iSi Celebrates Career of Founder Gary Mason

Jan 28, 2022

Gary Mason

Mason Retiring from Full-Time Duties at iSi Environmental

On February 1, 2022, iSi Environmental’s longtime CEO and co-founder Gary Mason is officially retiring.

Gary started Integrated Solutions, Inc., dba iSi Environmental and iSi Industrial Services, or, iSi, with his wife Karma Mason in 1990. They built iSi from their dining room table to a thriving company with two divisions and over 115 employees in 4 office locations.

iSi is a WBJ Small Business of the Year, Best in Business and Family-Owned Business award winner.

Gary’s Career

Gary started out his career at the EPA and then with the State of Missouri’s environmental department. After a short time with an environmental consultant, he moved to Wichita to become the Environmental Compliance Coordinator, then Environmental Manager at Vulcan Chemicals. Karma also worked at Vulcan Chemicals.

When they decided to start their own business, Gary left Vulcan and Karma stayed on at Vulcan, working nights and weekends to help keep the business running until she joined full time in 1991. Gary was the operations manager and worked projects. Eventually he transitioned into managing business development and became CEO.

Entrepreneurship

Always with an entrepreneurial spirit, Gary helped iSi develop a number of new service offerings throughout the years, helping to grow the company exponentially. He has also worked on other notable research and development projects such as carbon fiber recycling, and more recently has supported a soil amendment startup, PrairieFood. PrairieFood manufactures a micro-carbon rich soil amendment which is made from recycled biomass waste sources such as animal manure, eliminating the need for synthetic and mined fertilizers.

Gary is a graduate of the former Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation’s Pipeline program and the later mentored other entrepreneurs going through the program.

Business Advocacy and Community Leadership

One of Gary’s focuses has always been community involvement, advocating on behalf of businesses, whether it be local, state or national in focus. Among these include:

Member, EPA National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology
Region VII EPA Representative to the National Compliance Advisory Panel
Kansas Supreme Court Nominating Commission
Kansas Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board
Chairman, Kansas Small Business Compliance Advisory Panel
Leadership Kansas Graduate
KTEC Pipeline Vice Chair and Board Member
Member, Kansas Entrepreneur Coalition Board
Wichita Chamber of Commerce Board and Executive Committee Member

In 2015, Gary briefly left iSi to become the Deputy Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. While there, he administered all aspects of the environmental side of the agency which included being the primary liaison with Governor’s Office, Kansas Legislature and Kansas U.S. Congressional Delegation. At the conclusion of his appointment, Gary returned to iSi as its CEO.

Moving Forward

Gary and Karma have seven grandkids, so Gary hopes to spend more time with them. When not with grandkids, you will likely find Gary either at Reflection Ridge playing golf or at their lake cabin in Council Grove.

He also plans on staying involved with startup business mentoring through Wichita State University’s entrepreneur programs and supporting PrairieFood as they move into its commercialization phase.

Celebration

iSi is having a reception on Tuesday, February 1 from 3 to 6 pm. You’re invited to attend. It’ll be at 215 S. Laura in iSi’s Training Center. Well wishes can also be sent to [email protected] or iSi’s offices at 215 S. Laura, Wichita, KS 67211.

iSi Finds Success With Virtual EHS and ISO Compliance Audits

Dec 18, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic really threw a curveball at all businesses, forcing them to think differently about how to provide services and products to their customers. Although the pandemic has been a major disruption, something good has come out of it for iSi. We’ve been forced to think outside of the box to develop alternatives to business as usual. In some cases it’s made us more efficient and has worked out nicely for our clients too. One such success story at iSi has been virtual audits.

Traditional Audit Tactics Out the Window

Business disruptions unfortunately don’t disrupt environmental, health and safety (EHS) compliance obligations. Businesses still need to ensure they’re complying with EPA and OSHA regulations correctly, and for those companies who are requirements to achieve ISO Certification, those requirements still go forth.

iSi conducts several different types of audits, from records reviews, to facility walkthroughs, to a combination of the two, to ISO standards-based audits. Traditional EHS and ISO audits often have involved travel to facilities to spend one or more days onsite. With COVID, travel to and from different locations has been reduced, discouraged, and even forbidden in certain locations without quarantine. Many of our client sites have been closed to outside visitors either completely, front doors are locked, and in some instances entry has been limited to a contractor approval process. Interviewees are working on limited schedules, or working from home, making traditional methods that much more difficult.

Records Reviews

With travel affected, we needed to find an alternative to being onsite. Records reviews were the first and best items in our process to start with virtually. Clients can scan and upload records for reviews. Over the past year, iSi has implemented a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System, allowing us to improve multiple processes throughout the company including project management, document storage, web conferencing, online training, digital file transfer, electronic billing, and more, and so we’re set up to do a lot of different things electronically. iSi and its clients can upload and review documents back and forth electronically with a lot of ease.

