Transparent data and processes

3 minutes

According to the German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), Germany is finding it increasingly difficult to stay globally competitive as a chemical location. The industry is facing the enormous challenge of securing its long-term competitiveness. After implementing Quentic, the online software for Health & Safety, Environmental management (HSE) and Sustainability, ISP Marl GmbH is now in good shape for the future. For the medium-sized chemical company, the focus is on improved document management as well as on the occupational safety and protection of the environment.

About ISP Marl

ISP Marl GmbH employs roughly 250 people at the Marl chemical park in the northern Ruhr area. As a subsidiary of the US chemical company Ashland Inc., USA, the company runs the biggest production plant of ISP (International Specialty Products Inc.) outside the United States. At the 40,000 square meter site, the modern chemical plant operates two production lines for specialty-, filter- and industrial chemicals.

Safety is the be-all and end-all

Occupational Health & Safety, plant safety and environmental protection are of the highest priority when handling chemicals. That is why ISP Marl joined the VCI’s “Responsible Care” Initiative, which stands for the continuous HSE improvement. Furthermore, the company’s environmental management system has been certified in accordance with the international standard ISO 14001 and the EMAS Regulation (Eco Audit Regulation). As part of its quality management in accordance with ISO 9001, the company is always looking for solutions that can further optimize its processes in the areas of quality, environmental protection and safety in the long-term.

Managing documents better

While ISP Marl successfully passed the certifications of the quality and management systems, it lacked a clear structure in its own documentation. The Access-based in-house system was too complicated, chaotic and could no longer meet the growing demands of auditors. Therefore, the company implemented Quentic software with which all information regarding HSE management can be centrally recorded, evaluated and saved. With its integrated document management system, every employee always has access to the most up-to-date version of documents. At the same time, thanks to the automatic archiving and revision control, all changes are traceable in the long-term. All document access is controlled by defined user rights.

Organizing audits more efficiently

ISP Marl coordinates all audits for quality and environmental certification in the Risks & Audits module. The software clearly displays management programs and objectives. Audit participants are registered by the click of a mouse and promptly informed by email. By using a personal overview, every user can see the upcoming actions in which they are involved, including dates and implementation progress. Environmental officers, safety specialists, management and external auditors are thus integrated based on their tasks. Extensive assessment options make it possible to directly derive corrective actions and to swiftly generate audit reports – including all questions, assessments and images.

Risk assessments always up-to-date

For working areas, equipment and activities, the chemical company now generates risk assessments and safety instructions, including information about safeguards, first aid, risks and disposal. In the Health & Safety module, these documents are always up-to-date and easy to maintain, thanks to the standardized procedure. Redundancies and multiple edits are thus a thing of the past – saving time and money. In addition, the implementation of Quentic led to synergies between the two sites, so that risk assessments for hazardous chemicals can now be much better coordinated between the two production plants. This means that each site doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel for each action.