The Internet Database Service Provider: TrueNorth

Where Compliance is a Science

TrueNorth offers a range of online Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) tracking options for driver qualifications, training, medical data, evaluations and endorsements, facility compliance, substance abuse program management, and incident management. Established in Houston, Texas in 1998, TrueNorth provides paperless, immediate access to compliance data, allowing clients to track and audit their compliance performance online in real time for 100% of their people and their locations.

TrueNorth is the actual or geographic northernmost point on the planet — the top of the world. When people use a compass to find their way, the “north” indicated on the dial is actually the magnetic north pole, not true north. In fact, the nearer you are to geographic true north, the less accurate a conventional tool like a compass becomes. To precisely calculate and reach true north requires sophisticated tools and calculations.

It’s a lot like the quest for ESH excellence. The further an organization advances its ESH efforts, the more inadequate conventional measurement tools such as accident and injury losses and regulatory citations become. ESH excellence requires a level of sophistication in metrics that few organizations possess on their own. TrueNorth supplies the science that helps companies reach their own true north. With that same technology, the company provides its employees with an environment that respects and capitalizes on differences in work styles and does not require compromise of personal priorities.

TrueNorth hopes that it fulfills this mission in a manner that honors God through its relationships with clients, employees, vendors, investors and the government.

The Firm’s Clients

TrueNorth serves clients in a range of industries, including:

• Construction
• Energy
• Healthcare/ Biotechnology
• Manufacturing
• Retail
• Transportation
• Waste Management

The Process

TrueNorth’s expert system is programmed around a set of complex algorithms that automate compliance tasks. It defines those tasks by working with each customer to identify detailed compliance requirements for their organization. These include industry-specific regulations and best business practices along with client policies and procedures. Reports are then designed to include data labels and formats relevant to the customer’s organization.

When documents are emailed or faxed to TrueNorth, its professionals review them and enter key compliance data into the expert system. The actual documents can also be imaged, indexed and stored in the system. Clients can use their own staff to enter data directly into TrueNorth as well.

After data is in the system, it is immediately available via the Internet for tracking, forecasting and auditing compliance requirements by an individual or by a group for employees, equipment and facilities.

The Benefits of Online, Real-Time Compliance

• Automation of key processes necessary to monitor and manage compliance
• Paperless, instant file availability from any Internet-accessible computer
• Customer-defined tracking, reporting and record keeping
• Full spectrum audits at the touch of a button
• Compliance forecasting for upcoming requirements
• Safe file transmission and storage through Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) technology, dedicated firewalls, and client-specified user access limits
• Reduced cost of compliance and risk of non–compliance
• Enhanced productivity for safety and compliance staff

Site Security and System Redundancy

Through TrueNorth’s partnership with Rackspace, it is able to offer its clients an application housed in a world-class, secure data center with a 99.999% uptime guarantee. This state-of-the-art network uses 3 levels of security, N+1 redundant HVAC system+s, and a fully switched Cisco network engineered with full redundancy to ensure there is no single point of failure. To provide multiple redundancies in the flow of information to and from the data centers, Rackspace partners with a minimum of nine network providers.

The servers housing its clients’ data utilize RAID5 data redundancy, daily tape backups with offsite storage and rotation, and professionally managed disaster recovery processes. A dedicated Cisco PIX 515R firewall prevents any unauthorized access to the server.

Meet the Leader

Pam Harris, Ph.D., President:

Pam Harris brings more than 25 years of experience in safety and health to her role as President of TrueNorth Compliance, Inc. Prior to founding TrueNorth, Harris served as Divisional Vice President of Safety and Health Services for Browning-Ferris Industries, where she oversaw transportation and facility safety, occupational medicine, training, and substance abuse programs for 30,000 employees. Harris obtained a Ph.D. in Environmental Science and a Master of Public Health from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Arizona State University.

“Our mission is to help companies protect the health and safety of their people, their assets and the environment through technology.”