Walkthroughs and Interviews

Although walkthroughs are a very valuable piece to our audits, we find that we can use alternatives here too. iSi has HD smart glasses so that our client can literally be our eyes onsite. The glasses have camera, video, and communications capabilities so that the client can record a walkthrough through the glasses and still communicate back and forth with our auditor remotely. Even better, they are safety rated so that they can be used as safety glasses in industrial facilities. In lieu of the glasses, clients can also record videos of certain areas of their facilities, conduct live streaming videos, or take photos for our auditors to inspect.

The pandemic has forced us all to get more familiar with video conferencing software. Interviews and discussions can be done remotely through video conferencing. This has allowed us to still get to know our clients and has given us the chance to discuss important topics or answer questions, just as if we were sitting there side by side.

We’ve also been able to give clients guidance on how to use certain pieces of equipment by giving visual demonstrations on camera and providing step-by-step instructions.

ISO Audits

Virtual audits have been most seamless for our ISO projects. For example, iSi recently conducted a third-party ISO internal audit for a worldwide aircraft components manufacturer to identify existing EHS Management System conformance to the ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 standards.

iSi reviewed the corporate EHS management system and the corporate office’s EHS management system. These systems were compared against the ISO standard, legal/regulatory standards, internal policies and procedures, and customer needs.

The audit was completed virtually through Microsoft® Teams, a communication and collaboration platform. Employee interviews were done through video meetings, and documents were reviewed through screen sharing and e-mail. Management interviews were conducted virtually and over the phone with the corporate CEO, Investor Relations, and Senior Leadership such as the Executive Vice President and Human Resources, as well as various environmental and safety committees.

All the while, iSi’s auditor remained at our headquarters in Wichita, Kansas while conducting the audit at the client’s facility in Connecticut.

Following the audit, a report of findings and deficiencies was prepared and these reports were all delivered electronically.

iSi was able to conduct a very comprehensive ISO audit for this client, covering topics such as

External and Internal Issues
EHS Policies, Procedures, Objectives Compliance Obligations
Current Processes
Leadership Commitment, Culture and Management Roles
Employee Participation and Worker Needs
Available Resources
Internal and External Communication Systems and Evaluation Processes
Continual Improvement Efforts
Organizational Roles and Responsibilities
Reporting
Conformance to Regulatory and ISO Standards
and More

The Future of Virtual Audits

Although we don’t think we’ll be doing virtual audits exclusively from now on, we do see the benefits of this new alternative. It’s allowed us to become more organized and more in tune with the electronic resources we have at our disposal. It’s also saved our auditors a ton of time in not having to travel far distances, instead reinvesting that time into the project itself. This, in turn, also have been a cost savings and a time savings for our clients too.

In our business, there’s nothing like the interpersonal relationships that are built between our teams and our clients throughout a project. However, virtual audits has still allowed us to develop these and haven’t gotten in the way as much as one may think they would.

The efficiencies learned and gained are bound to help future projects going forward. Perhaps these experiences have shown us there will be less need in the future to be onsite for those visual audits or walkthroughs, while the other parts of the audit will be done remotely, saving time and efforts for both parties.

Time will tell what the future of audits will look like, but at iSi we are happy that we have found something positive to take away from this crazy time.

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Contributing:

Curtis Leiker, CSP

Certified Safety Professional | ISO 45001 and 14001 Lead Auditor

Curtis Leiker, CSP is a project manager at iSi Environmental. Besides assisting companies with ISO 14001 and 45001 implementation, Curtis manages environmental and safety programs, reporting and compliance issues for aviation, general industry and agricultural facilities. He’s able to see the big picture, but focus on the details and enjoys working to solve EHS issues.

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iSi Celebrates Career of Founder Karma Mason

Feb 28, 2020

Karma Mason

On February 20, iSi held an event to salute the career of Karma Mason, iSi’s long time President, COO, and co-owner, who is retiring from full-time duties.

Karma started iSi with her husband Gary Mason, iSi’s CEO, in 1990. They built iSi from their dining room table to a thriving company of over 150 in 4 office locations. She started out wanting to be a PE teacher, but was convinced to get a geology degree by her father, who owned an oil and gas company. She worked with her dad for a number of years and when his business closed during the downturn in the oil industry, she went to work for the research and development department of Vulcan Chemicals (now OxyChem). Gary also worked at Vulcan Chemicals. When they decided to start their own business, Gary left Vulcan and Karma stayed on, but working nights and weekends to help keep the business running until she joined full time in 1991. She worked environmental and geological-related projects for many years. As iSi continued to grow, she eventually phased into more of the role of Chief Operations Officer. This highlighted her strengths of managing operations and driving for success.

