Quality Assurance Process for Assessing Vegetation Management Programs. Dale Sutherland Crop Production Services Timberland Division

Transcription

1 Vegetation Management Industry Wide Solutions Quality Assurance Process for Assessing Vegetation Management Programs Dale Sutherland Crop Production Services Timberland Division Thinking Differently About Closed Chain of Custody

2 Closed Chain of Custody Understanding the Closed Chain of Custody System Think of it as a risk management system that documents Returnable, the movement of Custom herbicides Refillable through the chain Blendsof custody Container (supply chain). The Closed Chain of Custody concept includes herbicide manufacturing, distribution, Closed custom blender, Product land manager Connections and applicator Tracking AND return of System empty containers for refilling and reuse. Vegetation Management Industry Wide Solutions Metrics designed to show what was used and where it went on the ROW? Ready-to-use and diluted concentrate formulations in returnable /refillable containers in a closed loop delivery system. A practice that minimizes risk for the applicator but, also the public and the environment.

3 Components Of a Chemical And Container Management System Bulk Facility Returnable Container Systems Closed Loop Valve equipment Custom Blending Chemical and Container Tracking System

4 Recognized Best Management Practice UAA and ROW Stewardship Council Vegetation Management Industry Wide Solutions Recognized BMP This BMP aligns with EPA s interest in promoting the use of closed loop container systems and container recycling. Right-of-Way Stewardship Council has adopted UAA s BMP as a standard for their accreditation process. 4

5 Closed Chain of Custody obmp s o4 Key Elements: o 1. Using Returnable/Refillable Containers o The Container Cycle o 2. Using Closed Connections at Transfer Points o The Integrity Cycle o 3. Using a Container Tracking System o The Documentation Cycle o 4. Using Custom Blends o The Herbicide Cycle

6 Closed Chain of Custody How does it work? Vegetation Management Industry Wide Solutions Herbicides and surfactants are ordered by the end user and blended according to contract specifications. The label is the law and custom blends guarantee formulations are mixed correctly. Product is shipped in a unique, returnable/refillable container with an interlocking valve, tamper evident seal, and a bar code. The documentation cycle starts and ends with the product tracking code (i.e. container ID #). Container ID # Tamper Evident Seal The container ID is what starts the product tracking process and is what links the end-user to all the pertinent information associated with the treatment Thinking Differently About Closed Chain of Custody 6

7 15 Gallon Returnable Refillable Container

8 Life of a 15 gallon R/R Container Averages 2.75 turns per year. Displaces ½ gallon containers One container displaces 82.5 one way containers over 5 years A fleet of 18,000 containers displaces 1,485,000 one ways over five years

9 The Cube Five Gallon One-way Packaging

10 Micromatic Drum Valve Equipment- Closed Loop

11 Using Best Management Practices when mixing

12 Closed Loop Benefits Reduced Worker Exposure to Products. Increased Safety!! Ease of use. Time savings. Increased Productivity

13 Cloverdale VA Salem OR Manufacturers bulk products are stored until orders are received to package or custom blend into returnable containers. Bulk Facilities

14 Custom Blending Benefits Customer can purchase exactly what he needs of each component from his distributor to do X number of end use gallons. Reduction in potential mixing errors Reduced mixing time, more spray time Reduced inventory requirements

15 Thinking Differently About your VM Program Why Closed Chain of Custody Matters? Vegetation Management Industry Wide Solutions How can we connect your priorities with technologies that are designed to help you achieve higher standards? Safety = Improving the safety of our work environment by adopting industry recognized BMP Work Continual Contractor + CCC + CCC + CCC + CCC Stewardship Planning Improvement Performance + CCC = QA process that enhances business performance, compliance priorities and auditable value. = Customized reports that demonstrate what was used and where it went on the ROW = Maximize time management by providing more time for crew QC monitoring Closed Chain of Custody is most valuable when fully utilized with the documentation cycle. It is much more than just custom blends and returnable drums. The documentation cycle brings a new level of credibility to your program through the creation of auditable reports. = Enhanced environmental approach to herbicide VM program Thinking Differently About Closed Chain of Custody 15

16 Closed Chain of Custody WORKFLOW PROCESS The objective is to utilize CPS as a supply chain partner to facilitate the full operational field implementation of UAA s BMP. Vegetation Management Industry Wide Solutions Delivery Business Analysis The workflow process starts at the field level and requires a thorough understanding of your challenges. Evaluation Review application reports to ensure the correct QA metrics are being collected to capture the full benefits of CCC system. Custom Blender The custom blend work order placed by the contractor creates the CCC link between the utility, the contractor and the herbicide treatment information. Data Collection Field implementation requires application information to be collected by contractors in either a paper or digital format. This process will be fully digital (mobile app) by June Processing On a weekly basis, the daily application info is merged electronically with key metrics from the blending work order this links all the treatment information into one database that creates the Chain of Custody for the herbicides being used on the ROW. Our program is designed to provide key analytics through our product tracking reports to help better manage and measure program results by adopting a true Closed Chain of Custody approach. Thinking Differently About Closed Chain of Custody

17 Gallons Dashboard Results Performance Management Gallons Reported Audit (all Contractors) 22% 78% Verified & Matched Invalid Gallons System Wide Summary Report Corridors Treated Total Gallons Reported Total Brush Acres High Volume Contractors ,795 1, Low Volume Contractors 94 97,811 13, High Volume Contractors True-Up Summary Low Volume Contractors GPA Total Gallons Purchased Total Gallons Reported Delta Gallons Over Applied vs. Under Applied Crew (High Volume Applicators) Comparison (Gals) 24% 3% 2% 0.5% 74% Gallons Over Applied vs. Under Applied (Low Volume Applicators) 94% Crew 5 Crew 13 Crew 16 Vegetation Management Industry Wide Solutions Properly Applied Over Applied Under Applied GAL Reported GAL Verified GAL Over Applied GAL Under Applied Properly Applied Properly Applied Over Applied Under Applied Thinking Differently About Closed Chain of Custody 17

18 Why Implement CCC BMP s??? It s Good Business Proactive Industry Self Regulation Show Commitment to Environmental Stewardship Waste Stream Management Applicator Safety Cost Effectiveness Risk Mitigation Program Credibility Auditable Reports Track Product Usage Improve Applicator Performance Increased Professionalism

19 Questions??? Thank You Dale S. Sutherland CPS Timberland