Large Manufacturer Saves Money and Increases Productivity
"We have a lot of people who are not necessarily tech-savvy. So, the solution had to be very intuitive. Novara won us over." – Steve Pelkey, EHS Corporate Director
Customer Profile
Western Pneumatics
Large Equipment Manufacturing is Key in Western Pneumatic’s Portfolio
Western Pneumatics provides wood handling solutions for the wood products industry, with a focus on large machinery. The 37-year-old company operates in North America and overseas, encompassing engineering, fabrication, and installation groups. Western has shop locations in Eugene, OR, and Ruston, LA, with 280,000 SF of total manufacturing space. The nearly 300-person company’s staff grew by almost one-third in 2021.
16
Training Modules
.28
Reduction in Ex-Mod Rate
33%
Company Growth in 2021
Challenge
Ambitious EHS Manager Needed a Software Solution to Match
When Steve Pelkey took the role of EHS Corporate Director, he found outdated solutions from the early 2000s and overwhelming data management needs. Key issues included:
- Training tracking via spreadsheets
- 16 training modules for new employees taking 10 hours to complete
- Field services crew requiring 8-hour safety training sessions
- Need for comprehensive data management solution
Solution
Novara Flex Manages Training and Helps Prevent Accidents
After researching ten companies and six months of demos, Western chose Novara Flex for its:
- Intuitive interface for non-tech-savvy users
- Comprehensive training tracking
- Immediate notification system
- Broad functionality including confined space training, HazCom, emergency action plans, and SDS management
Result
Western Pneumatics’s Experience Modifier Rate Dips, While Savings Grow
Implementation delivered significant improvements:
“Workers’ comp claims started dropping off,” Pelkey explained.
“We got huge windfalls back from our workers’ comp insurance company—twice.”
“The upper brass said, ‘Hey, that’s never happened before.’ I said, ‘Wait until next year…’ and then the windfall doubled.”
The system’s success led to broader adoption: “Everybody kept seeing the forms and saying, ‘These are awesome. Can I use it, too?’ So now it’s become bigger than EHS, and it continues to grow.”
Cultivating an Automated & Proactive Safety-First Culture with Flex
“I tell people all the time how great Flex is across the industry; it’s been a great, affordable, and scalable option.” – Danielle Reinhardt, Safety Administraton
From Spreadsheets to SmartSafety: PT&TG Gains 40% More Reporting and Full Remote Visibility with Novara
“Novara reaches out to us regularly for feedback on how the platform can be improved. They truly prioritize the voice of the customer, and that’s been incredibly valuable.” – Eric Gardner, VP of Risk Management at Pittsburg Tank & Tower Group
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“[Novara] is so much more than what we thought, we’ve put so much into this platform, it’s crazy to think about. It’s running our operations, it’s running SQF, it’s running a lot of our ISO audits, and more,” – Tyler VanDee, Environmental Health & Safety Manager
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