CHS Agri Service Center: Serving Up Safety
April 9, 2012 From August 2009 to August 2010, this outlet sold a total of 39.2 million bushels of grain, 10 million gallons of energy products and 34,159 tons of fertilizer. With this much product going through the door, safety is something this cooperative’s grower members need to count on.
Its focus on safety is what earned CHS Agri Service Center’s main branch, located in Loomis, NE, a state Environmental Respect Award for 2011.
“Farmers rely on CHS to safely bring them the fertilizer, grains, seeds and other products they need during spring work and harvest,” says Stacy Cash, office manager. “Our commitment is to service and meet the needs of our customers.”
The cooperative does this in many ways. Retail and wholesale towers house their own state-certified overhead scale, so no truck scale is needed during the loading process. The loadout areas are housed in a 110-foot by 56-foot building with overhead doors allowing for trucks to be loaded safely in all weather conditions. The facility’s state-of-the-art dry fertilizer terminal holds 28,000 tons of product and was designed with a barrel roof which eliminates wasted space inside the bins.
Upon arrival to the company, employees take a mandatory safety course and attend daily or weekly safety meetings. To help in an emergency situation, CHS established a “Headcount Area,” identified on its site map and in the Emergency Plan book. Once an employee arrives at the Headcount Area, the fire chief or supervisor instructs them on additional action to be taken.
To promote safety in the community, CHS supports the local 4-H groups, the local FFA, high-school career days, a wellness program, and a yearly food drive to the community pantry.
“We believe in a safe and healthy environment for our employees, customers and community,” says Cash. “Our team works to ensure effective nutrient management practices and that fertilizer is being used in an environmentally sensitive way. We want to keep our community safe and healthy for the future generation.”
Note: CHS Agri Service Center was a 2011 state Environmental Respect Award winner. For more information on this program, which is sponsored by DuPont, click here.
Subscribe Today For
