Case Study: Costco Wholesale Corporation achieves streamlined hazardous-materials compliance and 24/7 SDS & spill response with Verisk 3E

Costco Bulks Up Compliance Program with Verisk 3E

Costco Wholesale Corporation, a global membership warehouse retailer with hundreds of locations and thousands of employees, faced growing EHS compliance challenges: maintaining up-to-date Safety Data Sheets (SDSs), tracking state and federal reporting during rapid expansion, managing spills and hazardous waste, and classifying hazardous materials for transport. To address these issues, Costco engaged Verisk 3E, deploying services such as 3E Protect and 3E Emergency Response, Compliance Calendar and Disclosure services, and Transportation Classification support.

Verisk 3E implemented a centralized SDS and emergency response system with 24-7-365 access to hazmat specialists, a compliance calendar that tracks filings and remits payments, pre‑classification of products for DOT shipping, and a managed spill/waste response program. The partnership delivered measurable benefits: Verisk 3E’s services saved Costco “hundreds of hours” in administrative work, avoided thousands of dollars in at least one cleanup incident, increased EHS awareness across the organization, and provided reliable, timely access to SDSs and regulatory expertise.

Costco Wholesale Corporation

Ed Maron

Executive Vice President of Special Projects