOVERMENT AND INSTITUTIONAL
Since its inception, acensium has provided superior support to the government and institutional sector as part of our portfolio of services. Our work is divided into four major groups:
» Government Services Provided by Acensium
» Healthcare and Institutional Technical Risk Services
» Industrial and Energy Technical Risk Services
» Technical Risk Solutions for Business
Technical Risk Solutions for Business
While the service sector may not routinely have the environmental or process hazards present in many manufacturing facilities and processes, they are nonetheless faced with safety and fire protection challenges to their facilities. Protection of the public and personnel as well as the preservation of facilities can be a daunting task, particularly when these assets are located over a large area or remote to central corporate resources and attention.
acensium provides technical risk solutions designed to streamline the process of risk assessment and provide cost-effective results by integrating physical safety into the overall construction and acquisition process. We are available to be a virtual technical risk office, provide fire protection and safety engineering expertise for everything from site inspection, construction plan review and oversight, to personnel and management training and program support.
Based upon your staff and resources we can right-size our services to meet your needs, including:
- Fire Protection and Safety Equipment Systems design
- Code Interpretation and Local Authority Expediting Services
- Contractor Plan Review and Commissioning
- Life Safety Analysis
- Tailored On-site Safety Surveys and Inspections
- Risk Assessment and Prioritization
- Safety Deficiency Tracking and Corrective Action Planning
- Safety Tracking and Administration
- Safety Training and Development
- Safety Program Development
Profiles of Our Service
The following are brief descriptions of projects and solutions acensium has already provided to its customers:
Ammonia Refrigeration Process Hazards Analysis
Challenge:
A local milk processing plant had been required by the State to provide a detailed Process Hazards Analysis (PHA) of its ammonia refrigeration system in accordance with state and federal environmental requirements. Since this facility was a small plant (100 personnel) built over thirty years ago, the plant had neither the staff nor the documentation to immediately comply with these new requirements.
Solution:
acensium undertook the responsibility of developing process safety procedures for engineers, operators, and maintenance personnel relating to the ammonia refrigeration system. Together with the mechanical contractor, we completed as-built drawings and documentation for the system and provided training to plant employees in the new more formal procedures required. Acting as both facilitator and safety specialist for the process, acensium worked with the plant engineers to conduct a detailed “What-if” Checklist PHA and provide a detailed report to the State. The PHA and long-term improvement plan was approved by the State with minor revisions after only the first submission and was considered to be a noteworthy model of other similar small operations with ammonia refrigeration.
Real Estate Department of Regional Banking Firm Benefits from Facilities Conditions Surveys
Challenge:
A regional banking institution with over two hundred and fifty locations was responsible for handling both general liability claims for injury of the public and contractor maintenance and remodeling activities. The limited size of the staff and limited experience with safety issues made tracking and taking corrective action difficult for these far-flung operations.
Solution:
acensium developed a tailored facility conditions survey, using a pre-formatted template process. While limited in time for both survey and report writing, the report focused upon those areas that the client agreed had been problem areas, either with maintenance or injury, based upon past experience. Within one year, the survey program had identified more than two thousand building maintenance or safety related defects. Deficiencies and recommendations were centrally tracked to completion and tends developed to identify generic issues. In addition, the basic property description and photograph data from the report was stored by the client to help in later renovations or negotiations with contractors for damages. By the second year, the survey program was being used as a basic performance-monitoring tool for contractor quality assurance and safety programs, promoting changes and incentives for improved performance and specific oversight measures to ensure compliance. Accident and injury rates by the third year had dropped to less than one quarter of their first year levels.
Regional Hospitality and Lodging Firm Uses Virtual Safety Department as part of Its Growth Plan
Challenge:
A hotel/motel firm with multiple locations and a growing list of new construction had a limited risk management department. While able to manage both claims and insurance buying activities, it was unable to provide site visits to its facilities for training or evaluation.
Solution:
Members of acensium prepared a combination property and general liability survey program that reduced time on site, satisfied insurers’ requests for annual loss control visits and provided a framework for executing the safety program to remote locations. Recommendations and corrective actions were tracked and trended for the risk management department and presented in reports quarterly. The fire protection and safety specialists were also responsible for contacting the local facilities on a monthly basis to discuss open items and answer additional safety related questions. At the same time, plans for new construction as well as site visits for newly acquired properties were conducted for the firm. Later a basic physical fire protection specification and design guide was developed as part of a standardized architect’s package for corporate construction. While the hotel/motel chain later brought the survey and safety training activities in-house, acensium maintains its role as a plan reviewer and potential site evaluator for the company and is a trusted partner in its fire protection activities.
How can we help you meet your technical risk objectives?
