Verdant Web Technologies will be featured in an upcoming newsletter published by the Oregon School Facilities Management Association (OSFMA). The piece highlights the challenges that arise when a single individual is responsible for data management, and solutions to ensure records are properly kept in the event that person is no longer employed by the organization:

Data Gaps and Solutions

What happens when an employee within your district holding a vast amount of institutional knowledge retires or moves on? Over the past 30 years, PBS Engineering + Environmental (PBS) has witnessed many districts paying repeatedly for the same services only because records are not well kept and the staff member responsible for record management is long-gone.  The increasing level of retiring baby boomers and unexpected budget cuts can leave a huge knowledge gap for future facility managers.

Unless a well-executed transfer of information occurs, this may produce headaches related to many areas, particularly environmental compliance and timely retrieval of data.  School districts, both large and small, have the same risk issues and information legacy challenges.

What’s the Solution?

With the advent of less expensive data storage and secured web access to data, electronic record-keeping is the new norm. The use of databases and electronic document storage save time, energy, and can lower risk. These technologies can be developed to encompass any combination of data resources including records, permits, reporting, and notifications for various compliance requirements such as:

• Asbestos

• Integrated Pest Management Programs
• Lead in Paint and Water
• Underground Injection Control (UIC) Systems and Stormwater
• Confined Space Programs
• Underground Storage Tanks
• Training Records
• Worker Right-to-Know Notifications and MSDS Information

EPA Region 10 Advocates for Electronic Record Keeping

Verdant Web Technologies (VWT), a PBS subsidiary specializing in required data management for school districts, has confirmed the EPA’s support of electronic management of AHERA documentation. In recent communications with the EPA, Wallace Reid (Region 10 Asbestos and Lead Team Leader) clarified that, with respect to AHERA, it is “perfectly acceptable not to have a physical copy of the Management Plan if it is being managed as part of an electronic data system.”

Mr. Reid further outlined general guidelines related to electronic file management:

• Although AHERA rules are interpreted to require a physical copy EPA Region 10 will not enforce this specific requirement within their jurisdiction.
• Accommodations for parents, teachers and others to access and review to the electronic system must be available.
• The Plan must also be available to EPA for inspection when the School District is presented with an EPA Notice of Inspection.
• From a practical perspective, the EPA may also need to have some portions of an electronic management plan printed for the purposes of performing an inspection or taking notes.

It was also confirmed that the EPA will work with school districts and encourage them to reduce, to the maximum extent practical, the amount of paper used to comply with AHERA requirements.

“This shift of acceptance by EPA is a big step in toward pollution prevention, efficiency and costs savings for Schools” says Ron Petti of VWT.

Another related solution for facility managers is having the ability to provide up-to-date electronic records to users, in-house maintenance staff, contractors and other vendors who need to know the issues in a particular building.  This is where integration with asset management, work order systems, and environmental compliance applications can have a huge risk management benefit. PBS and Verdant hope to see this integration as wave continue into the future.

Environmental compliance, risk management and becoming a paperless organization may seem like a daunting task for any School Districts.  PBS and Verdant Web Technologies offer a simple, step-wise approach (which can be viewed at www.verdantwebtech.com) that can help any size district get to a point where institutional memory is transformed to digital memory.

Contributors:
–     Derek May, PBS Engineering + Environmental (pbsenv.com)
–     Ron Petti, Verdant Web Technologies (verdantwebtech.com)