Responsible Care Certification

Responsible Care is the worldwide commitment by the chemical industry to continual improvement in health, safety and environmental performance, and open communication with all stakeholders.

Starting in Canada in 1985, it has been taken up by 46 countries. The UK Chemical Industries Association (CIA), working closely with three certification bodies — BSI, Lloyds and DNV — has developed a unique certification process that is purpose-designed to independently assess member companies' Responsible Care commitment to their health, safety and environmental performance improvement — minimising pollution, avoiding injuries and harm to people and improving product safety.

What do we mean by certification of Responsible Care?

Certification is based on management systems guidance that has been developed by the CIA. This covers not only health, safety and environment (including all the key requirements of ISO 1400, EMAS and OHSAS 18001) but also product stewardship, reporting, community liaison, distribution and emergency preparedness. The assessment is by a certification body, independent of the CIA.

Why is there a need for certification of Responsible Care?

All CIA members make self-assessments of their implementation of Responsible Care, but polls continue to show that independent verification would have much greater public credibility and would be much more effective in reassuring the public that we do what we say we do.

The CIA is putting a lot of emphasis on improving the public's view of the industry. Isn't public opinion determined by performance — accidents, environmental incidents, rather than 'management systems'?

We agree that it is actual performance that is fundamental to determining the public's view. We believe that robust management systems are the best way of driving improvements in performance and that these need to be tested by independent assessment. Our principal aim is to prevent accidents, incidents, non-compliances and legal violations — importantly both on and off site.

How does this affect an organisation that already has certification, say, to ISO 14001?

It's an easier process for an organisation that has other external certification, eg ISO 1400 or OHSAS 18001, since the parts of the management system covered by these audits do not need to be revisited to any great extent. The assessment only needs to consider the other parts that make up Responsible Care. Similarly, because the Responsible Care management system includes all the requirements of these standards it is possible to do a combined audit and deliver several certificates.

It seems unlikely that any company will do all the things in the Guidance to perfection — how does the CIA decide who is worth a certificate?

The guidance stresses that the management system should be appropriate to the activities of the organisation. Thus the organisation has to demonstrate that it has identified the risks relevant to its business and that it has a management system adequate to manage the risks. The auditors then assess whether the management system is adhered to and whether it delivers continual improvement.

How many certificates have been awarded so far?

The scheme was piloted at two companies, one a small single site business and the other a large multi-site organisation. The first certificate was awarded to Thomas Swan. More than ten firms are discussing future plans with certification bodies.

You've spoken about public credibility, but what's in it for an individual company?Individual companies see better HSE performance as a real business benefit, and independent audits add confidence. Other important benefits will be recognition by regulators and customers. The CIA is in discussion with the regulators to promote the benefits of this assurance scheme.

How do I start?

Self-assessment is the clear starting point. The CIA can help companies benchmark themselves and address weak areas where, for example, other members are strong.

What's the cost of certification?

It depends on the extent of existing certification and the complexity of the business, but should not be dissimilar to ISO 14001/OHSAS 18001 assessments.

Presumably this isn't a once and for all thing. What sort of frequency do you envisage for renewal of certificates?

In principle this would be on a three-yearly basis, but the CIA encourages continuing assessment.

In the US and Canada, external assessments are made by teams involving people from local communities and other parts of the industry. This seems a better approach than using certification bodies who know nothing about chemical plants. Why didn't the CIA do this?

The US/Canadian approach is good but it does not provide the complete independence of the CIA scheme. The CIA encourages members to share self-assessments with local people, while third-party audits actively assess the relationships with local communities by discussion with them. The independent auditors involved in the CIA scheme are all familiar with the chemical industry and are required to pass a test to ensure they are up to speed on their understanding of Responsible Care. We have set out to ensure that in the certification process the auditors act as the eyes and ears of the community.

Wouldn't it be better if there were a single international scheme?

In the long term, of course it would be better, but there are currently a number of differences in Responsible Care worldwide and the sector would benefit by a more consistent global programme. The CIA believes that its scheme could provide a basis for an international approach. Several countries are showing interest in developing along similar lines.

Is the CIA moving towards certification as a condition of membership?

The CIA scheme is voluntary, and will develop as we gain experience. It is possible that some years ahead it could become a condition of membership but our preference would be to achieve widespread certification because members and their stakeholders see the benefits.