EHS COOP Program
A National EHS Team for the Price of a Fraction of One Hire
iSi's COOP retainer starts at $15,000/year — typically $115,000–$180,000 less than a single fully-loaded EHS hire, with a national team in 40 states included. Foundation, Maintenance, or Partner Program — pick the tier that fits your operation.
How the COOP Program Works
COOP stands for Cooperative Operations Program. Instead of hiring a full-time EHS professional — with salary, benefits, PTO, and turnover risk — you get iSi's full team on a structured annual retainer. Your team handles day-to-day operations. iSi provides the expert environmental and safety backup they need.
We Assess Your Current State
iSi audits your environmental and safety programs, identifies compliance gaps, and prioritizes the top exposure areas.
We Recommend a Tier
Based on your operation size, regulatory complexity, and internal team capacity, we recommend Foundation, Maintenance, or Partner Program.
We Plug In
iSi integrates with your existing team. We handle the environmental and safety work that requires deep expertise — your team keeps ownership of day-to-day operations.
Compliance Becomes a Program
No more fire drills. Reporting deadlines are tracked. Programs are maintained. Inspections are anticipated. Compliance runs like a system.
Foundation. Maintenance. Partner Program.
Every tier includes access to iSi's national team across 40 states. The difference is scope, frequency, and depth of engagement.
Compliance Foundation
- Regulatory reporting support
- Permit maintenance and renewal tracking
- Quarterly compliance check-ins
- Phone and email access to iSi consultants
- Annual compliance audit
Ideal for: Single-site operations with a capable internal EHS team that needs expert backup on environmental compliance.
Compliance Maintenance
- Everything in Foundation, plus:
- Proactive program management
- Monthly compliance oversight
- Safety program development support
- Training coordination and delivery
- Regulatory change monitoring
- Bi-annual site visits
Ideal for: Manufacturing operations with growing compliance complexity, or teams where one person covers both environmental and safety.
Compliance Partner Program
- Everything in Maintenance, plus:
- Full EHS program management
- Dedicated team access
- Monthly site visits
- Strategic compliance planning
- Inspection preparation and support
- Executive-level reporting
- Multi-site coordination
Ideal for: Multi-site operators, complex regulatory environments, or organizations without a senior EHS professional on staff.
The Math Is Simple
- One person, one location
- PTO, benefits, turnover risk
- Limited specialization
- Replacement time: 3–6 months
- You pay even when work is slow
- National team, 40 states
- No PTO, no benefits overhead
- Deep environmental and safety specialization
- No hiring, no turnover disruption
- Scale up or down as your needs change
The COOP Model, the Math, and Where It Fits
Outsourced, fractional, staff augmentation — or plug-in augmentation?
The market uses these terms loosely, and they are not the same thing. Outsourced EHS replaces your team entirely — workable only under ~50 employees with low hazard exposure. Fractional EHS is one named professional split across a few clients; if that individual leaves, you are back at zero. Staff augmentation is buying hours, the most expensive way to buy EHS support, with no continuity. Plug-in augmentation — the COOP model — keeps your safety person in place and routes each task to the right specialist: Tier II to the environmental team, silica sampling to a CIH, training to the trainers. Institutional depth without firing anyone, without one-person bench risk.
What does the first-year math look like versus hiring?
A fully-loaded EHS hire runs $130,000–$195,000 (30% benefits burden per BLS ECEC), plus $10,000–$25,000 in recruiting cost and 42–63 days median time-to-fill while the compliance calendar keeps running — roughly $145,000–$225,000 all-in for year one. The COOP retainer starts at $15,000/year with a national team in 40 states. For a 3-site operator, internal EHS staffing runs $390,000–$585,000 annually; COOP covers all three sites for $15,000–$90,000. Subtract one OSHA willful citation ($165,514) the program would have caught, and the math compounds again.
Can one retainer cover sites in different states?
That is where the model is strongest. A plant in Wichita (federal OSHA, KDHE), one in Fresno (Cal/OSHA, CalEPA), and one in Grand Rapids (MIOSHA, EGLE) face three regulatory environments simultaneously — different PELs, different state programs, different inspection styles. The retainer runs one written program library, one training calendar, and one reporting cadence across the footprint. Your existing safety person at each plant stays in place as the site champion; the COOP layer makes them consistent, so every inspection answers to the same documentation and the same project manager.
What's actually on the scope menu?
A menu, not a frozen bundle — each month the assigned project manager walks the next 30–60 days with you and confirms priorities. Safety: written programs, gap audits, mock OSHA inspections, 300/300A log management, LOTO procedures. Industrial hygiene: silica, welding fume, hexavalent chromium, lead, and noise sampling; respirator fit testing. Environmental: Tier II (March 1, no extensions), TRI Form R (July 1), SPCC with PE certification, stormwater SWPPPs, Title V deviation reports, RCRA generator reviews. Training: OSHA 10/30, HazCom, confined space, DOT hazmat, forklift. The tier sets the volume; the conversation sets the priority.
When is COOP not the right fit?
A refinery under a Title V major-source permit with continuous compliance assurance monitoring, a chemical plant on OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program list, or a foundry with deep single-site enforcement exposure needs a full-time on-site EHS lead with eyes on the floor every shift. iSi can augment that role with specialist depth — it cannot replace it, and we will say so. If you are a 50-to-500-employee manufacturer with one to ten sites and a safety manager carrying environmental work they were never trained on, the retainer is the structural fit.
COOP Program Questions
What is the EHS COOP program?
The EHS COOP (Cooperative Operations Program) is iSi's retainer model for ongoing environmental and safety support. Instead of hiring a full-time EHS professional, you get a national team across 40 states on an annual retainer — structured in Foundation, Maintenance, or Partner Program tiers starting at $15,000/year.
How much does the EHS COOP retainer cost?
COOP retainers range from $15,000 to $90,000 per year depending on scope, number of sites, and service level. A fully-loaded senior EHS hire costs $130,000–$195,000 per year — the COOP retainer provides a national team at 10–50% of that cost.
What is the difference between Foundation, Maintenance, and Partner Program tiers?
Compliance Foundation provides essential compliance support — reporting, permit maintenance, and quarterly check-ins. Compliance Maintenance adds proactive program management, training support, and more frequent oversight. Compliance Partner Program provides full environmental and safety program management with dedicated team access, monthly site visits, and strategic compliance planning.
Can I start with a lower tier and upgrade later?
Yes. Many clients start with Compliance Foundation to stabilize immediate compliance gaps, then upgrade to Maintenance or Partner Program as they see the value. There is no penalty for changing tiers.
Does the COOP retainer cover both environmental and safety?
Yes. The COOP program covers the full EHS spectrum — environmental compliance, safety consulting, and industrial hygiene. One retainer, one team, both sides of EHS covered.
Service Available in These Markets
Your EHS Program Shouldn't Cost More Than It Has To
Get a national team of EHS experts for 10–50% the cost of a single hire. Foundation, Maintenance, or Partner Program — we'll help you pick the right tier.
Get COOP Pricing