Early Determination: 3 National Bowling Championships

Recently retired Wichita State University bowling coach Gordon Vadakin provided a narration to highlight Karma’s leadership, passion, and drive to succeed. As a freshman, Karma and her team had won the first ever National Collegiate Bowling Championship, and it was the first national championship for Wichita State in any sport. They won the national championship again in her junior year, after taking second in her sophomore year.

photo of Gary Mason and iSi staff and guests

Gary Mason reads a narrative sent by former Wichita State University bowling coach Gordon Vadakin.

Vadakin become the coach in Karma’s senior year. “Believe me when I say this – I let her completely run the women’s team for the year. Hell, if I got in her way, I would have been run over. In fact, in all my years of coaching since then, I’ve never seen anything close to what Karma did for that 1978 team. I have no idea what Karma’s management style is like today, but back then I would describe her as unbelievably driven,” said Vadakin. Karma’s team won the national championship again her senior year, making her the only person to be on three national championship bowling teams in the 45-year history of collegiate bowling.

“Karma showed me that no mountain is too high, no goal to big, and that dreams become reality when you pour yourself into what you believe in,” said Vadakin.

Local Leadership Highlighted

Wichita Regional Chamber CEO Gary Plummer talks about the impact Karma’s had on the Chamber.

Gary Plummer from the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and Alan Cobb from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Industry were in attendance and each spoke glowingly about Karma’s leadership, assistance, education, and guidance she had given both organizations. Karma is currently on the board of both organizations and has been involved with each for a number of years.

Tracy Streeter, former director of the Kansas Water Office, expressed similar remarks about Karma from her time on the Kansas Water Authority. She was one of the longest serving women in the board’s history. Streeter praised Karma’s leadership in putting together the state budget for the group. When she presented the budget to legislators, she not only knew the budgetary dollars and cents, but she could speak to all of the technical issues involved as well.

Employee Thoughts

Photo of iSi['s Karma Mason in a red hat

Karma goes through her retirement ideas gift and contemplates joining the Red Hat Society.

Several employees remarked about their time with Karma both in serious and lighthearted ways. As they’ve done with other retiring or leaving managers, long time iSi employees Tammy Gonzales and Tami Hadley prepared a video tribute. iSi Facility Support Services manager Al Tolbert gave her a U.S. Air Force CMSGT Challenge Coin given only to a few for special achievement and that honor was very special to her as well as a framed photo of her office with “The Birthplace of Leadership” inscribed on it, from iSi’s Dick Genter.

Gary Mason said that Karma had been telling many people she didn’t want a rocking chair as a retirement gift, so he said “…we got her something so she could be more active,” – a walker with a bowling ball tied to it. She also received a symbolic key to the building (because she’s always welcome), and gifts to help her decide what to do in retirement such as a red hat, silver sneakers, free crochet lessons, and a book about progressive penny slots. Karma is known for her rock collection, so iSi did give her a serious gift: a heart-shaped geode from Utah.

Future Plans

Although she’s no longer going to be at iSi full-time, Karma will remain a part of the company and will continue to provide geological technical assistance when needed.

If You’d Like to Send a Message to Karma

If you’d like to send well wishes to Karma, email us here or you can send a card or note to her in care of iSi Environmental, 215 S. Laura, Wichita, Kansas 67211.

Shelbye Smith Receives Promotion

Oct 23, 2019

Shelbye Smith, SPHR

iSi is pleased to announce the promotion of Shelbye Smith, SPHR to the Chief Culture and Talent Officer at iSi. Shelbye has been with iSi for 16 years, where she primarily has served as both the Human Resources Manager and Risk Manager.

“This promotion is a recognition of Shelbye’s tremendous talents and our desire to have a talented Human Resource voice at the highest level of leadership”, said iSi CEO, Gary Mason. “Our business creates many challenges for HR professionals. At iSi, we have a full range of both highly trained EHS professionals and entry-level laborers. As a result, our HR professionals must create a recruiting and retention process that addresses all of these needs but also allows for an entrepreneurial approach to our business. Shelbye has done exactly that. Her balance of technical knowledge and understanding of the business has provided a tremendous advantage to our organization”.

“iSi is very fortunate to have someone of Shelbye’s caliber and experience to be a leader within our organization. Shelbye was State Director of the Society of Human Resource Managers (SHRM) from 2017 through 2018 and is also a Trombold Award winner. We look forward to her leadership moving forward”, said Karma Mason, iSi COO.

Shelbye grew up in Wichita, Kansas and graduated from Friends University with a B.S. in Psychology and Spanish, and completed a Masters in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Emporia State University. Shelbye is married to Ben Smith and they have two sons: Trevor and Connor. Shelbye’s favorite pastime is watching Trevor and Connor play baseball.

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iSi Adds Key Member to Team

Mar 8, 2019

Photo of Steve Hieger of iSi Environmental

iSi Consulting Services Director Steve Hieger

Steve Hieger has joined iSi as its Consulting Services Director. Hieger will oversee iSi’s entire Consulting Services department which includes management of iSi’s environmental, health, and safety consulting staff and overseeing departmental projects.

