Responsible Care® is the chemical industry’s global voluntary initiative under which companies, through their national associations, work together to continuously improve their health, safety and environmental perform-ance, and to communicate with stakeholders about their products and processes.
The Responsible Care ethic helps the chemical industry operate safely, profitably and with due care for future generations, and was commended by the United Nations Environment Programme as “making a significant contribution to sustainable develop-ment” at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002.
Responsible Care
Fundamental Features
National chemical industry associat-ions are responsible for implementing Responsible Care in their own countries. The initiative is therefore at different stages of development, and has different emphases, in each territory. In the UK, the programme is administered by the Chemical Business Association (CBA).
Every national Responsible Care programme has eight fundamental features:
- A formal commitment by each company to develop a set of guiding principles - signed, in most cases, by the Chief Executive Officer.
- A series of codes, guidance notes and checklists to help companies fulfil their commitment.
- The development of indicators against which improvements in performance can be measured.
- Open communication on health, safety and environmental matters with interested parties, both inside and outside the industry.
- Opportunities for companies to share views and exchange experiences on implementing Responsible Care.
- Consideration of how best to encourage all member companies to commit themselves to, and participate in, Responsible Care
- A title and logo which clearly identify national programmes as being consistent with, and part of, the Responsible Care concept.
- Procedures for verifying that member companies have implemented the measurable or practical elements of Responsible Care.
Responsible Care commits companies and national associations to work together to:
- Continuously improve the environmental, health and safety knowledge and performance of technologies, processes and products over their life cycles so as to avoid harm to people and the environment.
- Use resources efficiently and minimise waste.
- Report openly on performance, achievements and shortcomings.
- Listen, engage and work with people to understand and address their concerns and expectations.
- Cooperate with governments and organisations in the development and implementation of effective regulations and standards, and to meet or go beyond them.
- Provide help and advice to foster the responsible management of chemicals by all those who manage and use them along the product chain.
Responsible Care in the Company
Individual companies start the programme by completing a Self Assessment Questionnaire. This will define where controls are inadequate and will lead to an Improvement Plan.
The guiding principles are:
- Define legal requirements.
- Management of risk.
- Policies and documentation.
- Provision of information.
- Training.
- Emergency response.
- Ongoing improvement.
- Community interaction.
Companies have to report to the CBA annually on their Health & Safety and Environmental performance, and update their Improvement Plan.
To give the Responsible Care programme the necessary impetus, the CEO should sign a commitment to the above principles at the outset.
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