BASF, DuPont, Honeywell, Dow and other members of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) this week launched a new Responsible Care Product Safety Code to increase chemical safety standards beyond regulatory requirements.
Through Responsible Care, ACC members are required to report environment, health, safety and security performance data annually. Data are posted on a public website, which allows the public to see individual company data and compare it to other companies.
The announcement marks the 25th Anniversary of ACC’s Responsible Care, an industry environmental, health, safety and security performance initiative focused on the safe, responsible, sustainable management of chemicals. Participation in Responsible Care also is a condition of ACC membership.
“Making safe, innovative products has been and continues to be a core value for the chemical industry,” said ACC President and CEO Cal Dooley. “The Product Safety Code champions transparency, accountability and science-based product development and improvement, to give consumers added confidence in the safety of the products they use every day.”
Under the new Product Safety Code, each ACC member makes a public pledge to implement 11 industry best practices to evaluate and continuously improve their product safety performance. Adherence to these practices will be mandatory and regularly verified by independent auditors. The Product Safety Code requires companies to:
- Manage the safety of their products, from inception to use, reuse, recycling and disposal
- Undertake scientific analyses of their products, with close consideration of how they are used by all consumers, especially children
- Provide public access to product safety information
- Share information along the supply chain so that products can be safely used
- Continuously evaluate new information that may have product safety implications
- Take corrective measures if they discover improper practices involving a product
ACC says the Product Safety Code is an important next step in creating a comprehensive set of practices to which it will not only subscribe, but also confirm adherence through third-party validation.
The announcement was made at the 2013 Responsible Care Conference and Expo, where industry leaders from across the country are gathering to discuss the latest developments in product safety and the future of the chemical industry.
BASF recently became the first chemical company to achieve gold-level certification for its production site in Tarragona, Spain.
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Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact
Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published May 8, 2013 10am EDT / 7am PDT / 3pm BST / 4pm CEST