“iSi is a fast-paced, innovative, environmental services company and I was looking for a change. I want to participate and help grow the company and make it even more successful than it already is,” said Hieger.

iSi CEO, Gary Mason said, “Karma and I have known Steve for many years, mostly through various civic functions and have always admired his blend of technical knowledge and professionalism. Steve brings with him a tremendous amount of management experience along with strong background in chemical safety and engineering. This blended background makes Steve a great fit to our organization.”

Prior to joining iSi, Hieger was a Plant Manager with 38 years of experience in chemical manufacturing, research and development, and design engineering. Employers included Occidental Chemicals, Vulcan Chemicals, ERCO Worldwide and Dow Chemical. During those years, he has managed complex chemical manufacturing facilities with multiple operating plants. He also directed process engineering activities associated with design, construction and plant startup.

“Safety and environmental stewardship is the foundation of my professional career. I have spent many years dealing with federal, state and local regulations, rules and requirements, and making regulatory interpretations to achieve environmental and safety compliance. I look forward to doing the same for our clients,” said Hieger.

Hieger grew up in Andale, Kansas and graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering along with an MBA from Newman University. Hieger’s been married to his wife Kim for 38 years and they have four daughters. They are avid sailors and spend the majority of their recreational time sailing on Cheney Reservoir as members of the Ninnescah Sailing Association. They enjoy sharing time with family and grandchildren, traveling, and sailing in the British Virgin Islands.

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Mason Selected to Join EPA Policy and Technology Council

Dec 27, 2018

iSi CEO Gary Mason

Acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler selects iSi CEO Gary Mason to join EPA’s National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology, or NACEPT.

“This is an amazing opportunity to participate on developing environmental policy for our nation. I’m extremely excited and look forward to working with other members of the council,” said Mason.

NACEPT brings together representatives from the government, business and industry, environmental organizations, academia, and other groups to advise the EPA Administrator on issues relating to federal environmental statutes, executive orders, regulations, programs and policies.

As part of the Council, Mason will be providing advice and recommendations on:

Developing and implementing domestic and international management policies and programs;
Developing guidance on how EPA can most efficiently and effectively implement innovative approaches throughout the Agency and its programs;
Identifying approaches to enhance information and technology planning;
Improving approaches to environmental management in the fields of economics, business operations, and emerging technologies;
Increasing communication and understanding with the goal of improving the effectiveness of federal and non-federal resources directed at solving environmental problems; and,
Evaluating statutes, executive orders, and regulations and reviewing and assessing their progress.

As a co-founder of iSi Environmental and former Deputy Secretary for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), Gary has developed insight to the regulatory climate that businesses must operate under, and the systems and processes that facilitate compliance in a cost effective manner.

Mason’s term for NACEPT will run through November 30, 2020.

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iSi Covers Industrial Hygiene at Tennessee Conference

Nov 6, 2018

Ryan Livengood, iSi Project Manager

iSi Project Manager, Ryan Livengood, presents “How Can I Tell If I Have an Industrial Hygiene Issue and What Do I Need to Look For?” at the Chattanooga Regional Manufacturer’s Association Annual EHS Summit in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The term industrial hygiene (IH) covers a wide variety of issues found in your workplace. Even seasoned safety professionals can overlook areas of concern. Which kinds of typical industrial operations trigger potential issues? How can you tell if you need sampling? In this presentation, Ryan covers these topics plus gives specific examples of operations with their corresponding potential IH issue as well as examples of typical sampling events.

The CRMA EHS Summit brings together professionals engaged in creating and apply new methods to address and resolve environmental issues in various fields. Learn more at http://cma1902.com/.

Have you identified the industrial hygiene issues in your facility? Let iSi assess your operations and conduct your required exposure assessments!

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Overheul to Discuss Link Between Safety Prequalification and Sales

Sep 28, 2018

Photo of James Overheul from iSi Environmental

James Overheul
iSi Manager of Safety & Industrial Hygiene

iSi’s Manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene, James Overheul will be presenting “The Safety Prequalification: Where Sales and Safety Meet” at the 69th Annual Kansas Safety and Health Conference.

In recent years, you may have seen an influx of companies requiring safety data to be included within vendor prequalification documentation. Some companies use online programs such as ISNetworld and Avetta, and others have their own programs. These programs can be used to weed out vendors on the basis of safety performance, causing a bad safety record to affect your ability to do business. James will discuss the common safety statistics used in grading, methods for improving performance, and ideas on how to use these programs to boost safety support from upper management.

James will also be participating as a panelist in the open forum question and answer general session “Learning From Each Other, An Interactive Panel Discussion.”

This year’s Kansas Safety and Health Conference will be in Wichita on October 2-3, 2018.

