How Responsible Care Changes the Thought Process

How Responsible Care Changes Our Thought Process?

Responsible Care Certification is becoming more common in industries and relies heavily on formally integrating environmental, health, safety and security (EHS&S) processes.  Our company recently went through this process and obtained its certification in January of 2014.  The benefit of this process has allowed us to identify gaps in our operational procedures as it relates to EHS&S and strengthening them.

This program drives continual EHS&S performance through the plan, do, check, and act model.  This process has changed the approach when new operational procedures are integrated into daily operations.  This includes standard operating procedures (SOPs), job safety analysis (JSAs), personal protective equipment (PPE) hazard assessment, and any additional documents or resources that may be needed.  These documents are not only used during the operation but have been developed to be the basis for on the job training for the applicable employees.

Responsible Care has recently adopted the Process Safety Code and Product Safety Code that brings aspects of the OSHA required process safety management (PSM) practices and the safe handling of product.  As a result this allows EHS&S to take a larger role and responsibility in the development and management of these processes to increase the overall welfare of their employees and the impact they can have beyond just the workplace.