Taminco Chemicals Rely on Milestone for Employee Safety and Federal Regulation
Milestone Systems’ open platform IP video management technology is helping Taminco USA to manage employee safety and to uphold federal regulations for the production and transportation of hazardous materials.
Taminco manufactures compounds and solutions for agricultural, personal and home care, energy and water treatment chemicals. To research and develop these essential compounds, Taminco uses a wide variety of solutions, powders and other substances for its manufacturing sites. The Department of Health, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation heavily monitor the shipping of these substances, so it is essential that a sophisticated surveillance system monitor every step of the process, from delivery of raw materials to the shipment of end products.
To monitor and record all daily activity in its US manufacturing facilities, Taminco has deployed Milestone XProtect video management software (VMS) for overseeing employee safety while delivering hazardous chemicals to and from manufacturing, and ensuring compliance with the strict federal regulations.
“Our products are manufactured and loaded for shipping every day into rail cars and trucks, all of which are thoroughly regulated by the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security,” said Matt Bodi, IT manager, Taminco USA. “With the Milestone video system, we can increase safety and help save time and energy. We can adjust camera views and record every second of a load to ensure there is no spillage while keeping our inventory counts accurate.”
For distribution around the globe, Taminco develops both simple and complex chemical solutions that are used for applications in many industries. The raw materials and end products manufactured in the labs can pose a threat if handled inappropriately or misused, so regulations imposed by the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Transportation (such as the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards or CFATS) ensure that the transfers of barrels, jugs and vats are well-documented and monitored for national security purposes. Keeping its efficient yet cautious staff adhering to regulations is a top priority for the company.
Milestone XProtect Enterprise video management software has been deployed by Milestone Partner MMR to address an outdated analog camera system in Taminco’s Louisiana and Florida factories. With the Milestone open platform technology, Taminco was able to test and choose the highest quality cameras - including a Bosch explosion-proof model. Milestone’s central, remote and mobile monitoring abilities assist in the safe and compliant conveyance of chemicals to and from the factories.
In such a hypersensitive industry, knowing what happens during an incident, which chemicals are involved and where contamination occurred are crucial in maintaining a safe environment for employees during rare emergencies. Milestone’s intuitive interface provides the administrators ease of use and ongoing upgrades. Another benefit is the ability to manage a mix of cameras, thanks to Milestone’s open platform support of thousands of devices.
Being a company dealing with specialized equipment, chemicals and potential threats made the installation a challenge. In the St. Gabriel, Louisiana factory, 35 digital cameras are installed, while the Pace, Florida, factory has nearly 75. A combination of fixed and pan-tilt-zoom cameras continuously monitor Taminco: Sony SNCRZ50N and SNCEP520, Axis Q1755 and P5534, Bosch EX72 (Explosion Protected) and Axis encoders 243Q and P7210.
Taminco’s two U.S. plant locations use the video surveillance for both traditional security and monitoring everyday activities. From watching parking lots, gates and exterior fences to examining every step of the transportation and manufacturing processes in its busy facilities, the company takes great pride in ensuring the safety of its employees in the work environment.
Asset security is also a high priority, second only to personnel safety, as many raw materials and products are more interesting to criminals than some of the expensive equipment used to develop, manufacture and transport the chemicals.
"When it all comes down to it, the video is used for more than just security,” continued Bodi. “There’s another type of surveillance we provide: managing efficiency in our detailed manufacturing processes. The production of our products is vital to the company’s success, so we keep an eye on the process, monitoring stations for quality and effective techniques.”