Responsible Care is the U.S. chemical industry’s award-winning performance improvement initiative that has resulted in emissions reductions of over 70 percent and a worker safety record four and a half times better than the manufacturing sector as a whole.
The American Chemistry Council (ACC) launched the U.S. Responsible Care initiative over seventeen years ago to ensure that this industry makes health, safety, security and the environment a top priority. Participation in the Responsible Care initiative is mandatory for members of the American Chemistry Council.
Widely recognized as one of the largest and most successful voluntary performance initiatives advanced by any industry, Responsible Care helps America’s leading chemical companies go above and beyond government requirements and collectively share their progress with the public.
The Responsible Care program comprises several key elements:
- Guiding Principles
The Guiding Principles Template (pdf) provide the framework for our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement in the areas of environment, health, safety and security. - RCMS®or RC14001® Management System Certification
Every Responsible Care company must implement and a system for managing its environment, health, safety, and security issues. Each ACC member’s management system must conform to wither the Responsible Care Management System or RC14001 technical specification. Third-parties audit companies’ management systems at both the headquarters and facility levels to assure conformance with the requirements of the Responsible Care technical specifications. - Responsible Care Security Code Implementation
Every Responsible Care company must implement the Security Code’s thirteen management practices – including site prioritization, security vulnerability assessments, and third-party verification of physical security enhancements and associated reporting – within three years of joining the American Chemistry Council. - Performance Measure Reporting
Each year, Responsible Care companies report applicable performance measure data to ACC. Performance results are then communicated to the public at http://www.responsiblecare-us.com/. - Responsible Care Coordinator Designation
Each Responsible Care company is required to designate and maintain a Responsible Care coordinator, who is responsible for the program’s implementation within the company.