If you’d like to see this presentation, or another safety or environmental-related presentation at your next conference, seminar or event, please email us or give us a call at (888) 264-7050.

Your company’s safety record can affect your business bottom line. Let iSi help you find the gaps in your program!

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Livengood to Cover Identifying Industrial Hygiene Issues

Sep 28, 2018

Ryan Livengood, iSi Project Manager

iSi Project Manager Ryan Livengood will be presenting “How Can I Tell If I Have an Industrial Hygiene Issue and What Do I Need to Look For?” at the 69th Annual Kansas Safety and Health Conference.

The term industrial hygiene (IH) covers a wide variety of issues found in your workplace. Even seasoned safety professionals can overlook areas of concern. Which kinds of typical industrial operations trigger potential issues? How can you tell if you need sampling? In this presentation, Ryan will cover these topics plus give specific examples of operations with their corresponding potential IH issue as well as examples of typical sampling events.

This year’s Kansas Safety and Health Conference will be in Wichita on October 2-3, 2018.

If you’d like to see this presentation, or another safety or environmental-related presentation at your next conference, seminar or event, please email us or give us a call at (888) 264-7050.

Do you have an industrial hygiene issue at your facility? Do you need help determining what you need to sample for? Let iSi help!

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Live Chat Now Available

Aug 2, 2018

Click on this button below to open up our live chat window!

iSi has added live chat as another way to contact us. To open the chat window, click on the blue button which is hovering at the bottom of each of our pages.

Use this new feature to ask about our training, request quotes, or find specific information you’re looking for. Right now, this is just something that will be available during the business day. The chat window should be available Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm (central time).

Give it a try today!

Ben Smith Named iSi CFO

Jun 5, 2018

Ben Smith, CMA
CFO of iSi

iSi is pleased to announce that Ben Smith has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer. Ben is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and has been with iSi since January 2009. He was most recently in the position of Controller.

In his position as CFO, Ben manages all finance and accounting functions for the company.

Ben has a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in international business from Newman University and a B.S. in Business, Accounting from Emporia State University.

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Mason Promoted to Strategic Channel Manager

May 29, 2018

Marc Mason
iSi Strategy Channel Manager

iSi is pleased to announce that Marc Mason has been promoted to Strategy Channel Manager. In this role, Marc will be responsible for the overall management of the Marketing and Sales department, as well as exploring new business opportunities and technology developments.

Marc has been with iSi since May 2009 and was most recently the Strategy and Business Development Coordinator. Marc recently relocated back to Wichita after spending nearly two years in iSi’s Atlanta office.

Marc has a B.S. in Finance and Management from Kansas State University.

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James Overheul Named Manager of Safety and IH

May 15, 2018

iSi Manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene James Overheul

iSi is pleased to announce that James Overheul has been promoted to Manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene in the Consulting Services division. James has been with iSi since August 2014 and was most recently a Project Manager in the Consulting Services division.

James has over 20 years’ experience in EHS and operations in the manufacturing and chemical industries. As a project manager for iSi, James worked with various companies to help them manage their EHS programs, mitigate risk, find solutions to issues, make culture changes and complete tasks. James has helped companies with safety culture development and implementation, onsite safety and environmental compliance, safety and environmental auditing, and employee training.

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Livengood Joins iSi

Apr 26, 2018

Ryan Livengood is a Project Manager with iSi

Ryan Livengood, iSi’s Newest Project Manager

iSi is pleased to announce Ryan Livengood has joined iSi’s Consulting Team as a Project Manager. As a former corporate environmental, health and safety manager, Ryan has a vast experience in working with both environmental and safety compliance issues.

Prior to joining iSi, Ryan was the HSE Division Manager for Pepsi North America, managing safety and environmental compliance issues for all Pepsi facilities nationwide, from manufacturing and bottling plants to warehouses to maintenance sites to fleet facilities. His specialties include environmental compliance, safety compliance, industrial hygiene, and ISO 14001.

Ryan is finishing his MSPH in Industrial Hygiene from Tulane University and has a B.S. in Biology from Kansas State University.

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iSi to Discuss SPCC’s Substantial Harm Criteria at Environmental Conference

Apr 5, 2018

Rohn Hamilton, P.E.

iSi’s Rohn Hamilton, P.E. will be presenting Ramifications of Triggering “Substantial Harm” Within the SPCC Plan at this year’s Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference.

SPCC Plans, or Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasures Plans, are EPA-required plans that are implemented at sites in order to prevent the discharge of oil into navigable waters or adjoining shorelines. SPCC Plans outline the procedures that will be used to cleanup a spill should it reach a navigable water and the measures to be implemented to prevent spills from occurring in the future. Companies who need SPCC Plans need to further identify whether or not their company additionally qualifies as a substantial harm facility. Facilities which meet any of the substantial harm criteria are then required to develop Facility Response Plans in addition to the SPCC Plans. Rohn will be covering how to determine if your facility needs an SPCC Plan and how to tell whether or not your facility additionally meets the substantial harm criteria.

