Guiding principles, management codes are central to Responsible Care
program
Ten guiding principles that companies pledge to follow:
Recognize and respond to community concerns.
Develop chemicals that are safe to
make, transport, use, and dispose of.
Make health, safety, and environmental protection priorities in planning
products and processes.
Report information on chemical-related health or environmental hazards
promptly to officials, workers,
and the public and recommend protective measures.
Advise customers on safe use,
transport, and disposal of products.
Operate plants in such a way as to
protect the environment and the
health and safety of workers and the
public.
Conduct and support research on
health, safety, and environmental effects of products, processes, and waste
generated.
Resolve problems created by past
handling and disposal of hazardous
materials.
Participate with government and
others to create responsible laws and
regulations to safeguard the community, workplace, and environment.
Offer assistance to others who produce, handle, use, transport, and dispose
of chemicals.
Six management practice codes to foster improvement contain 106 performance
goals
Community Awareness &
Emergency Response
Approved: Nov. 6, 1989
Goal: Ensure emergency preparedness
and foster community right-to-know. Code stresses dialogue and interaction with
many audiences and
mandates establishment of facility
outreach programs.
Pollution Prevention
Approved: April 6, 1990 (waste and
release practices); Sept. 5, 1991 (waste
management practices)
Goal: Promote efforts to protect
the
environment by generating less waste
and reducing emissions. Code stresses
continuous reductions in amount of
waste generated; responsible management of any remaining wastes and
releases.
Process Safety
Approved: Sept. 10, 1990
Goal: Prevent fires, explosions,
and
accidental chemical releases. Codes
point out opportunities in process
design, plant operation, and routine
maintenance for improved safety
performance.
Distribution
Approved: Nov. 5, 1990
Goal: Reduce risk to public carriers,
customers, contractors, employees,
and environment posed by transportation and storage of chemicals. Code
covers all modes of transportation of
all chemicals, including chemical
waste.
Employee Health & Safety
Approved: Jan. 14, 1992
Goal: Protect and promote health
and
safety of employees or people visiting
company sites. Code offers a framework for identifying, assessing, and
communicating hazards, as well as
preventing unsafe acts and conditions.
Product Stewardship
Approved: April 16, 1992
Goal: Promote safe handling of
chemicals from initial manufacture
to distribution, sale, and ultimate
disposal. Code is designed to make
health, safety, and environmental
protection integral parts of designing, producing, marketing, distributing,
using, recycling, and disposing
of chemical products.
[ACS Home Page]
[ACS Publications Division Page]
