VelocityEHS vs Zentri comes down to the lockout. VelocityEHS, a broad and well-reviewed EHS suite, manages permits, contractors and visitors well. Zentri's Lockout Tagout and Permit to Work modules record the lockout and the permit as they happen, to your SOP. You get the machine back sooner with no sheet to chase, crews that start when the isolation is confirmed, and audit evidence complete at close. Zentri is stronger on the lockout record and its link to the permit.
- Choose VelocityEHS if you want chemical management, ergonomics, incidents and permits from one established EHS vendor.
- Choose Zentri if you want to see who is under the lock without walking the floor, permits built to your process and digitally linked to the lockout, and evidence ready before anyone asks. Each module is sold on its own or together.
See it with your own procedure: Book your Zentri demo today
Already have a VelocityEHS demo booked? Skip to the six questions to ask VelocityEHS.
VelocityEHS vs Zentri at a glance
| Feature | VelocityEHS | Zentri |
|---|---|---|
| Group lockout with live sign-on | No. Crew e-signatures on permits | Yes, live sign-on register |
| Two-person verification (2PV) | No. Several approvers per permit | Yes, 2PV available |
| Temporary lock removal for testing | No. Permits can be suspended | Yes, tracked removal session |
| Permit linked to the lockout | No. Permits link to other permits | Yes, live link to the lockout |
| Periodic inspection record (OSHA) | No. Scheduled inspection checklists | Yes, signed record per machine |
| Chemical management, ergonomics and incidents | Yes. Core modules on one platform | No. Lockout, permits and observations |
| Configurable to your SOP | Yes. Permit types are configurable | Yes, including the live lockout record |
| Audit trail | Yes. Permit status and signature history | Yes, every change, never edited |
| Digital permit to work | Yes. Any permit type, with e-signatures | Yes, built from your own modules |
| Pricing | Not published | Quote, per module |
What is VelocityEHS?
VelocityEHS is a Chicago-based EHS software company, formerly MSDSonline, whose Accelerate platform unites safety, chemical management, ergonomics and operational risk, and which says it is trusted by more than 15,000 EHS teams. Its permits came with its 2021 purchase of OneLook Systems and sit in a standalone solution, Contractor Safety & Permit to Work. VelocityEHS announced lockout/tagout with that deal, but its public documentation doesn't describe it yet.
Where they differ
Who is under the lock
VelocityEHS records who signs each permit. Zentri also shows who is under the lock. VelocityEHS's e-signatures record who signed a permit and when, and whether they signed again after a crew or shift change (help). Its public documentation doesn't describe a lockout sign-on. In Zentri, everyone working the lockout signs on from their phone, and the register shows who is on, waiting or signed off. The supervisor sees everyone is clear before the machine restarts, and the second verifier can't sign until the first has.
Tests and shift changes
VelocityEHS can suspend or hand over a permit. Zentri tracks tests and shift changes inside the lockout. A VelocityEHS permit can be suspended and reactivated, or handed to a new owner before it closes. Its public documentation doesn't describe lifting locks for a test. In Zentri, a test is a temporary removal session with a pre-check, only the points it needs, and a post-check. The crew tests without rebuilding the lockout, and the night shift inherits an isolation that named verifiers re-walked and signed.
Digital permits, linked to the lockout
Both build digital permits. Zentri's is digitally linked to the lockout. VelocityEHS handles any permit type, maps every permit across the site, and since June 2026 warns when an extended permit overlaps another in the same area (release notes). Its public documentation describes permit-to-permit links, not lockout links. Zentri's permit carries your own sections, risk assessment, gas test and approvals, and crews sign on by phone. It is digitally linked to the lockout it depends on, so the contractor crew starts when the isolation is confirmed.
Proof at audit time
VelocityEHS keeps each permit's history. Zentri also signs off each machine's inspection. VelocityEHS tracks permit signatures with a name and time stamp, and its timeline report shows each permit's milestones. Its public documentation doesn't describe OSHA's periodic inspection of lockout procedures. In Zentri, every machine carries its own inspection clock, so none is missed, and the reviewer signs off machine, date, employees and inspector, the four things OSHA asks for. With every lockout and permit change on one audit trail, the evidence is an export when the auditor arrives.
When VelocityEHS is the better fit
- You want SDS and chemical management, ergonomics and incident reporting on one platform.
- You want contractor vetting, visitor access and permits in one place, and you share VelocityEHS's preference for configuration over customisation.
When Zentri is the better fit
- You want one comprehensive lockout and permit-to-work solution that actively tracks the work as it happens, from the first sign-on to close-out.
- Several people work under one lock and you need to know who is still on it.
- You want evidence that holds up on the bad day: an OSHA inspection or an incident investigation.
- You have your own lockout and permit procedures and want the software configured to both.
Questions to ask VelocityEHS in your demo
- Can you configure this to our SOP, or do we change our SOP to fit your product?
- Is lockout/tagout available today, where is it documented, and how is it priced?
- Show a five-person lockout: who is signed on right now, and who verified each point?
- How do we lift locks for a test without closing the lockout, and where is that recorded?
- Can a hot work permit go live before the lockout it depends on is in place?
- Show one machine's last annual inspection and one permit's audit trail: who did what, when?
Ask us the same six questions: Book your Zentri demo today
Switching from VelocityEHS to Zentri
Your lockout procedures, machines and isolation points come through a guided import workbook, wherever they are kept today. Your VelocityEHS permit types are rebuilt as Zentri templates, with your own phases and approvers. We configure both modules to your SOP, integrate the systems you already run, and train your team. A pilot site typically goes live in 4 to 8 weeks.
VelocityEHS alternatives
- Zentri: records each lockout and permit live, to your SOP.
- CONFORMiT: an EHS suite built around lockout procedures, with permits.
- Enablon: Wolters Kluwer's EHS and ESG suite, with permits and isolation management.
- Novara Flex (formerly KPA EHS): a configurable EHS suite and form builder.
Bring one of your VelocityEHS permits and a lockout procedure. In your demo we'll build both in Zentri live, to your SOP, so you see what your supervisor, crew and auditor each get. Book your Zentri demo today
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