Rohn is a professional engineer providing environmental engineering compliance (spill, stormwater prevention, facility response plans) for iSi. He’s a retired Air Force Colonel, who served as the 184 Intelligence Wing’s (McConnell AFB, KS) Chief Bioenvironmental Engineer (environmental, industrial hygiene) and Medical Group Commander. He is also an Airbus 320 Captain for American Airlines.

This year’s Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference will be held April 11-12 in downtown Kansas City. iSi is a Silver Sponsor for this year’s event and will be an exhibitor as well. Learn more here.

Does your facility meet SPCC’s Substantial Harm Criteria? iSi can help you determine that…contact us today!

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Leiker Joins iSi Team

Mar 8, 2018

Curtis Leiker, CSP is a project manager with environmental and safety experience

iSi Project Manager Curtis Leiker, CSP

iSi is pleased to announce Curtis Leiker, CSP has joined iSi’s Consulting Team as a Project Manager. As a former environmental, health and safety coordinator from manufacturing and agricultural-related facilities, Curtis has experience in working with both environmental and safety compliance issues.

In the environmental field, Curtis is an ISO 14001 Lead Auditor who has worked with directing and strengthening corporate environmental management systems. He also has extensive experience in environmental compliance auditing, air permitting, water, wastewater, tanks and waste as well as energy and water conservation. In the area of safety, he’s a Certified Safety Professional with experience in safety compliance auditing, program development, safety culture development, employee training, emergency preparedness, and contractor orientation.

Curtis has an M.S. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, with an emphasis in Air Quality Engineering and a B.S. in Biological and Agricultural Engineering with an Environmental, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences emphasis, both from Kansas State University.

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iSi Discusses Safety at Petroleum Packaging Council National Meeting

Mar 5, 2018

James Overheul
iSi Project Manager

iSi Project Manager James Overheul presented “Manufacturing Plant Safety and the Downstream Impact on Sales” at this year’s Petroleum Packaging Council national conference and tradeshow.

Company safety and injury statistics are increasingly becoming a tool for companies when choosing the vendors and suppliers they want to work with. Safety is now looked at in pre-qualification reviews, annual contract updates, in publically-available data, and in other locations. Now more than ever, your company’s safety record can affect your bottom line not only from the impact of worker’s compensation, but in being chosen as a supplier in the first place. In this presentation, James explains what manufacturers need to look for, which statistics are most important and what they can do to improve their record.

This year’s Petroleum Packaging Council was in Tampa, Florida from March 4-6.

If you’d like to book one of iSi’s safety or environmental professionals for an upcoming conference, seminar or event, email us or give us a call at (888) 264-7050.

Your company’s safety record can affect your business bottom line. Let iSi help you find the gaps in your program!

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Who is iSi? Watch Our Video to Learn More!

Dec 12, 2017

iSi is pleased to release its new company video. Check it out to learn more about our history, why we do what we do, what services we provide and our commitment to safety.

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iSi Discusses Environmental Compliance at Chattanooga EHS Summit

Nov 14, 2017

Photo of iSi's Consulting Services Manager

Nikki Chavez, CHMM – iSi’s Consulting Services Manager

iSi’s Consulting Services Manager, Nikki Chavez, CHMM, presented “Lessons Learned: The Most Common Issues and Gaps Found in Environmental Compliance Audits” at the Chattanooga Regional Manufacturer’s Association Annual EHS Summit.

Environmental audits can serve as a useful tool when looking to identify gaps, or even a starting point, for new and existing facilities. Nikki has conducted over 80 environmental audits at industrial facilities. She is also an ISO 14001 Certified Lead Auditor. In this presentation, Nikki identifies the most common environmental gaps and trouble points she’s observed in the areas of waste, water, air and overall compliance.

The CRMA EHS Summit brings together professionals engaged in creating and apply new methods to address and resolve environmental issues in various fields. Learn more at http://cma1902.com/. If you could not make it to the conference, get the highlights on our previous blog post.

Environmental audits can help you determine where you stand on EPA and state compliance. Let iSi help you find the gaps in your program!

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iSi Covers Common Safety Audit Issues at Kansas Safety & Health Conference

Sep 14, 2017

Photo of iSi's Manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene

Scott Smith, CSP – iSi’s Manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene

iSi’s Manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene, Scott Smith, CSP presented “Lessons Learned: The Most Common Issues and Gaps Found in Safety Compliance Audits” at the 2017 Kansas Safety & Health Conference.

Safety audits and inspections can serve as a useful tool when looking to identify gaps, or even a starting point, for new and existing facilities. Scott Smith, CSP, as a safety consultant and ISO 18001 lead auditor, has conducted over 80 safety audits at industrial facilities. In this presentation, he identified the most commonly found safety gaps and trouble points he’s observed. Do you have these at your facility too and what do you need to do to correct them?

