What is ResponsibleAG and why does a Turf & Ornamental fertilizer company want to get certified?

ResponsibleAg is an industry-led initiative committed to helping businesses that handle or store fertilizer comply with applicable federal regulations.  While the program focused on companies that store or handle ammonium nitrate and/or anhydrous ammonia initially, certification and focus has expanded to all those in the industry.

The ResponsibleAg Certification Program is a comprehensive program that provides education and a systematic approach to continuous improvement, helping its members identify potential compliance issues and correct them prior to an audit and ultimately alleviate the potential for penalties.

Benefits of Certification

• Reduce the potential for employee injuries and adverse incidents
• Reduce the potential for OSHA, DOT, EPA and DHS violations
• Reduce the chance for facility fires
• Minimize the potential for transportation-related incidents
• Enhance facility safety and security
• Reduce workers’ compensation costs
• Reduce insurance costs
• Protect employees and safeguarding the communities in which we live and work

Certification Tells Us Where We Need To Improve

Participating in the ResponsibleAG program is yet another way to audit our processes, according to Joe Alf, Compliance Officer for Eau Claire Cooperative Oil Company.  The ResponsibleAG program has a checklist, developed by a technical committee comprised of industry regulatory professionals, which contains more than 320 questions.  Credentialed auditors use this checklist to audit the level of compliance at the participating facility.  “A key function of our Compliance Management System (CMS) is ongoing audits.  Having an outside organization verify our processes and advise us on improvements helps keep our employees safe when working with fertilizers and chemicals—and improves the quality and consistency of our products,” added Alf.

“We don’t know what we don’t know” says Steve Hunsley the Chief Executive Officer of Eau Claire Cooperative Oil Company.  Compliance is a major focus of the Co-Op and maintaining a safe and efficient operation is critical to its success.  “In order to be the best at what we do, we need to have audit processes in place to ensure continued compliance,” he adds.

“I am pleased with my team for achieving this certification as it validates our current efforts and identified areas of improvement,” Hunsley says.

For more information about ResponsibleAg and its certification process, visit www.responsibleag.org