Responsible Care®: Driving Safety & Industry Performance

The safety of chemical operations and products is a core priority for ACC members. Responsible Care is our industry’s commitment to the health and safety of our employees, the communities in which we operate and the environment as a whole. 

The members of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) are committed to safety and sustainability in the communities where we operate and in the products we manufacture. Through implementation of Responsible Care®, our members demonstrate their commitment the health and safety of their employees, the communities in which they operate and the environment as a whole.

For nearly 35 years, companies practicing Responsible Care have worked to significantly enhance their environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) performance.

Participation in Responsible Care is a mandatory for all ACC members and Responsible Care Partner companies, all of which have made CEO-level commitments to the program, including: 

Learn more at: https://www.americanchemistry.com/chemistry-in-america/responsible-care-driving-safety-industry-performanceLearn more at: https://www.americanchemistry.com/chemistry-in-america/responsible-care-driving-safety-industry-performance

Management System Certification

A management system is a set of policies and procedures that express commitments around a set of core values and objectives. Companies practicing Responsible Care® certify their management system is aligned with Responsible Care core values and objectives by demonstrating compliance with a Responsible Care Management System® (RCMS) Technical Specification and three codes of practice (Product Safety Code, Process Safety Code, and Security Code).

Technical Specifications

The Responsible Care Management System Technical Specification identifies a set of required elements for management systems, designed to help companies assess impacts, set performance goals, develop internal processes to drive performance and share progress with the public. ACC members and Responsible Care Partners must demonstrate conformance to either this technical specification or to the RC14001® technical specification, as part of their overall Responsible Care obligations.

The Responsible Care Management System’s framework is simple, building on a “Policy-Plan-Do-Check-Act” philosophy that raises the bar for industry-wide performance in key areas: community awareness and emergency response; security; distribution; employee health and safety; pollution prevention; and process and product safety. The framework also allows flexibility for individual companies and facilities to meet their specific needs, while uniting under a common set of core values and objectives.

Auditing

A key part of the Responsible Care Management System process is mandatory certification by an independent, accredited auditor. All of the more than 250 companies practicing Responsible Care in the United States undergo headquarters and facility-level audits to ensure they have management system to drive continual performance improvement.

Responsible Care companies must renew their certification every three years, and companies can choose to certify to one of two management system technical specifications, as well as implement all three Codes of Practice. Learn more about the technical specifications and three Codes below:

RCMS certification, which verifies that a company has implemented the Responsible Care Management System; or

RC14001, which combines Responsible Care and ISO 14001 certification into a single, cost-effective process.

Product Safety Code, Process Safety Code, and Security Code 

Learn more at: https://www.americanchemistry.com/chemistry-in-america/responsible-care-driving-safety-industry-performance/management-system-certification