The Kansas Safety & Health Conference is held annually in the September/October time frame. Learn more about the conference at https://www.dol.ks.gov/ishconference.

Is your facility compliant with OSHA regulations? Scott Smith can help you find out.

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iSi's OSHA Compliance Services

Mason Discusses Emergency Response at Wichita ASSE Monthly Meeting

Sep 7, 2017

Gary Mason

iSi’s CEO Gary Mason presented “Emergency Response Lessons: Chemical Fire, Neodesha, Kansas” at the monthly meeting of the Wichita Chapter American Society for Safety Engineering (ASSE).

Gary discussed the emergency response actions for a chemical fire which broke out right before Thanksgiving 2016 in Neodesha, Kansas. Gary represented KDHE during the response and was responsible for managing the environmental impacts both during the fire and impacts on nearby public water supplies. Gary gave insights the into response needs both during and after the fire, the planning and coordination involved, how state and federal governments work together during times of emergency response, and lessons learned from this event which attendees could take back to your own facilities.

The Wichita ASSE meets at iSi Environmental’s offices the first Monday of each month. The cost to attend is $10 and is open to all safety and environmental professionals. Register online at http://wichita.asse.org.

If you’re interested in having Gary present this program at your conference or seminar, contact us here.

Do you have emergency plans in place? Could they use an update? Give us a call!

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iSi's OSHA Compliance Services

iSi’s September EHS Training Schedule

Sep 1, 2017

Wichita, Kansas Classes

Our Wichita classes will be held at iSi’s Training Center at 215 S. Laura in Wichita.

Photo of drums managed by hazardous waste handlers.

RCRA Hazardous Waste Management

September 14-15, $475 (Lunch included on 2nd Day)
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RCRA Refresher

September 15, $225 (Lunch included)
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How can iSi help your company with EHS training? Check us out!

More Info on iSi Training

Onsite/Custom Training

Onsite Training Pricing

iSi Addresses Common Environmental Audit Findings at Kansas Environmental Conference

Aug 3, 2017

Nikki Chavez, CHMM – iSi’s Consulting Services Manager

iSi’s Consulting Services Manager, Nikki Chavez, CHMM, presented “Lessons Learned: The Most Common Issues and Gaps Found in Environmental Compliance Audits” at the Kansas Environmental Conference.

Environmental audits can serve as a useful tool when looking to identify gaps, or even a starting point, for new and existing facilities. Nikki has conducted over 80 environmental audits at industrial facilities. She is also an ISO 14001 Certified Lead Auditor. In this presentation, Nikki identifies the most common environmental gaps and trouble points she’s observed in the areas of waste, water, air and overall compliance.

The Kansas Environmental Conference is held annually in August. iSi has been exhibiting at this conference for over 20 years, and it’s a great resource of environmental education and information. Learn more at the conference’s website.

If you’d like this presentation at your next conference or event, or would like iSi to cover other items in the environmental or safety field, contact us here.

Environmental audits can help you determine where you stand on EPA and state compliance. Let iSi help you find the gaps in your program!

Request Pricing for Nikki to Do An Audit

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iSi's EPA Compliance Services

iSi’s August EHS and Hazmat Transportation Training Schedule

Aug 1, 2017

Check out iSi’s environmental, hazmat transportation and safety training schedule for the month of August!

Wichita, Kansas Courses

A photo of a forklift used in safety training. OSHA 30 Hour Occupational Health and Safety for General Industry
August 28-31
$695/student
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HAZWOPER
40 Hour: August 14-18, $725
24 Hour: August 14-16, $625
8 Hour Refresher: September 1, $225 (Includes lunch)
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DOT Refresher
August 25, $325 (Includes lunch)
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Asbestos Courses
Inspector Refresher: August 4, $125
Operations & Maintenance Refresher: August 8, $125
Worker Refresher: August 9, $160
Contractor/Supervisor Refresher: August 10, $160
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All Wichita classes will be held at iSi’s offices at 215 S. Laura in Wichita.

Atlanta, Georgia Courses

A photo of packaging used for DOT hazmat transportation. Ground (DOT) Hazardous Materials Transportation
Initial Training: August 28, $525 (Lunch included)
Refresher Training: August 31, $325 (Lunch included)
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Air Hazardous Materials Transportation
For initial and refreshers
August 30, $525 (Lunch included)
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Vessel (IMDG) Hazardous Materials Transportation
For initial and refreshers
August 29, $650 (Lunch included)
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RCRA Hazardous Waste Management
August 22, $225 (Lunch included)
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All of our Atlanta classes will be held at the iSi offices at 2180 Satellite Blvd. in Duluth.

How can iSi help your company with EHS training? Check us out!

More Info on iSi Training

Onsite/Custom Training

Onsite Training Pricing

Smith to Give Machine Guarding Presentation at Oklahoma Safety & Health Conference

Jun 21, 2017

Scott Smith, CSP – iSi’s Manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene

iSi’s Manager of Safety and Industrial Hygiene, Scott Smith, CSP will be presenting “Test Your Spotter Skills – Spot the Machine Guarding Violation” at this year’s Oklahoma Safety & Health Conference.

This year’s conference has a racing theme, “Safety at Peak Performance.” In addition to covering OSHA’s machine guarding regulations, Scott will give attendees the opportunity to “test their spotter skills” by identifying the violations from photos of real-life guarding violations Scott has come across in his projects. One of Scott’s project specialties at iSi is machine guarding compliance, including audits, inspections, written programs, and assisting with compliance solutions.

This year’s Oklahoma Safety & Health Conference will be in Norman, Oklahoma from June 21 to 23. iSi will also have a booth at the event. Check out Scott’s presentation by registering for the conference or learn more at https://oksafety.org/conference.

Is your machine guarding safe for your workers and compliant with OSHA regulations? Scott Smith can help you find out.

Request Pricing for Scott to Do An Audit

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iSi's OSHA Compliance Services

Mason Joins PrairieChar Advisory Board

Jun 19, 2017

iSi CEO Gary Mason has joined the Board of Advisors of PrairieChar.

iSi’s Gary Mason has joined the Board of Advisors for biomass waste recycling innovator PrairieChar, Inc.. PrairieChar has developed an innovative approach to converting biomass waste into products such as organic fertilizer, phosphoric acid, and specialty phosphoric chemicals. They are providing a management solution for feedlot animal manure that not only produces a profitable renewable product for both energy and agricultural markets, but reduces its impact to the environment.

Mason said, “It is a great opportunity to be a part of the PrairieChar team. PrairieChar’s technology provides an environmentally sound way to manure that will protect our waterways from nutrient leaching and runoff. Nitrate leaching is hard to remove from our drinking water and phosphate runoff is the primary cause of toxic blue-green algae in our waterways.”

More information about PrairieChar can be found at PrairieChar.com.

iSi’s Gary Mason has joined the Board of Advisors for biomass waste recycling innovator PrairieChar, Inc.. PrairieChar has developed an innovative approach to converting biomass waste into products such as organic fertilizer, phosphoric acid, and specialty phosphoric chemicals. They are providing a management solution for feedlot animal manure that not only produces a profitable renewable product for both energy and agricultural markets, but reduces its impact to the environment.

Mason said, “It is a great opportunity to be a part of the PrairieChar team. PrairieChar’s technology provides an environmentally sound way to manure that will protect our waterways from nutrient leaching and runoff. Nitrate leaching is hard to remove from our drinking water and phosphate runoff is the primary cause of toxic blue-green algae in our waterways.”

More information about PrairieChar can be found at PrairieChar.com.

How can iSi help your company with EPA environmental compliance? Check us out!

Go to EPA Compliance Services

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iSi Speaks at Economic Development Group Luncheon

Jun 8, 2017

iSi enjoys the opportunity to present to industry groups, professional organizations, and other business groups. Our Consulting Services Manager Nikki Chavez was the keynote speaker for this month’s Cowley County Economic Development luncheon. Nikki presented “Environmental and Safety Regulations: What Applies to Me and How Do I Take Care of It All?”

If your organization is looking for presenters or more information on environmental, safety or occupational health-related subjects, contact us today!

Need Help Determining Which Regs Apply

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Mason Retiring from Full-Time Duties at iSi Environmental

Contributing:

Curtis Leiker, CSP

Have you identified the industrial hygiene issues in your facility? Let iSi assess your operations and conduct your required exposure assessments!

Your company’s safety record can affect your business bottom line. Let iSi help you find the gaps in your program!

Do you have an industrial hygiene issue at your facility? Do you need help determining what you need to sample for? Let iSi help!

Does your facility meet SPCC’s Substantial Harm Criteria? iSi can help you determine that…contact us today!

Your company’s safety record can affect your business bottom line. Let iSi help you find the gaps in your program!

How can iSi help you? Check us out!

Environmental audits can help you determine where you stand on EPA and state compliance. Let iSi help you find the gaps in your program!

Is your facility compliant with OSHA regulations? Scott Smith can help you find out.

Do you have emergency plans in place? Could they use an update? Give us a call!

Wichita, Kansas Classes

RCRA Hazardous Waste Management

RCRA Refresher

How can iSi help your company with EHS training? Check us out!

Environmental audits can help you determine where you stand on EPA and state compliance. Let iSi help you find the gaps in your program!

Wichita, Kansas Courses

Atlanta, Georgia Courses

How can iSi help your company with EHS training? Check us out!

Is your machine guarding safe for your workers and compliant with OSHA regulations? Scott Smith can help you find out.

How can iSi help your company with EPA environmental compliance? Check us out!

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